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Before you fly

China Travel
Prep Guide

Set these up before you land and you'll navigate like a local from day one.

4
Must-have apps
3
Recommended
5
Nice to have
~15 min
Total setup time
Priority legend
Must-have
Without these, China will be very difficult
Recommended
Significantly improves your trip
Nice to have
Useful but not critical
💬
Your guide will help
Don't stress — your bilingual guide can walk you through any of these on day one.
4
Must-have apps
3
Recommended
5
Nice to have
~15 min
Total setup time
A
Alipay
Payment

China runs on mobile payment. Without Alipay, you cannot pay at most restaurants, shops, taxis, and even street vendors.

must-havepaymentdaily use
Setup guide
1
Download Alipay from App Store / Google Play
Available worldwide, free download
2
Register with your phone number and passport
Works with international phone numbers
3
Go to "Tour Pass" section in the app
Designed specifically for foreign visitors
4
Link your Visa/Mastercard credit card
No Chinese bank account needed since 2024
5
Set up a payment password (6-digit PIN)
You will use this for every transaction
6
Try a small payment to test (e.g. buy a water at convenience store)
Ask your guide to help on the first day!
W
WeChat
Communication
G
Amap (Gaode Maps)
Navigation
V
VPN app (e.g. ExpressVPN)
VPN & Internet
Tr
Apple/Google Translate
Communication
S
eSIM / China SIM card
VPN & Internet
D
DiDi (ride-hailing)
Travel
T
12306 (Train tickets)
Travel
C
Trip.com (Ctrip)
Travel
M
Meituan (Food delivery)
Food & Life
R
Xiaohongshu (RedNote)
Food & Life
$
Currency converter
Food & Life
💬
Don't worry — your guide will help
Most setup takes just 15 minutes. If anything fails, your bilingual guide will walk you through it on day one.
Find a guide ➜