Your First 24 Hours in China: A Step-by-Step Plan
Most stress in China comes from arriving unprepared. Do these few things in order, and the rest of the trip runs smoothly.
Plan the next step with our Trip to China: The Complete First-Timer’s Guide (2026) and China Visa-Free Transit 2026: The 240-Hour Rules Explained guide.
Set these up at home — you can’t easily later
This is the single biggest mistake first-timers make: assuming they’ll “sort it out on Wi-Fi at the airport.” Some things only work from outside China.
🔒 Install a VPN
Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, and Instagram are blocked inside China. A reputable VPN that works there must be downloaded and tested before you arrive — app stores often won’t show it once you’re in the country.
💳 Bind payments early
Since 2023, both Alipay and WeChat Pay accept international Visa/Mastercard. Link your card and finish identity verification at home — it can fail or stall on shaky airport Wi-Fi.
📶 Sort connectivity
Buy an eSIM that activates on arrival (some route through Hong Kong to stay reachable), or plan to grab a SIM at the airport counters of China Mobile, Unicom, or Telecom.
Your first day, step by step
After baggage claim, get data working first — activate your eSIM or buy a SIM at the airport counter. Without data, nothing else below is easy.
Open Alipay or WeChat Pay and confirm your international card is bound (foreign cards can be linked since 2023). This is what you’ll use for almost every payment. Save your hotel’s name and address in Chinese to show the taxi driver.
Get to your hotel by DiDi (show the Chinese address) or the metro. Check in with your passport — hotels are required to scan it for registration.
Withdraw a little cash from an ATM, grab a local SIM if you didn’t get an eSIM, and walk the neighbourhood to find food, a convenience store, and your nearest metro stop.
Order dinner through a food app or pay at a restaurant with Alipay. Charge everything overnight. You’ve now done the hard part — day two is just exploring.
The five apps you’ll actually use
Alipay
Pay, scan, book trains, order food
Messaging, pay, mini-programs
Amap
Maps, transit, walking routes
DiDi
Taxis & rides, type the dest
Translate
Camera + voice, offline packs
Emergency numbers (save them now)
Police 110 · Ambulance 120 · Fire 119 · Traffic 122. Most operators speak limited English, so keep your hotel’s address and a translation app ready.
Get connected (eSIM or VPN before you fly), set up Alipay/WeChat Pay, get cash from an ATM, and confirm your first night’s accommodation. Then rest – jet lag is real. Buy a SIM or activate eSIM, withdraw some cash, and either link a ride app or find the metro. Have your hotel address in Chinese ready to show staff. Metro is cheapest in big cities; DiDi is easiest; or a fixed-price airport shuttle. Avoid unlicensed touts offering ‘special rates’. You can, but rates are poor. Withdraw from an ATM with a travel-card friendly bank, and rely mostly on mobile payment once Alipay/WeChat Pay is set up. This is why the VPN/apps go on your phone before you leave home. If stuck, use airport WiFi to message your hotel, and keep offline maps cached.Common questions
Get the free arrival kit
Our one-page kit bundles the app checklist, a hotel-address card, and emergency contacts — print it and tick things off before you fly.