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 you are anxious about safety or language
Start with the practical safety guide, then learn when to call 110, 120, and 119.
Open guideIf your route depends on a city
Match the general advice to Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, or Chongqing.
Open guideTrip preparation
Start with the first-trip basics
Use these guides when you are still shaping the trip, preparing before departure, or trying to avoid the most common first-time mistakes.
China 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 guidePayment setup
Make payments work before you need them
Prepare Alipay, understand WeChat Pay, and keep backup options ready before your first taxi, meal, or convenience-store purchase.
Alipay 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 guideCan Tourists Use WeChat Pay in China Without a Chinese Bank Account?
Foreign tourists can often use WeChat Pay in China without a Chinese bank account by linking supported international cards, but setup, verification, and backup plans matter.
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. Do not treat that as a guarantee that every payment will work. Set it up before departure, complete identity and card verification if requested, test a small payment after landing, and keep Alipay, a physical card, 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.
Can Foreigners Use DiDi in China in 2026?
Foreigners can use DiDi in China, but the real question is whether phone verification, payment, pickup points, and driver communication will work when you need a ride.
Yes, foreign visitors can use DiDi in China in 2026, but do not treat it as a magic Uber replacement. Set it up before you need the ride, confirm phone verification and payment, keep mobile data working, save your hotel address in Chinese, and use official taxi lines or hotel help if an airport or train-station pickup gets confusing.
Read guideDiDi App in China: How Foreign Visitors Can Use It
Use the DiDi app in China as a foreign visitor: English setup, phone verification, payment, airport pickup points, taxi backups, and hotel help.
Foreign visitors can use the DiDi app in China, but the first ride is easiest when you prepare before arrival. Install the official app, confirm phone verification, keep mobile data working, save your hotel address in Chinese, choose a clear pickup point, and prepare payment. If airport pickup is confusing, use official taxi lines, metro, station staff, hotel staff, or hotel pickup.
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 guideBackup plans
Police, 110, emergency numbers, and travel help
Use these guides to lower anxiety around emergencies, payment failures, language barriers, police help, and first-day uncertainty.
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 guideNeed Help in China? Police, 110, 120, 119, and Emergency Numbers
When to call 110, 120, and 119 in China, who to ask for non-emergency help, and how foreigners can get hotel, station, police, and service desk support.
If you need help in China, call 110 for police emergencies, 120 for medical emergencies, and 119 for fire. For non-emergency travel problems, ask hotel staff, airport counters, railway station staff, mall service desks, or nearby police officers.
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 guideEtiquette
Avoid small cultural stress
Use these guides for practical etiquette questions that foreign visitors often worry about before they arrive.
City 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.