Your First 24 Hours in China

Before you land

Fill in the arrival card if one is handed out, and have the following in one pocket or phone folder: passport, visa or visa-free supporting documents, hotel booking with the Chinese address, onward or return ticket, and travel insurance details. Download offline maps and a translation pack. If you are using an eSIM, install and test it before departure. If you are relying on a local SIM, know that you will need your passport at the carrier desk and that Western apps will be blocked once it activates.

• Screenshot the hotel name and address in Chinese
• Save the booking confirmation offline, not just in email
• Carry a pen for arrival forms
• Know your flight number and terminal for the return journey

Immigration and customs

Follow the “Foreigners” or “All Passports” signs. Expect fingerprint collection and a few questions about your stay. Answer briefly and consistently with your documents. Visa-free travellers should be ready to explain which scheme they are using — 30-day visa-free, 240-hour transit, or Hainan — and show the supporting ticket or booking. After immigration, collect bags and go through customs. If you have goods to declare, use the red channel; otherwise the green channel. Keep the entry stamp or slip; hotels may ask for it.

Connectivity and payments at the airport

Airport Wi-Fi usually requires a Chinese phone number or a passport scan; do not count on it for app verification. If you did not set up an eSIM before flying, the airport SIM desks are convenient but often sell tourist packages at a premium. For payments, open Alipay, link your card and complete verification. Test a small payment — a bottle of water — before you leave the airport. If Alipay fails, try WeChat Pay; if both fail, use cash and fix it at the hotel with Wi-Fi.

• eSIM installed before departure: turn on data after landing
• Local SIM: passport required, Chinese number, blocked foreign apps
• Alipay/WeChat Pay: link card, verify identity, make a test payment
• Cash: withdraw ¥200–300 from an airport ATM as backup

Getting to the city

Airport metro lines are cheap and predictable: Beijing Capital and Daxing, Shanghai Pudong and Hongqiao, Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen Bao’an and Chengdu Tianfu all have rail links. They are the best choice if you have light luggage and arrive before the last train. Official taxi ranks are outside arrivals; the ride is metered and the queue is orderly. DiDi is often easier if you have luggage or arrive late, but the pickup point can be a long walk — follow the app’s walking directions. Ignore touts who approach you inside the terminal.

• Metro: cheapest, fastest in traffic, but crowded at rush hour
• Official taxi rank: metered, safe, queue outside arrivals
• DiDi: fixed app price, English interface, designated pickup point
• Private transfer: expensive but useful for families or late arrivals

Hotel check-in and registration

At the hotel, hand over your passport and the booking confirmation. The receptionist will scan your passport and entry stamp and register your stay with the police; this is normal and required. If you booked an unlicensed homestay or are staying with a friend, you must register at a police station within 24 hours instead. Ask for a receipt or registration slip if offered. Check the room before unpacking: air conditioning, hot water, window, noise and Wi-Fi. Save the hotel’s Chinese name and address for taxi rides.

Late arrivals and jet lag

If you land after 10 pm, do not plan a train or a long transfer. Book an airport hotel or a city hotel with 24-hour reception and arrange a transfer or DiDi in advance. Airport express trains usually stop before midnight; check the last train time for your terminal. For jet lag, get daylight on the first morning, eat at local meal times, and keep the first day light: a walk, a neighbourhood meal, an early night. Do not schedule a 7 am Great Wall tour for the day after a long-haul flight.

Your first evening

Keep it simple. Walk to a nearby restaurant or convenience store, buy water, test your payment apps, and check that your phone data works. If you need a SIM, do it at a carrier shop the next morning rather than at a station at midnight. Write down the hotel address in Chinese and take a photo of the front desk’s business card. The goal of day one is not to see China; it is to make day two easy.