China Travel Essentials – What Is Needed for A Trip to China?
- Published:
- Updated: 5 February 2026
Affiliate Disclaimer: Please note that this article may contain affiliate links where I earn a small commission to help cover the cost of running this site, if you go through them to make a purchase. See details for full information. Unless otherwise stated, all photographs are taken by myself, and all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
KEY POINTS
- This page is for first-time tourists planning to visit China who feel confused about what to use.
- It provides recommendations on essential travel tools that are vital for your trip, making your planning choices simpler to work through.
This page covers only the essential tools I personally use and recommend for travelling in China. It is designed to reduce stress, avoid common mistakes, and help first-time visitors focus on what truly matters. You do not need everything here, but bear in mind that backups are always a life saver in China.
How to use this page:
Start with Connectivity and Payments. Everything else can be added later if needed. Options are included intentionally, because backups matter for safe travel in China, as you can become quickly unstuck if you aren’t digitally resilient.
📶 What do you need for Connectivity in China?
Why this matters in China:
Many everyday apps and services are blocked, and reliable access is essential from the moment you arrive.
Recommended options:
Option 1: Airalo China eSIM – standard and unlimited options, easy to install before arrival with reliable coverage.
Option 2: Trip.com China eSIM – multiple days and data options, easy to install before arrival with reliable coverage.
How I personally use this:
I set up the eSIM before arrival so maps, messaging, and bookings work immediately, as doing it in China can result in problems activating it!
🔐 What do you need for Essential Internet Access & VPN in China?
Why this matters in China:
Google (Maps and browser searching), WhatsApp, Instagram, and many Western services are blocked when using Wi-Fi.
Recommended options:
Option 1: Astrill VPN – consistently reliable in China when configured correctly.
Option 2: LetsVPN – useful secondary option if your primary VPN is unstable.
How I personally use this:
I always install 2 VPNs and test both before travelling, because China is very efficient at blocking VPNs so having a backup is essential.
💳 What do you need for Payments When Travelling to China?
Why this matters in China:
Mobile payments are widely used, and cash or international cards alone are often insufficient.
Recommended options:
Option 1: Alipay (available for android and iPhone) – widely accepted for daily spending and can link international cards.
Option 2: WeChat Pay (available for android and iPhone) as your backup (highly recommended), plus a small amount of cash for occasional cases.
How I personally use this:
Mobile payments first as it’s the most used approach in many places, international cards in some cases, and cash only as a fallback.
🚄 What do you need for Transport & Tickets in China?
Why this matters in China:
High-speed trains and domestic flights are efficient but unfamiliar to first-time visitors and challenging from language perspective.
Recommended options:
Option 1: Trip.com – reliable booking for trains, flights, and hotels with a slight fee.
Option 2: China Railway 12306 official app – main website for direct train bookings if you don’t want to incur booking fees. Not as straightforward as in Chinese though manageable with computer and phone translation combination (available for android and iPhone).
How I personally use this:
I booked long-distance routes in advance through trip.com for the first trip as was less stressful and then used the 12306 app for subsequent visits as I was more adventurous and comfortable trying that way.
🗣️ What do you need for Language & translation?
Why this matters in China
English is not widely spoken, and many menus, signs, and instructions are only in Chinese. Being able to translate quickly in real situations reduces confusion, helps you move with confidence, and makes every day travel feel significantly safer and more manageable. This is one of the most practical preparation steps you can take.
Recommended options
Option 1: Google Translate (offline, conversation & camera mode for both android and iPhone) – quick accurate translations and offline mode are invaluable for menus, signs, conversations, and quick problem-solving throughout the day.
Option 2: Microsoft Translator (android and iPhone) or Samsung Interpreter (android) – useful backups with strong conversation translation and offline support.
How I personally use this
I use camera and conversation translation daily for navigation and food. I have installed all 3 to have options in case for some reason one has a glitch and doesn’t work.
🧭 What do you need for Researching and Booking Trips?
Why this matters in China
There are so many wonderful places to visit in China and knowing where to start looking can be challenging. Being able to use trusted websites that give you plenty of good practical information is invaluable. In my view you get more insights into the range of places you can visit, rather than where a travel influencer suggests.
Recommended options
These are the websites I genuinely rely on for most of my trip planning.
Option 1: Wendy Wu Tours – great range of things to do and see in China and easy to navigate.
Option 2: China Highlights – extensive information about China from destinations to train connections.
How I personally use this
I used both sites to book things for my first trip, and then used their very useful information to plan all of my subsequent 4 trips so far, as I was more confident with planning.
China Travel Tips for Black and People of Colour (POC) travellers
For Black and POC travellers, reliable access and clear payment setup matters more in China. Familiar apps and informal workarounds do not function the same way, so you need to communicate with people. Unfortunately, this isn’t always as easy for us as it will be for Caucasians, so planning this in advance avoids unnecessary stress.
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Hello I’m Ivan. Welcome to my website. I am a travel photographer based in London, United Kingdom, with a love of traveling the world to meet and photograph new people and places. I am lucky to have visited so many beautiful places and look forward to sharing some of my photographs and travel photo tips with you.
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This collection features photographs taken by myself and all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Please note that this article may contain affiliate links where I earn a small commission to help cover the cost of running this site, if you go through them to make a purchase. See details for full disclaimer information.
Affiliate Disclaimer: Please note that this article may contain affiliate links where I earn a small commission to help cover the cost of running this site, if you go through them to make a purchase. See details for full information. Unless otherwise stated, all photographs are taken by myself, and all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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Hello I’m Ivan. Welcome to my website. I am a travel photographer based in London, United Kingdom, with a love of traveling the world to meet and photograph new people and places. I am lucky to have visited so many beautiful places and look forward to sharing some of my photographs and travel photo tips with you.
Legal Information
This collection features photographs taken by myself and all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Please note that this article may contain affiliate links where I earn a small commission to help cover the cost of running this site, if you go through them to make a purchase. See details for full disclaimer information.
Affiliate Disclaimer: Please note that this article may contain affiliate links where I earn a small commission to help cover the cost of running this site, if you go through them to make a purchase. See details for full information. Unless otherwise stated, all photographs are taken by myself, and all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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