First time in China
Start here, in this order
China is not hard to travel — it is just front-loaded. The things that trip people up are all decided before they fly: entry rules, payment setup, train bookings and a realistic route. Work through this page and the rest of the trip gets much simpler.
Last reviewed October 23, 2026 · time-sensitive details link to the full guides
1. Can you enter visa-free?
The 50-country list, 240-hour transit and Hainan’s separate scheme. Check this before buying flights.
Visa guide →
2. Know your first 24 hours
Immigration, SIM cards, payment tests, airport transfers and hotel registration — step by step.
Arrival guide →
3. Set up money before you fly
Alipay and WeChat Pay with a foreign card, the fee thresholds, and how much cash to carry.
Payment guide →
4. Install the right apps
Amap instead of Google Maps, DiDi for taxis, 12306 or Trip.com for trains, plus translation.
Apps guide →
5. Pick a route that fits
Day-by-day plans with transport times, booking order and honest swaps — not five cities in three days.
Browse itineraries →
6. Know the few real risks
Tea-house and taxi scams, traffic, food and water, and what to do in an emergency.
Safety guide →
The planning timeline
You do not need eight weeks for everything. This is the order that prevents expensive mistakes.
8–12 weeks out: entry and flights
- Check passport validity — at least six months beyond entry.
- Confirm visa-free eligibility on the official country list, or apply for a visa.
- Sketch a route and check it against Chinese holidays; avoid Golden Week and Spring Festival.
- Book international flights and refundable hotels for the first nights.
4–6 weeks out: the long-lead bookings
- Book internal flights for long legs; rail tickets cannot be bought yet.
- Set reminders for timed attractions and museums — release windows are short.
- Arrange Tibet permits through a licensed agency if Lhasa is on the route.
- Buy travel insurance with medical cover and check whether it covers altitude.
1–2 weeks out: payments, apps and trains
- Install Alipay and WeChat Pay, link your card and complete identity verification.
- Install Amap, DiDi, a translation app and 12306 or Trip.com.
- Book high-speed trains at the 15-day release for popular routes and holidays.
- Download offline maps and the offline Chinese translation pack.
- Carry ¥300–500 cash and keep a second payment method.
48 hours out: the boring checklist
- Screenshot hotel names and addresses in Chinese; save them offline.
- Confirm airport transfer or metro hours; note the last train time.
- Charge power banks — they must go in the cabin, not checked baggage.
- Keep passports, visas and booking confirmations in your carry-on.
Landing day: in order
- Immigration, baggage, customs — then get connected before you leave the terminal.
- Test Alipay or WeChat Pay with a small purchase.
- Take the airport metro, the official taxi queue or a DiDi; ignore people approaching you.
- Check in with your physical passport and let the hotel complete police registration.
- Keep the first evening light. Jet lag plus a 20,000-step day is a bad combination.
How many cities fit?
A realistic rule for first trips, including transfer time:
| Trip length | What fits | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 days | One city, plus one day trip. Beijing or Shanghai, not both. | Beijing 5 days → |
| 7–8 days | Two or three cities on one high-speed corridor. | Classic 8 days → |
| 10–12 days | Three cities plus one landscape (Guilin, Yunnan or Zhangjiajie). | Panorama 10 days → |
| 14+ days | Add Yunnan, Xinjiang or Tibet — one region, not all three. | Plan 14+ days → |
Five first-timer mistakes
Booking too many cities. Every transfer costs half a day. Two cities done well beat four done badly.
Leaving payments to the airport. Card verification is easier at home, on a stable connection, before you are tired.
Assuming Google Maps works. It does not on mainland networks. Install Amap and save offline maps.
Booking a domestic connection too tight. Immigration and baggage can take 60–90 minutes; leave at least three hours.
Trying to see everything. The best first trip leaves one thing undone so you have a reason to come back.
Questions about your trip?
If you want help with routes or want to ask me something directly, you can find me here.