First Time in China: Everything to Set Up Before and After You Land

The short version

China is easy to travel in once your phone is ready. Before you fly, sort out these five things:

1. Entry. Check whether you can visit visa-free, use 240-hour transit or need a visa. Then fill in the free online arrival card.
2. Money. Set up Alipay (and ideally WeChat Pay) with your foreign card. Bring two cards and a little cash.
3. Mobile data. Get roaming or a travel eSIM, so your maps, wallet and home apps work from the moment you land.
4. Apps. Install Amap (maps), DiDi (taxis), a translator with offline Chinese and a train booking app.
5. Bookings. Book trains and sights that need advance real-name booking with your passport, such as the Forbidden City.

Everything else, from hotels to food, is straightforward. This page walks through each part in order and links to our detailed guides. Treat it as your starting point.

Your planning timeline

1. Entry: visa, visa-free or transit

Many travelers no longer need a visa for a short trip:

• 30-day visa-free entry: citizens of 50 countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and most of the EU. See which countries can visit China visa-free.
• 240-hour visa-free transit: up to 10 days for citizens of 57 countries, including the United States, if you fly on to a third country or region. See 240-hour visa-free transit.
• A tourist (L) visa: for everyone else, and for longer stays. See how to get a China tourist visa.

Whichever route you use:

• Your passport should be valid for your whole stay. Six months is the safe minimum.
• Fill in the arrival card online before you fly. It is free. See China arrival card.
• Check what you can bring through customs, especially medicines, food and cash. See China customs rules.

2. Money: how you will pay

Most people in China pay by scanning QR codes with their phone. Visitors can do the same.

• Set up Alipay with your home number and a Visa or Mastercard. This is your main wallet. See Alipay for foreigners.
• Add WeChat Pay as a backup. Some places only take one of the two. See WeChat Pay for foreigners.
• Bring two cards on different networks. Foreign cards work directly in big hotels, malls and airports, but not in many small shops. See Can I use my credit card in China?
• Carry a little cash. RMB 500 to 1,000 per person in small notes is plenty as a backup. Cash is legal tender, and businesses must accept it. See Cash and ATMs in China.

Tipping is not expected in most of China, including restaurants and taxis. Tour guides and drivers on private tours are the main exception. See tipping in China.

3. Mobile data and apps

You will use your phone for payments, maps, taxis, translation and tickets, so data is not optional.

Getting online

• Roaming or a travel eSIM keeps Google, WhatsApp and Instagram working, because data is routed outside mainland China.
• A Chinese SIM card is cheap and gives you a Chinese number, but blocked apps stay blocked.
• Wi-Fi is common in hotels and cafés, but it is a Chinese network.

Blocked on Chinese networks: Google, Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, X, Telegram, and ChatGPT is not available in China. See WhatsApp, Instagram and ChatGPT in China and our China eSIM service.

The apps to install at home

Full setup order: Best apps for China travel. For maps: Does Google Maps work in China?

4. Getting around

Between cities: high-speed trains

China’s high-speed rail network is the best way to travel between most cities. It is fast, punctual and comfortable.

• Book with your passport on 12306 or Trip.com. Tickets go on sale 15 days before departure.
• Your passport is your ticket at the station gates.
• Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early at big stations.

Step by step: How to book China train tickets. For long distances, such as Beijing to Guilin or Chengdu, a domestic flight can save a day.

In cities: metro, taxis and walking

• Metro: big cities have large, cheap metro networks with English signs. Pay with a single ticket from a machine, or with the metro QR code in Alipay (Transport → City). In Beijing you can also tap a foreign Visa or Mastercard at the gates.
• Taxis: use DiDi in English, or book inside Alipay. Uber does not work in China. See How to get a taxi in China.
• Addresses: save your hotel’s name and address in Chinese characters. Show them to drivers and passers-by.
• Crossing roads: watch for silent electric scooters, and cars turning right on a red light.

5. Hotels and registration

• Check-in needs your passport. The hotel registers your stay with the police automatically.
• Not every hotel can host foreigners. Most international and mid-range hotels can, but some small budget hotels cannot. Booking sites for international travelers usually show only hotels that accept foreign guests. If in doubt, message the hotel before you book. See can foreigners stay in any hotel in China?
• Staying with friends or in a private rental? You or your host must register your stay at the local police station within 24 hours of arrival.
• Deposits are common at check-in. They are refunded when you leave.

6. Food and water

Eating out is one of the best parts of a trip to China, and it is inexpensive.

• Ordering: point at picture menus, use your camera translator, or scan the table QR code and order in Alipay or WeChat. See How to order food in China.
• Dietary needs: carry a note in Chinese for allergies, vegetarian food or halal food. Restaurants take these seriously when they understand them.
• Tap water: do not drink it straight from the tap. Hotels provide bottled water or a kettle, and boiled water is safe. See can you drink tap water in China?
• Spice: Sichuan and Hunan food can be very spicy. Say bú yào là (不要辣, “no spice”) or wēi là (微辣, “a little spicy”).

7. Safety, health and the law

China is safe for most tourists. Serious crime against visitors is rare. The risks are more everyday:

• Scams in tourist areas, such as friendly strangers who invite you to a tea tasting or bar with a huge bill
• Traffic, especially e-bikes on pavements
• Strict laws on drugs, ID, politics, religion and photography of military sites
• Medical costs, so buy travel insurance before you go

Remember the emergency numbers:

If you lose your passport, report it to the local police station immediately, then contact your embassy. Read more: Is China safe for tourists? and Travel insurance for China.

8. Culture and etiquette in a nutshell

• Queues and crowds: busy places can feel pushy. Hold your spot calmly and keep your belongings close.
• Personal questions about your age, salary or marriage are common small talk, not rudeness.
• Chopsticks: do not stand them upright in a bowl of rice. It is associated with funerals.
• Toilets: many public toilets are squat toilets and may not have paper. Carry tissues and hand sanitizer.
• Smoking: banned in many indoor public places, but you may still meet smokers in some restaurants.
• Temples: dress modestly, follow photography signs and walk around, not over, raised door thresholds.
• Bargaining: normal at markets and small stalls; not in malls, chain stores or restaurants.
• Politics: avoid political discussions with people you have just met, and do not post political content online while in China.

9. What to pack

These are the essentials. For the full checklist, including plug types and what to buy after you arrive, see the China packing list.

• Passport plus photos or copies of the photo page and your visa or entry stamp
• Two bank cards on different networks, and some yuan
• A power adapter. China uses 220 V power with type A, C and I sockets. Many hotel sockets accept several plug shapes, but bring a universal adapter.
• A power bank. Your phone does everything. Domestic flights accept only power banks with a Chinese 3C mark, so a power bank from home may be confiscated. See China domestic flights and power bank rules.
• Medicines in their original packaging, with a prescription or doctor’s letter for anything strong
• Tissues, wet wipes and hand sanitizer
• Comfortable walking shoes. Great Wall steps and huge sights mean long days on your feet.
• Layers and a rain jacket, depending on the season. See what to wear in China, month by month.

10. Your first 24 hours

On the plane: have your passport, the arrival card QR code and your first hotel address in Chinese ready.

At the airport:

1. Immigration. Foreigners aged 14 to 70 usually give fingerprints. Answer questions about your plans simply and truthfully. See arriving in China step by step.
2. Baggage and customs. Use the green channel if you have nothing to declare.
3. Get online. Switch on your eSIM or roaming, and check that Alipay opens and shows a payment code.
4. Get to your hotel. Take the airport express or metro, a DiDi or an official taxi from the taxi rank. Ignore people offering rides inside the terminal. Landing in Beijing or Shanghai? See Beijing airport to city center and Shanghai airport to city center.

At the hotel: check in with your passport, ask for the hotel’s business card with its address in Chinese, and connect to Wi-Fi.

The first evening: buy water and snacks at a convenience store with Alipay to test your wallet, take a short metro ride, and eat nearby. Keep your first day easy: jet lag is real, and a quiet first day makes the rest of the trip smoother.

Common first-trip mistakes

• Waiting until you land to set up Alipay or WeChat. Verification texts and card checks are much easier from home.
• Relying on Google. Maps, email and search may not work. Set up Amap, and download what you need.
• Not booking ahead. The Forbidden City and many big sights need real-name booking and can sell out. Holiday trains sell out fast.
• Traveling during Golden Week. 1 to 7 October and 1 to 5 May are the busiest weeks of the year.
• Packing too much into the route. Distances are huge. Two or three bases in ten days is plenty.
• Forgetting your passport. You need the original for trains, hotels and many sights.

Where to go on a first trip

A classic first trip takes 10 to 14 days:

• Beijing (3–4 days): the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, hutongs
• Xi’an (2 days): the Terracotta Warriors and the city wall
• Shanghai (2–3 days): the Bund, old gardens and day trips to Suzhou or Hangzhou

Add Chengdu for pandas and Sichuan food, or Guilin and Yangshuo for river and karst scenery. See our first-time China itinerary and 10-day itinerary.

Plan your first China trip with us

Want someone to ask while you work through this checklist? Our personal travel concierge answers on WhatsApp before you fly and every day of the trip, and we can book the things that are hardest from abroad: trains, sights and hotels.