Quick Start Guide

10 min read · Updated 2026-03-28

Quick Start Guide: 10 Things to Do Before You Land

Welcome. China is one of the most rewarding travel destinations on the planet — and one of the most different from anywhere else you've been. The gap between a traveler who prepared for 30 minutes and one who didn't is enormous. This guide is for both of you. If you do these 10 things before your flight lands, you will arrive with a functioning phone, a way to pay for things, a way to get around, and the ability to communicate. Everything else is detail.

We've linked each item to its full chapter so you can dive deeper. This page is your runway checklist: skim it, do the actions, and board the plane with confidence.

Pro Tip: Do these steps in order. Items 1–5 are digital setup and take about 45–60 minutes total. Items 6–10 take under 10 minutes and happen closer to departure.

✅ The 10-Point Pre-Departure Checklist

1. Install a VPN — and Actually Test It

China's Great Firewall blocks Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Gmail, and most news sites. Without a VPN, your phone becomes significantly less useful and you'll lose access to apps you rely on daily.

Do this now:

1. Subscribe to a VPN service before you arrive — popular options include ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Astrill. Astrill is widely considered the most reliable inside China.
2. Install the app on your phone AND laptop.
3. Connect and verify it works by opening google.com while on the VPN. Don't skip this test.
4. Download the VPN app to a second device if you have one — redundancy matters.

Pro Tip: Free VPNs are almost universally blocked in China. Spend the ¥30–80/month (~$4–11) on a paid service. Download the app and any manual config files before departure — you cannot access VPN provider websites once inside China without an existing VPN.

Why it works differently in China: Internet filtering is handled at the national infrastructure level. It's not a setting you can toggle — it affects every connection until you tunnel through a VPN. See Phone, Internet & VPN for full setup instructions, backup options, and what to do if your VPN stops working mid-trip.

2. Set Up Alipay International (Tour Pass)

Cash is increasingly useless in Chinese cities. Most restaurants, shops, transit systems, and street vendors accept only WeChat Pay or Alipay. Foreign visitors can now use Alipay's International version with a foreign bank card — this is your single most important financial setup task.

Do this now:

1. Download Alipay 支付宝 from your app store.
2. Register with your phone number and verify your identity.
3. Go to the "Tour Pass" (境外人士专区) section in the app.
4. Link a Visa or Mastercard credit/debit card.
5. You'll get a spending wallet loaded in CNY that you top up with your foreign card.
6. Test a small transaction before departure if possible.

Limits (2026): You can load up to ¥2,000 (~$275) per top-up and ¥50,000 (~$6,900) per year.

Budget Tip: If you have a card with no foreign transaction fees (Charles Schwab debit, Wise card, Chase Sapphire), use that as your Alipay funding source to avoid the typical 1.5–3% FX markup.

See Money & Digital Payments for WeChat Pay setup, cash strategy, and what to do if payments fail.

3. Download WeChat — and Verify Your Account

WeChat 微信 is not just a chat app. In China, it's a passport: people use it to pay bills, book restaurants, order food, share locations, get customer support, and communicate with hotels and tour guides. You need a verified, working WeChat account before you arrive.

Do this now:

1. Download WeChat from your app store.
2. Register with your phone number — you'll receive an SMS verification code.
3. Critical: WeChat requires a trusted existing user to verify new accounts created on phone numbers outside China. You need a WeChat-using friend to scan your QR code and confirm you're a real person.
4. If you don't have a WeChat-using contact, do this step early — you may need a few days to find someone.
5. Add WeChat Pay later (requires Chinese bank card or via Alipay); for payments, Alipay Tour Pass is more accessible for visitors.

Pro Tip: Create a WeChat account now even if you're not sure you'll use it. Discovering you need one and being unable to set it up because you're already inside China (with no trusted verifier) is a common and easily-avoidable problem.

See Essential Apps for a full walkthrough of setting up WeChat, verifying your account, and the most important mini-programs to know.

4. Download DiDi and Link a Payment Method

DiDi 滴滴 is China's dominant ride-hailing app — the Uber equivalent that works everywhere, shows prices upfront, and lets you share your route. Regular taxis work too, but DiDi gives you a paper trail, price guarantee, and the ability to communicate your destination without speaking.

Do this now:

1. Download DiDi (look for "DiDi — Ride Hailing App" in your app store — it has an English-language international version).
2. Register with your phone number.
3. Link your Alipay account or a credit card as payment.
4. Set your home country and enable international mode.
5. Try a test booking before you leave home if the app works in your city.

Costs: DiDi Express (standard car) is ¥15–40 ($2–6) for most city rides. Premium options like DiDi Premier and Luxe are available for airport runs.

Solo Female Traveler: DiDi has a Safety Center feature — share your trip with a contact in real time. Use it for late-night rides. The app records the full route and driver information.

See Taxis & Ride-Hailing for how to use DiDi to communicate destinations, what to do when your driver can't find you, and city-specific alternatives like Cao Cao and T3.

5. Download Baidu Maps — With Offline Maps

Google Maps works in China with a VPN, but it has limited detail for Chinese addresses, no real-time transit data, and requires a constant internet connection. Baidu Maps 百度地图 is what every local uses: it has live metro schedules, walking directions, bike-sharing locations, and traffic awareness that Google Maps simply can't match inside China.

Do this now:

1. Download Baidu Maps from your app store.
2. Create a free account.
3. Download offline maps for the cities you'll visit: tap the menu → Offline Maps → select your city → download.
4. As a backup, also download Amap 高德地图 (Gaode Maps) — it's integrated with Apple Maps and has an excellent English-language interface.
5. Search for your hotel and confirm it appears correctly.

Pro Tip: Gaode Maps (高德地图) is often more foreigner-friendly with English labels, and is the engine powering Apple Maps in China. If you only download one map app, make it Gaode. Download Baidu for deeper transit detail in larger cities.

See Metro & Public Transit and Essential Apps for detailed navigation strategies.

6. Screenshot Your Hotel Address in Chinese Characters

This is a 2-minute task that will save you significant stress on arrival day. DiDi drivers, taxi drivers, and any local you show your phone to can help you navigate — but only if you have your destination in Chinese.

Do this now:

1. Search for your hotel on Google or Baidu — find the official Chinese name and address.
2. Copy the full address in Chinese characters (not pinyin).
3. Screenshot it, or save it in your Notes app.
4. For each city you visit, do the same for your accommodation.

Example format:

• Hotel name in Chinese: 北京华尔道夫酒店
• Full address: 北京市东城区王府井大街5-15号

Pro Tip: If the hotel has a website, the Chinese address is usually in the footer or "Contact" page. Booking.com and Ctrip listings almost always include the Chinese address — copy it from there.

See Accommodation for hotel check-in tips, how to use hotel address cards, and what to do if there are issues with your booking.

7. Plan to Get a Hotel Address Card at Check-In

This is an action for Day One, not before you leave — but plan for it now so you don't forget.

When you check into your hotel, ask the front desk for a business card or address card in Chinese. Almost every hotel in China has these. This card contains the hotel's name, address, and phone number in Chinese characters. Keep it in your wallet for the entire stay.

Why it matters: If you get lost, stuck in traffic, or encounter a driver who doesn't know the area, you can show this card. It's more reliable than pointing at your phone screen, works when your battery is dead, and doesn't require internet.

What to say at check-in: "Do you have a card with the hotel address in Chinese?" Most hotel staff will understand this in English; if not, show: 请给我一张写有酒店地址的名片 (qǐng gěi wǒ yī zhāng xiě yǒu jiǔdiàn dìzhǐ de míngpiàn).

See Airport Arrival for the full Day One checklist and how to navigate from the airport to your hotel on arrival.

8. Know Your Visa Expiry Date — and the Rules Around It

Overstaying your visa in China carries serious consequences: fines of ¥500/day (~$70/day), detention, and potential bans from re-entry. Before you leave home, confirm the following:

Check right now:

1. What type of visa do you have — Tourist (L), Business (M), Transit (G), or Visa-Free entry?
2. What is the expiry date of your visa (the last day you may enter)?
3. What is the duration of stay — typically 30, 60, or 90 days per entry?
4. For visa-free visitors: check your country's specific arrangement — policies changed significantly in 2024–2026.
5. Set a phone reminder for 7 days before your visa/permit expires.

Pro Tip: Your visa expiry date and your permitted duration of stay are two different things. A visa valid until December 31 with a 30-day duration means you must enter before December 31 and leave within 30 days of entry — not stay until December 31.

| Passport | 2026 Visa-Free Access | |----------|----------------------| | Most EU countries | 30 days, multiple-entry | | UK | 30 days, multiple-entry | | USA | 30 days, multiple-entry (reinstated 2025) | | Canada | 30 days, multiple-entry | | Australia | 30 days, multiple-entry | | Check your country | china.travel or your embassy |

See Visa & Entry for full country-by-country visa rules, 144-hour transit visa details, extension procedures, and border crossing specifics.

9. Save the Three Emergency Numbers in Your Phone

This takes 30 seconds. Do it now.

| Service | Number | |---------|--------| | Police | 110 | | Ambulance | 120 | | Fire | 119 | | Tourist Hotline | 12301 |

Save these in your phone contacts before departure. The Tourist Hotline (12301) has English-speaking operators during business hours and can help with complaints, lost documents, and emergency navigation.

Also consider saving:

• Your country's embassy in Beijing (main number)
• Your country's consulate in the city you're visiting (Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Shenyang all have major consulates)
• Your travel insurance emergency line

Pro Tip: Embassy websites have 24-hour emergency lines for citizens in distress — different from the main switchboard. Search "[your country] embassy Beijing emergency" and save that specific number.

See Safety & Health for a full guide to medical emergencies, hospitals, travel insurance, crime, and what to do if something goes seriously wrong.

10. Tell Your Bank You're Going to China

Banks frequently block foreign transactions as fraud protection. Nothing ruins a trip faster than discovering your card is locked when you're trying to pay for dinner or catch a taxi on Day One.

Do this before departure:

1. Call or message your bank and credit card companies — tell them your travel dates and destination (China).
2. Ask them to not block transactions from Chinese merchants, including Alipay top-ups.
3. If your bank has an app, enable "Travel Notification" in settings.
4. Write down your bank's international collect call number (not the 1-800 — those don't work abroad).
5. Check your card's daily ATM withdrawal limit and confirm it will work internationally.

Also useful:

• Take two cards from different networks (e.g., one Visa, one Mastercard) — some merchants accept only one.
• Bring ¥500–1,000 in Chinese yuan cash as emergency backup (exchange at an airport bank or order from your bank before departure).
• Wise or Revolut cards work well in China and have favorable exchange rates.

Budget Tip: The best ATMs for foreign cards in China are at Bank of China 中国银行 and ICBC 工商银行 branches. Avoid unmarked ATMs in tourist areas — they often have high fees or won't accept foreign cards at all.

See Money & Digital Payments for a complete guide to ATMs, exchange rates, foreign card acceptance, and digital payment setup.

You're Ready. Here's What Comes Next.

You've done the hard part. With these 10 things checked off, you arrive in China as a prepared traveler — not a confused one. The chapters in this guide cover every situation in depth: the subway systems, the food culture, the language barrier, the safety landscape, the best cities.

Suggested reading order before your trip:

1. Phone, Internet & VPN — The complete VPN guide
2. Money & Digital Payments — Alipay, WeChat Pay, and ATMs in depth
3. Airport Arrival — Exactly what happens when you land
4. Visa & Entry — Your specific visa situation

Once you're in China:

• Metro & Public Transit — Getting around every major city
• Food & Dining — How to eat everything, everywhere, brilliantly
• Language & Communication — Translation tools that actually work

China will surprise you. It's louder, faster, more technologically advanced, more generous, more complex, and more beautiful than most first-time visitors expect. This guide exists to lower the friction so the good surprises outnumber the frustrating ones.

有什么问题，就查这本指南。(If you have any questions, consult this guide.)

Good travels.