Guides
China Travel Guides for First-Time Visitors
Browse practical guides on payments, apps, DiDi, high-speed rail, travel checklists, common mistakes, and the first 72 hours after arriving in China.
Reading path
Read in the order that matches your trip
You do not need to read everything. Start from the decision you are making now, then move into payment, transport, and city-specific planning.
If this is your first China trip
Start with the checklist so payment, apps, data, hotel address, and documents are not scattered.
Open guideIf you are worried about paying
Set up Alipay first, then compare WeChat Pay and backup options.
Open guideIf you already have flights booked
Use the first 72 hours guide to plan landing, hotel transfer, first meal, and first transport.
Open guideIf your route depends on a city
Match the general advice to Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, or Chongqing.
Open guidePlanning and arrival
Prepare the trip in the order you will use it
Choose dates, check entry-sensitive details, prepare the basics, and make the first 72 hours lighter before adding a packed itinerary.
Best Time to Visit China in 2026
Compare months, crowds, costs, weather, scenery, and city fit before choosing China travel dates.
Avoid Spring Festival travel days, Labor Day, summer school holiday, and National Day if value matters; choose the month and cities together.
Read guideChina 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Checker
Review passport, entry city, third-country routing, onward ticket, and timing before relying on visa-free transit.
Treat the checker as a preparation aid and confirm the final route with current official immigration sources before travel.
Read guideChina Travel Checklist for First-Time Visitors
A practical before-departure and first-72-hours checklist for China travel.
Prepare payment, apps, network access, transport basics, hotel addresses, and official travel-rule checks before flying.
Read guideFirst 72 Hours in China
A practical guide for the first three days after arriving in China.
Use the first 72 hours to stabilize payment, maps, transport, food ordering, and basic city movement.
Read guideChina Travel Mistakes First-Time Visitors Should Avoid
Common first-trip mistakes around payment, apps, transport, cities, and planning.
The biggest first-time mistakes are weak payment backup, late app setup, tight first-day plans, and unclear station or address details.
Read guideDigital travel setup
Make the essential digital stack work before you need it
Prepare Alipay, understand WeChat Pay, choose travel apps, and keep data and payment backups ready before the first checkout or ride.
Best Apps for China Travel
Set up payment, rides, maps, translation, train booking, food, and app backups before arrival.
Prepare only the apps your trip needs, then save Chinese addresses and offline screenshots in case data or login fails.
Read guideAlipay for Foreigners in China: International Cards and Backup Payments
Set up Alipay for China travel as a foreign visitor, link international cards when supported, test QR payment after landing, and keep backup payment options.
Alipay is usually the first payment app foreign visitors should prepare before traveling to China. It can work with supported international cards in many visitor situations, but setup may still depend on your card issuer, verification, and account status. Test a small QR payment after landing and keep WeChat Pay, a physical card, cash, and staff help as backups.
Read guideAlipay or WeChat Pay Failed in China? Do This First
Alipay or WeChat Pay failed at checkout, in a taxi, or before a train? Use this tourist payment rescue plan: data, QR type, card, bank app, backup payment, and staff help.
If Alipay or WeChat Pay fails in China, solve the immediate payment before debugging everything. Step aside, check mobile data, confirm whether you should scan the merchant's QR code or show your own payment code, try the other app, try another linked card, open your bank app for a fraud prompt, then ask staff for cash, card, another QR code, a staffed counter, or hotel help.
Read guideCan Tourists Use WeChat Pay Without a Chinese Bank Account in 2026?
A practical 2026 guide for tourists using WeChat Pay in China without a Chinese bank account: supported cards, setup, testing, fees, and backup plans.
Many foreign tourists can use WeChat Pay in China without opening a Chinese bank account by linking a supported international card inside WeChat or Weixin Pay. But do not make it your only payment plan. Set it up before departure, complete card and passport verification if requested, check your bank can approve overseas app payments, test a small purchase after landing, and keep Alipay, a physical card, RMB cash, and hotel staff help as backups.
Read guideAlipay vs WeChat Pay for China: What Foreigners Should Set Up First
Compare Alipay vs WeChat Pay for China travel: which app foreigners should set up first, when each one helps, and what payment backups to keep.
Most foreign visitors should prepare Alipay first for China travel and use WeChat Pay as a useful backup when possible. Alipay is often the simpler first tourist payment app; WeChat Pay is valuable if you use WeChat, mini programs, or local contacts. Do not arrive with only one payment method.
Read guideGetting around
Move between airports, hotels, stations, and cities
Use these guides for DiDi, taxi apps, official taxi lines, high-speed rail, station flow, and transport decisions during the first few days.
China Transport Guide
Compare high-speed rail, metro, DiDi, official taxis, airport transfers, station staff, and practical backups.
Use the transport mode that fits the current leg, and keep station names, hotel addresses, and a backup route saved in Chinese.
Read guideHow to Use DiDi in China as a Foreigner: 10 Practical Steps
Foreign visitors can use DiDi in China. Follow 10 practical steps for phone verification, foreign-card payment, pickup, driver contact, safety, and failures.
Yes, foreign visitors can use DiDi in China, but do not make it your only airport plan until five things work on your travel phone: account login, SMS verification, mobile data, a visible payment method, and a pickup zone you can reach. A card saved in the app is only a setup check; prove the full setup with a short daytime ride from your hotel before relying on DiDi for a flight or train transfer.
Read guideChina High-Speed Rail for Foreigners: Tickets, Passport, Boarding
China high-speed rail guide for foreign visitors: tickets, passport checks, station names, security, boarding gates, and arrival transport.
China high-speed rail is convenient and foreign visitors can use passports for real-name tickets, but you should check station names, passport details, security timing, boarding gates, and arrival transport carefully.
Read guideHelp and everyday confidence
Handle safety, help, and small cultural questions
Know where to get help, which emergency number to call, and which everyday customs do not need to become travel stress.
Is China Safe to Visit? Practical Safety Tips for Tourists
Is China safe to visit? Practical safety guide for foreign tourists covering payment, taxis, hotels, stations, police, emergency numbers, language barriers, and backup plans.
China is generally safe to visit for foreign tourists, especially in major cities, transport hubs, hotels, shopping malls, metro systems, and tourist areas. Most first-time visitor stress is practical rather than dangerous: payment, taxis, language, hotel check-in, train stations, and finding help. Prepare payment, mobile data, Chinese addresses, emergency numbers, and help channels before you arrive.
Read guideChina Emergency Numbers: 110 Police, 120 Ambulance, 119 Fire
Call 110 for police, 120 for an ambulance, 119 for fire, or 122 for a traffic accident in China. See what to say, what location details to give, and where foreign visitors can get help.
Call 110 for an urgent police response, 120 for an ambulance or medical emergency, 119 for fire, and 122 for a road traffic accident. Tell the operator what happened and your exact location. If language is difficult, ask a nearby hotel, station, airport, mall, or attraction employee to call and show them the Chinese message below.
Read guideDo You Tip in China? Simple Rules for Foreign Travelers
Simple tipping rules for China: restaurants, hotels, taxis, tours, delivery, official staff, and when tipping may feel awkward or unnecessary.
No, tipping is not expected in most everyday situations in China. You usually do not need to tip in restaurants, taxis, hotels, or casual services, but private guides or special tour services can be different.
Read guideCity planning
After the guide, match it to your route
Payment and transport advice becomes more useful when it is tied to your arrival city, hotel area, station, and first-day route.