8 Essential China Travel Apps: The Most Useful Apps for Traveling in China

Planning a trip to China and wondering which apps you actually need? This guide covers the essential China travel apps that will make getting around, paying, translating, and booking transport incredibly easy, without downloading dozens of apps you’ll never use.

One of the biggest surprises for first-time visitors is that China has its own digital ecosystem. Many apps we use every day, such as Google Maps, WhatsApp, and Uber, either don’t work properly or aren’t used at all. Instead, China relies on its own powerful apps that often combine multiple functions into one. At first, they can seem a little overwhelming, but once you get the hang of them, they’re incredibly convenient.

After spending months traveling, studying, and living in China over the years, we’ve narrowed it down to the apps we genuinely used every single day. In this travel guide, I’ll show you which China travel apps are truly essential, which ones are simply nice to have, and how to set everything up before your trip. We’ll also cover the best VPNs, eSIMs, and SIM cards, so you can stay connected from the moment you arrive.

* Disclosure: This China travel apps guide contains affiliate links. We will receive a small commission if you book through our links. This is at no extra cost to you. This way you’re helping us write awesome travel guides and keep providing you with free content. We only recommend products we like and trust ourselves.

Quick China Travel Tips

Planning your first trip? Here’s a quick overview of the most important things to know before visiting China.

Language Mandarin Chinese (official). English is limited, so translation apps are highly recommended.	Time Zone China Standard Time (CST) UTC/GMT +8 hours
Currency Chinese Yuan / Renminbi (CNY or RMB). 1 USD ≈ ¥7 RMB	Visa Visa requirements vary by nationality. Check the latest requirements on ivisa.com
Plugs and Voltage Type A, C and I plugs. Standard voltage is 220V. Use a universal adapter with surge protection	When to go Spring (March–May) and autumn (September to November)
Drinking Water Drink bottled or filtered water	Transport Alipay App can be used for metro rides, bike sharing, and many other transport services. For booking trains & domestic flights, check Trip.com
Credit cards & ATMs China is largely cashless. Set up Alipay and WeChat before your trip, as most payments are made via QR codes.	Stay Connected Buy a local SIM card at the airport or use an eSIM before arrival. Make sure your VPN is installed before entering China.

💳 Best Payment App in China: Alipay (支付宝)

If there’s one China travel app you absolutely shouldn’t arrive without, it’s Alipay (支付宝).

During our latest trip through China, this was by far the app we used the most. We paid for almost everything with Alipay: restaurants, convenience stores, metro rides, shared bikes, taxis, shopping malls, tourist attractions, and even tiny street food stalls. Once you’ve linked your bank card, paying becomes incredibly easy, and you’ll quickly understand why China is considered one of the most cashless countries in the world.

Although cash is still officially accepted, hardly anyone actually uses it anymore. Even many small vendors expect customers to pay by scanning a QR code. We withdrew some cash as a backup during our trip but barely touched it.

Fortunately, Alipay has made life much easier for international visitors. Foreign travelers can now link most Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, and several other international cards directly to the app, meaning you don’t need a Chinese bank account to pay almost anywhere in China.

⭐ What can you use Alipay for?

Besides paying for virtually everything, Alipay includes a surprising number of travel features built directly into the app.

• 💳 QR Code Payments
  
  This is Alipay’s main function. Most of the time, you’ll simply scan the merchant’s QR code to pay. Occasionally, it’s the other way around, and the cashier scans the payment code generated inside your app. After a few purchases, it quickly becomes second nature.
  
• 🚇 Public Transport
  
  One of our favorite features is the built-in public transport system. Instead of buying separate metro tickets, you can activate the transport pass for each city inside Alipay and simply scan your QR code when entering and leaving metro stations or buses.
  
• 🚲 Shared Bike Rental
  
  Cycling became one of our favorite ways to explore Chinese cities, such as our favorite Shanghai. Through Alipay you can instantly unlock shared bikes from providers like Hello Bike by scanning the QR code on the bicycle. It’s incredibly affordable and perfect for exploring neighborhoods that are a little too far to walk.
  
• 🚕 DiDi Ride-Hailing
  
  China’s version of Uber, DiDi, is fully integrated into Alipay. That means you don’t necessarily have to download the standalone DiDi app if you only plan on using it occasionally. Simply search for the DiDi Mini Program inside Alipay, enter your destination, and book a ride within seconds.
  
• 🍜 Restaurant Ordering
  
  One feature we absolutely loved is the restaurant ordering system. In many restaurants you’ll find a QR code on the table instead of a traditional menu. Scan it with Alipay and the entire menu opens inside the app. Even better, Alipay includes a floating translation tool, making it much easier to understand Chinese menus that would otherwise be impossible to read.
  
• 🛍️ Mini Programs
  
  Alipay also contains thousands of Mini Programs, which are small apps that work without downloading anything separately. You’ll find services for ordering food, buying attraction tickets, booking taxis, renting bikes, and much more. Most travelers won’t use all of them, but it’s nice knowing they’re there when needed.

📱 Best Communication App in China: WeChat (微信)

While Alipay is probably the most important app you’ll use during your trip, WeChat (微信) comes in a very close second.

Most people know WeChat as China’s version of WhatsApp, but that comparison barely scratches the surface. In reality, WeChat is an all-in-one platform that combines messaging, social media, mobile payments, bookings, customer service, and thousands of built-in mini apps.

For shorter trips, you can easily get by using Alipay as your primary payment app. However, we still highly recommend downloading WeChat before your trip. It makes communicating with hotels, tour operators, restaurants, and locals much easier, while also serving as an excellent backup payment method whenever Alipay decides to act up.

Personally, WeChat brings back a lot of memories. During our time studying in Shanghai, everyone used it. It was how we stayed in touch with classmates, organized trips, learned about upcoming events, shared photos, and chatted with Chinese friends. Years later, when returning to China as a traveler, it was just as useful. We used it to contact hotels, communicate with local transport, make appointments, and keep in touch through our family travel group since WhatsApp isn’t always reliable without a VPN.

If you’re spending more time than just a holiday in China, or simply want the smoothest travel experience possible, WeChat is absolutely worth installing.

⭐ What can you use WeChat for?

Like Alipay, WeChat has evolved into much more than a single-purpose app.

• 💬 Messaging & Communication
  
  This is still WeChat’s biggest strength. Almost everyone in China uses it, making it the easiest way to communicate with hotels, guesthouses, tour guides, restaurants, or anyone you meet during your trip. Besides regular messaging, you can make voice and video calls, send photos, and even share your live location.
  
• 💳 WeChat Pay
  
  WeChat Pay works very similarly to Alipay. Simply link your international bank card and pay by scanning QR codes almost everywhere in China. Although we personally relied on Alipay for nearly all our payments, WeChat proved invaluable as a backup whenever a payment didn’t go through.
  
• 🚕 Book DiDi Rides
  
  Just like Alipay, WeChat includes the DiDi Mini Program, allowing you to book taxis without downloading another app. It even includes automatic translation features, making it easy to communicate with your driver despite the language barrier.
  
• 🎫 Mini Programs
  
  One of WeChat’s most powerful features is its enormous collection of Mini Programs. Think of these as lightweight apps that run inside WeChat itself. You can use them to book attraction tickets, make restaurant reservations, order food, access tourist services, or contact businesses, all without installing anything extra. Many official attractions in China even use WeChat Mini Programs as their preferred booking platform, making the app especially useful if you’re planning a longer itinerary around the country.
  
• 🚲 Shared Bikes & Local Services
  
  WeChat also lets you unlock shared bikes, access local services, and interact with countless businesses throughout China. Most short-term visitors won’t need every feature, but they’re incredibly useful if you’re staying a little longer or travelling more independently.
  
• 🌐 Built-in Translation
  
  Another feature we found surprisingly useful is WeChat’s built-in translation tool. You can instantly translate incoming messages and conversations, making it much easier to communicate with hotels, guides, or local businesses. We still occasionally used Google Translate for screenshots and menus, but for conversations inside WeChat, the built-in translator worked remarkably well.
  

💡 Alipay vs WeChat: Which one should you use?

If you’re only downloading one payment app, we’d recommend Alipay. It’s generally a little more intuitive for international visitors and includes fantastic transport features like metro passes and bike rentals.

That said, WeChat is still incredibly valuable to have installed, definitely for longer travels or stays. Besides acting as a backup payment method, it’s the standard communication app throughout China and opens the door to countless services you’ll likely use during your trip.

In our experience, the two apps complement each other perfectly rather than compete.

🗺️ Best Navigation App in China: Amap (高德地图)

One of the biggest surprises for first-time visitors is that Google Maps is practically useless in China. Even if you manage to access it using a VPN, the map data is often outdated, many businesses aren’t listed, and locations can be offset by hundreds of meters. That might not sound like much, but when you’re trying to find the entrance to a metro station or a hidden restaurant, it quickly becomes frustrating.

Instead, download Amap (高德地图) before your trip. During our travels through China, Amap became one of the apps we opened dozens of times every single day. Whether we were navigating Shanghai’s enormous metro stations, finding a coffee shop in Chongqing, or looking for a hidden restaurant in a small town, it never let us down. The app has improved tremendously for international travelers over the past few years and now offers an English interface (+ many other languages!), making it much easier to use than it used to be.

⭐ What can you use Amap for?

Amap does far more than simply provide directions.

• 🚶 Walking Navigation Walking around Chinese cities can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially in places with multiple underground passages, shopping malls, and enormous intersections. Amap provides accurate walking directions that make getting around surprisingly straightforward.
• 🚇 Public Transport This is where Amap truly shines. Besides showing metro and bus routes, it even tells you which subway exit to use. That might sound like a small detail, but in massive metro stations with ten or more exits, choosing the correct one can easily save you ten minutes of walking. We relied on this feature constantly throughout our trip.
• 🚕 Ride-Hailing Need a taxi? Amap lets you book rides directly through integrated services like DiDi, so you don’t always have to switch between different apps.
• 🚲 Shared Bikes Just like Alipay, Amap allows you to unlock shared bikes directly from within the app. If you enjoy exploring neighborhoods by bicycle like we do, this is another incredibly convenient feature.
• 📍 Discover Restaurants & Attractions One feature we used much more than expected was searching for nearby cafés, restaurants, viewpoints, and attractions. Unlike Google Maps, nearly every local business is listed, making it a fantastic way to discover places you’d otherwise walk straight past.
• 🗺️ Offline Maps You can also download city maps before your trip, giving you access to navigation even if your internet connection isn’t perfect.

🍎 What about Apple Maps?

If you’re an iPhone user, you’re actually in luck. Apple Maps works remarkably well in China and is probably the easiest alternative if you don’t feel like learning another navigation app. Apple Maps is very reliable for walking directions, metro routes, public transport information, and even for showing the correct subway exit numbers. In fact, if you only visit China once and already use an iPhone, Apple Maps may be all you need.

That said, we still think Amap is the more complete option. It contains more local businesses, offers better restaurant information, and integrates seamlessly with many other Chinese services.

📍 What about Baidu Maps (百度地图)?

Before Amap became more foreigner-friendly, many travelers relied on Baidu Maps (百度地图). It’s still one of China’s most popular navigation apps and works extremely well, but it’s primarily designed for Chinese users. The interface is considerably less accessible for international travelers, which is why we’d recommend Amap instead unless you’re comfortable reading Chinese.

🚆 Best Travel & Transportation Apps in China

⭐ Trip.com (携程旅行) – The Best App for Booking Travel in China

Throughout our China travels, we booked nearly everything you can think of through Trip.com, from hotels and train tickets to observation decks, national parks, and attractions. 

Originally a Chinese travel company, Trip.com has become by far the easiest platform for international travelers to book almost everything in China. Hotels, high-speed trains, domestic flights, attraction tickets, airport transfers, tours, you name it, you’ll find it all in one place, completely in English.

Although it’s possible to book many things through Chinese apps like WeChat or the official railway website, Trip.com removes almost all of the language barrier and makes the entire process much less intimidating for first-time visitors. Everything is in one place, which makes it super convenient to keep track of your China itinerary. Big plus, you can earn Trip coins whenever you book something, which helps save money on future bookings.

Why we love Trip.com

• 🚄 Book high-speed trains
  
  One of the biggest reasons we use Trip.com is for booking China’s incredible high-speed rail network. Tickets become available up to 15 days before departure, but Trip.com allows you to reserve them around a month in advance. Once tickets officially go on sale, they’ll complete the booking for you.
  
• ✈️ Flights & airport transfers
  
  Domestic flights are easy to compare and book, while airport transfers can be arranged in advance, making your arrival much less stressful.
  
• 🏨 Hotels
  
  Although Booking.com works in China, Trip.com usually has a much larger selection of accommodation, especially for local hotels that don’t appear on international booking platforms.
  
• 🎟️ Book attractions
  
  From Shanghai Tower and the Terracotta Warriors to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Trip.com lets you reserve entrance tickets before they sell out. Many attractions in China require timed entry or have daily visitor limits, making advance booking highly recommended.
  
• 🌍 English interface
  
  Unlike many Chinese travel apps, everything is available in English, making it much easier to compare hotels, read reviews, and manage your reservations.
  

💡 Extra Tip: We highly recommend booking trains, hotels, and popular attractions well in advance, especially during weekends or Chinese public holidays. Some attractions, like Beijing’s Forbidden City, often sell out days before your visit.

🚄 China Railway 12306 (铁路12306): Optional extra train booking app

If you’re planning to travel extensively by high-speed train, you may also want to download 12306, the official booking platform of China Railway.

This is where every train ticket sold in China ultimately comes from. While the app offers the widest availability and doesn’t charge booking fees, it’s definitely less beginner-friendly than Trip.com.

For most travelers, Trip.com is still the easier option, but frequent visitors or longer-term travelers may appreciate having the official app installed as well. Once you have registered and have all your details, all of your train tickets will appear in the app. You no longer need a physical ticket as in the past, as everything is linked to your passport. Unfortunately, you can only book your train tickets 2 weeks in advance. This can be annoying if you want to travel around busier times of the year, and the risk of tickets selling out is higher. Here is where Trip.com lets you reserve train tickets a month in advance, and they will try to buy them for you the moment they come online (which is still no guarantee, though).

Why you might use it

• 🚄 Official source for all Chinese train tickets
• 💰 No booking commission
• 📅 Tickets released exactly 15 days before departure
• 🪪 Passport verification required

🚖 DiDi (滴滴出行)

Think of DiDi as China’s version of Uber.

It’s by far the easiest way to get around whenever you don’t feel like taking the metro. We used it countless times after long sightseeing days or when returning to our hotel late in the evening. Also good to know is that at major train stations and airports, you have designated pickup zones for Didi ride-sharing cars, which makes boarding faster and more stress-free!

The biggest advantage? The app automatically translates your destination for the driver, so there’s no need to worry about the language barrier.

Why you’ll love DiDi

• 🚕 Fast, reliable ride-hailing throughout China
• 🌍 English interface available
• 💳 Pay directly with your linked international card
• 📍 Live GPS tracking and upfront pricing
• 💬 Built-in translation between you and your driver

One of the nice things is that you don’t even need the standalone DiDi app if you don’t want to. You can simply access DiDi directly through Alipay or WeChat using their built-in mini programs.

🚇 MetroMan

China’s metro systems are some of the best in the world, and MetroMan quickly became one of our favorite apps for navigating them.

It covers almost every major Chinese city and makes planning metro journeys incredibly easy. Simply enter your destination, and it’ll show exactly which lines to take, where to transfer, how long the journey takes, and the expected fare.

Features

• 🚇 Metro maps for dozens of Chinese cities
• 🗺️ Route planning with transfers
• ⏱️ Journey times and fare estimates
• 🌍 English interface
• 📶 Works offline after downloading city maps

🚲 Bike Sharing (Hello Bike, Meituan & Qingju)

One of our absolute favorite ways to explore Chinese cities was by bike.

You’ll find thousands of shared bikes parked throughout cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, and Chongqing. Renting one is incredibly simple: just scan the QR code using Alipay or WeChat, unlock the bike, and start riding.

The bikes themselves belong to companies such as Hello Bike (哈啰), Meituan Bike (美团单车), or Qingju (青桔单车), but you usually don’t need to download separate apps since they’re fully integrated into Alipay and WeChat.

Cycling turned out to be one of our favorite ways to explore neighborhoods, parks, and riversides. It’s cheap, convenient, and often even faster than taking a taxi for shorter distances.

💡 Our Tip: If there’s one thing we’d recommend trying at least once during your trip to China, it’s renting one of these shared bikes. Some of our favorite travel memories came from simply cycling around cities without any real destination in mind.

🌐 Best VPN App for China: V1VPN

One of the most important China travel apps isn’t really a travel app at all, it’s a VPN. China’s internet is protected by what’s commonly known as the Great Firewall, meaning many of the apps and websites you use every day simply won’t work without one. Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, and many international news websites are all blocked.

During our latest trip around China, V1VPN was the VPN that consistently worked best for us. We’d previously used ExpressVPN and NordVPN, but unfortunately, both have become much less reliable in recent years. Other VPNs worth considering are Let’sVPN or Mullvad. We don’t have experience with these two, but we also often see them mentioned as top VPN choices for China.

Why you’ll need a VPN

• 🔒 Access blocked websites
  
  Continue using Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and other services you’re used to.
  
• 🌍 Protect your privacy
  
  A VPN encrypts your internet connection while masking your location and IP address.
  
• 📺 Streaming abroad
  
  Continue watching Netflix, YouTube and other streaming platforms while traveling.
  
• 💻 Stay productive
  
  Essential if you need Google Drive, Google Docs, Gmail or other work-related services.
  

💡 Extra Tip: Download and set up your VPN before arriving in China. Most VPN websites are blocked once you’re already there, making it much harder to install one after landing.

🌍 Best Translation Apps in China

Google Translate & Baidu Translate (百度翻译)

One of the biggest challenges for first-time visitors to China is the language barrier. Outside hotels and major tourist attractions, relatively few people speak English, so having a reliable translation app quickly becomes essential.

Throughout our travels, we used Google Translate almost every single day. Whether we were translating restaurant menus, reading signs, asking for directions, or having conversations with locals, it saved us countless times.

Because Google services are blocked in China, you’ll need your VPN enabled for Google Translate to work. That’s also why it’s worth downloading Baidu Translate, China’s own translation app, as a reliable backup.

Why are they so useful

• 📷 Instant camera translation
  
  Simply point your camera at menus, signs or packaging to translate Chinese text in seconds.
  
• 💬 Conversation mode
  
  Hold natural conversations by speaking into your phone and letting the app translate both languages.
  
• 🎤 Voice translation
  
  Perfect when asking for directions, ordering food or communicating with taxi drivers.
  
• 🌐 Offline language packs
  
  Download Chinese before your trip in case your connection becomes unreliable.
  

💡 Extra Tip: We often combined Google Translate with Alipay’s built-in floating translator when ordering food. Between the two, we rarely struggled with Chinese-only menus.

Extra optional translation app: Pleco (汉语词典)

While Google Translate and Baidu Translate are perfect for translating full conversations and menus, Pleco excels at something much simpler: translating individual words and Chinese characters.

It was actually one of the very first apps I downloaded when I first studied in China back in 2019, and I still find myself using it today. The app functions as an English-Chinese dictionary and is incredibly handy whenever you need to communicate a single item or ingredient.

Imagine you’re looking for a specific item in a supermarket, or simply want to make sure you’re ordering chicken instead of duck. Just type the word into Pleco, show the Chinese translation to the person helping you, and you’re good to go. Sometimes, the simplest solutions really are the most effective.

🍜 Best Food App in China: Dazhong Dianping (大众点评)

If Google Maps is the Yelp of the West, Dazhong Dianping is the Yelp of China, except much more useful.

Besides millions of restaurant reviews, Dianping is also where locals find set-menu discounts, restaurant deals, spa promotions, cafés, tea houses, and entertainment offers. We honestly saved quite a bit of money simply by checking Dianping before sitting down to eat.

Although the app is mostly in Chinese, it’s absolutely worth downloading and checking out. We suggest that if you spot a restaurant you like on the go, to double check it on Dianping (even if it’s just for the ratings and pictures to have an idea).

Why we loved Dianping

• ⭐ Restaurant reviews from locals
  
  Find highly-rated restaurants that rarely appear on Google.
  
• 💰 Exclusive meal deals
  
  Many restaurants offer discounted set menus that can only be purchased through Dianping.
  
• 🍵 Discounts beyond restaurants
  
  You’ll also find promotions for tea houses, massage parlors, attractions, karaoke, cafés and much more.
  
• 📍 Discover hidden gems
  
  Some of our favorite meals came from restaurants we found while browsing Dianping nearby.
  

💡 Extra Tip: The discount pages are still entirely in Chinese. We usually took screenshots and translated them using Google Translate. It takes an extra minute, but the savings are often well worth it.

⭐ Other Useful China Travel Apps (Optional)

The apps above are the ones we genuinely consider essential for traveling around China. Depending on your travel style, however, there are a few additional apps that can make your trip even easier.

They’re certainly not required, but they’re worth knowing about before you go.

Meituan (美团)

Where Dianping focuses on reviews and discounts, Meituan is China’s all-in-one platform for food delivery and local services. If you’re staying somewhere for a few days, it’s incredibly convenient. You can order meals, groceries, coffee, drinks, flowers, pharmacy items, and much more directly to your hotel. While many of its features are designed for locals, it’s still worth having installed if you’re staying in China a little longer. Always wanted one of those robots to come to your door to deliver food? Use Meituan for that!

💱 XE Currency

When we first arrived in China, we found ourselves converting prices constantly. Whether it was hotel rooms, restaurant bills, or shopping, it took a little while before we got used to the value of the Chinese Yuan (Renminbi). That’s why we always keep XE Currency installed on our phones. It provides live exchange rates and makes it easy to quickly convert prices into your home currency.

🛍️ Taobao (淘宝)

Think of Taobao as China’s version of Amazon, although it’s much bigger and far more integrated into everyday life. While most tourists won’t actually order products during a short trip, it’s still fascinating to browse. You’ll quickly get a glimpse of Chinese shopping culture and just how incredibly cheap many products are. If you’re staying in China for a longer period, Taobao becomes incredibly useful for ordering almost anything directly to your hotel or apartment. We, for example, forgot our electric toothbrush charger and ordered one through Taobao, and had it delivered to our Chongqing hotel the day after.

📸 Xiaohongshu (小红书 / RED)

If you’re searching for hidden cafés, photogenic viewpoints, trendy restaurants, or unique neighborhoods, Xiaohongshu is one of the best apps you can download. It’s often described as a mix between Instagram and Pinterest, but it’s much more than that. Millions of locals share travel recommendations, restaurant reviews, shopping tips, and beautiful places to visit.

🎥 Douyin (抖音)

Most people know TikTok, but Douyin is actually the original Chinese version. While it’s primarily a social media platform, it’s also a surprisingly good source of travel inspiration. Search for the city you’re visiting, and you’ll instantly discover viewpoints, restaurants, scenic walks, and attractions that many international travel guides never mention. If you’re looking to experience places the way locals do, Douyin can be a goldmine.

🌫️ Air Matters

If you’re visiting China during periods of higher pollution or simply like to keep an eye on air quality, Air Matters is a useful app to have. It provides real-time air quality information, weather forecasts, and pollution alerts for cities throughout China. Most travelers won’t need it every day, but it’s especially useful if you’re sensitive to poor air quality or planning outdoor activities.

💡 Final China Travel Apps Tips

Before you board your flight, there are a few things I’d recommend doing. Taking ten minutes to prepare these apps beforehand will save you a lot of time (and frustration) once you arrive.

📲 Download everything before you fly

China’s internet restrictions mean that downloading certain apps or accessing app stores can be more complicated after you arrive. Install everything you think you’ll need while you’re still at home.

💳 Set up Alipay & WeChat in advance

Both Alipay and WeChat require a few verification steps before you can start using them. Register your account, verify your identity with your passport, and link your Visa or Mastercard before departure. That way, you’ll be ready to make your very first payment as soon as you land.

📶 Stay connected with a SIM card or eSIM

All of these China travel apps become much more useful when you have a reliable internet connection. For shorter trips, an eSIM is usually the easiest option. We personally recommend Airalo, which we’ve used on multiple trips around the world. You can use our promo code NEWTOAIRALO15 for 15% off your first eSIM purchase. Returning users can use AIRALOESIM10 for 10% off.  If you’re staying in China for a longer period, however, we generally think a local SIM card from China Unicom, China Mobile, or China Telecom offers much better value.

🔒 Don’t forget your VPN

If you plan on using Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, or any other blocked services, make sure your VPN is installed before arriving in China. It’s one of the easiest things to forget, and one of the hardest things to fix once you’re already there.

Practical Travel Resources

TRANSPORTATION | For booking transportation online such as bullet trains and domestic flights, we recommend using the website Trip.com. This platform has been our go-to for China, saving us from the hassle of queuing at travel agencies and securing a seat in peak seasons.

ACCOMMODATION | Finding affordable places to stay in China is a breeze with Booking.com. It’s the ideal platform to discover budget-friendly hostels and hotels.

FLIGHTS | Discover the best flight deals to China on Skyscanner. We love that they highlight the days with the cheapest prices for a destination, and the ability to search by month or region for flexibility.

TRAVEL INSURANCE | Ensure comprehensive and reliable coverage for your journey in China with Heymondo. Prioritize peace of mind with their trustworthy travel insurance options. Get 5% OFF through our link.

STAY CONNECTED | Guarantee reliable internet access throughout your China trip by using Airalo. Install it on your eSIM-compatible smartphone before your journey for convenient connectivity. Use promo code NEWTOAIRALO15 for 15% off any eSIM (for new Airalo users only). Or use the code AIRALOESIM10 for 10% off as an existing user.

TOURS & ATTRACTIONS | For the best and most affordable city tours, day trip excursions, food tours, and cooking classes in China, check out GetYourGuide or Viator.

VISA ORGANIZATION | Before your trip, ensure you check the visa requirements for your passport nationality. Explore details on travel documents at iVisa.com.

ONLINE PRIVACY | Always safeguard your online activity and digital privacy when using public Wi-Fi abroad by using a VPN. We’ve trusted ExpressVPN for years! Plus, a VPN lets you stream Netflix shows from any country. Get 3 months FREE when getting a 12-month plan with our link.

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