Do I need a visa to visit China?

Citizens of 75+ countries can now enter visa-free for stays of 7–30 days, and travelers from 55 more countries can use the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit. Use our Visa Checker to see your country's exact policy in seconds — and we'll confirm it again with your quote.

How do payments work for foreigners?

Most Western cards aren't accepted directly in shops, but Alipay and WeChat Pay link to your international card in minutes — we walk you through setup on arrival. Tour fees are paid by international bank transfer directly to our corporate account (major foreign currencies accepted). As a Trip.com Group franchised store, we sign the travel contract with you electronically in the Trip.com system — one SMS code, seconds on your phone. Nothing is charged until your itinerary is confirmed.

Will Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work?

Not on local SIM cards — those apps are blocked in mainland China. With an international eSIM or roaming plan they work out of the box. Every booking includes our free eSIM & VPN setup guide, so your apps work from the moment you land.

Can you customize a tour for me?

Absolutely — customization is all we do. Every itinerary is a starting point: tell us your interests, pace, dietary needs and budget, and we'll rebuild the route around you. Send an inquiry to get started.

Is China safe for solo travelers?

Yes — China consistently ranks among the safest countries for tourists, with very low violent crime and 24-hour convenience stores. You'll still have our 24/7 English support line and a local point of contact in every city.

What does the 240-hour transit rule mean?

Travelers from 55 eligible countries can stay up to 10 days without any visa while transiting China en route to a third country — for example USA → Shanghai → Thailand. You need an onward ticket and must enter through an approved port. We plan routes that fit the rule perfectly.

How is the price of a private tour calculated?

Private tours are priced in real time against your final itinerary — hotels, transport, guiding and experiences are costed per your dates, group size and season. Send an inquiry and you'll receive an itemized quote; CNY is the settlement currency and other currencies are shown for reference only.

The Essential China Travel Apps for Foreign Visitors (2026 Edition)

"Which apps do I actually need?" is the question we hear most after "will my card work?" — and in 2026 the answer is a tidy single screen. Everything below works with a foreign passport and, unless noted, without a Chinese phone number. China's digital layer runs app-first end to end: payments, metro gates, train tickets, ride-hailing, menus. Install the list below before you fly, register with your passport, and the whole trip gets smoother.

Before You Fly: Payments and Connectivity

Alipay (international version): verify your identity with your passport, link a Visa, Mastercard or JCB card, and one app covers QR payments, metro QR codes, attraction tickets and food delivery. International-card limits sit around ¥5,000 per transaction with ample annual headroom for a normal trip. Tourist passes and mini-program tickets land inside the same app, so the card linking is a one-time, ten-minute job worth doing at home.
WeChat: China's messenger and its second great payment rail. Link the same card and you unlock mini-programs — restaurant ordering, ticket reservations, and hundreds of small services that live inside WeChat.
eSIM and SIM options: buy a China data eSIM from an international eSIM marketplace before departure and it activates on landing; alternatively get a real-name prepaid SIM with your passport at the airport or a carrier shop. Data-only eSIMs cover everything except receiving local calls; if your bank sends SMS codes abroad, keep your home SIM active alongside.
A note on connectivity tools: Google Search, Instagram, WhatsApp and similar services do not connect directly from mainland China. If you genuinely need them, set up and test your own tools before arrival — they cannot be downloaded from Chinese app stores — and use them in line with local laws and regulations. Roaming on your home carrier is the simplest fallback for the first hours after landing.

Getting Around: Three Apps Cover the Country

12306 — the official rail platform, now with an English interface. Register with your passport, buy tickets, and pass gates with the passport itself. First-time foreign users may need a one-time document verification at a station counter before gates read the passport directly. On busy routes, buy the moment sales open.
Didi — ride-hailing with an English interface. It accepts international cards and Alipay/WeChat settlement; using the Didi mini-program inside Alipay even skips a separate registration. Airports post official pickup zones — follow the signs after arrivals and the app shows the exact row your car waits in.
Umetrip — live flight status, check-in desks and gate changes for domestic and international flights.
Metro and buses: claim each city's transit QR code inside Alipay, or simply scan your Alipay/WeChat payment code at the gates — no ticket machines, no queues.

Maps and Translation: Never Lost for Long

Amap (Gaode): China's most complete navigation app with an English interface; it even powers many ride-hailing apps underneath.
Baidu Maps: the backup — no overseas coverage, but its domestic database of restaurants and bus connections is exhaustive.
Translation: WeChat's built-in scan-and-translate and voice conversation mode cover most moments; dedicated apps like Youdao add offline dictionaries. Google Translate is not directly reachable in China and its offline packs can't be downloaded there, so line up alternatives at home.
Photo translation is the true lifesaver: point your camera at an all-Chinese menu, a medicine box or a parking sign and read it instantly.

Eating, Reviews and Delivery

Dianping: China's Yelp-meets-Michelin. The interface is mostly Chinese, but photos, ratings and distance sorting do the heavy lifting; searching keywords like "清真" (halal) or "素食" (vegetarian) works surprisingly well.
Meituan / Ele.me: the two food-delivery giants, reachable inside Alipay and WeChat; when delivering to a hotel, fill in the floor and room number carefully.
Trip.com: the international-facing platform for hotels, tickets and trains with foreign-card support — the friendly stand-in whenever a Chinese-only app stalls.

The Night-Before Checklist

Install → register with passport → link card → make one small test payment. Do all four at home, not at a metro gate with a queue behind you.
Screenshot your hotel's Chinese name and Chinese address into your photo album for show-the-driver moments that work offline.
Keep copies of your passport photo page, insurance policy and emergency contacts somewhere reachable even if the phone is not.
Rent power banks by the day from street-side sharing kiosks — a full China sightseeing day drains batteries faster than you expect.

One Screen to Screenshot

Before you leave, build a single notes page containing: your hotel's Chinese name and address, your passport number, your flight and train numbers, the Chinese phrase for "I would like to pay by card", your embassy's phone number, and screenshots of your hotel reservation and insurance card. Save it offline. In a no-signal basement metro transfer or a phone-dying emergency, this one screen does the work of a concierge. Travelers who prepare it solve 90% of stressful moments without opening a single app — and travelers who don't, end up borrowing strangers' phones. Two minutes of typing at home buys a calmer trip.

FAQ

Can I use all of this without a Chinese phone number? Yes. Alipay, WeChat, Didi, 12306 and Amap all accept foreign numbers at registration; SMS codes occasionally lag, which is one more reason to register before departure.

Do international cards incur fees? Alipay and WeChat generally don't add charges for modest foreign-card spending; larger amounts or specific scenarios may carry a small fee shown in-app. Currency-conversion fees depend on your bank.

Do I need a VPN? Only if you require Google-family or overseas social services. Everything in this guide — payments, maps, translation, rail, ride-hailing — runs on domestic apps with no workarounds needed. Prepare any tools before you fly and use them lawfully.

What if my phone doesn't support eSIM? Buy a real-name physical SIM at the airport counter or a carrier shop with your passport; hotel front desks are usually happy to help with setup and activation.