China Travel Basics Checklist
A compact checklist for the parts of China travel that confuse first-time visitors most: arrival, phone setup, payment, internet, transport, booking, budget, shopping, and key rules to know before you go.
Essential pre-trip checklist.
- Fill out the online arrival card before landing — saves time at immigration.
- Check current attraction release windows and book high-demand sites as soon as the applicable window opens.
- Check the holiday and crowd calendar — official breaks, school holidays, weekends, and commute peaks can all affect transport and attractions.
- Set up Alipay and/or WeChat Pay before departure. Bring backup bank cards and some cash.
- Get an eSIM or SIM and set up VPN before arrival. Download Amap (maps) and translation apps.
- Check current power-bank and battery rules with the airline before a domestic flight; size, labeling, and carry-on requirements can change.
- Get a +86 phone number if you need Chinese SMS verification (e.g., for 12306 rail booking).
- Confirm accommodation details, including passport check-in, address in Chinese, and how the property completes guest registration.
- No tipping — tipping is not expected in China and can cause confusion.
- Check current departure tax-refund rules before shopping and keep the required receipts and documents.
- Keep your passport secure and carry it when the train, hotel, attraction, or other real-name process requires the original document.
- Save offline copies of hotel addresses (in Chinese), key phrases, and emergency contacts.
Organize practical information by what you actually need to do.
These sections work as a compact checklist on mobile, while deeper pages carry the official sources, caveats, and city-specific details.
Fill online arrival card, know airport flow, have hotel address ready in Chinese.
eSIM/VPN ready, Amap for maps, translation apps downloaded, Didi for ride-hailing.
Alipay/WeChat Pay set up, backup cards, cash for small vendors. No tipping.
High-speed rail via 12306, metro and taxi backups, and current airline battery rules.
Check current release windows, real-name passport flows, closure days, and official sales channels.
Confirm passport check-in, guest registration, the Chinese address, and transport access.
Know your daily tier, factor in attraction tickets and intercity transport.
Check current tax-refund eligibility, participating-store rules, receipts, and departure procedures.
Avoid official breaks for major sights when possible; otherwise use timed entry and a flexible backup.
This page should stay useful because it stays correct.
If a payment, transport, booking, or passport detail changes, correction feedback matters more than pretending a static guide can know everything.