China

China
China🇨🇳

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Traveling to China? Land Connected.

China rewards travelers who arrive prepared, and mobile data belongs at the top of the list: high-speed trains, maps, translation, ride-hailing and mobile payment all run on your phone. Install your CGOO eSIM before you fly, and you connect the moment you land — no airport SIM queue, no roaming bill, and your own number stays reachable for calls and texts back home.

Choose the Plan That Fits Your Trip

  • Fixed data: 1 GB to 50 GB, valid 3 to 30 days — from light maps-and-messaging trips to heavy streaming and hotspot use.
  • Unlimited & Unlimited Plus: 1 to 30 days at full 4G/5G speeds. A fair usage policy applies — in rare cases speeds may be reduced after 1 GB of use in a day, and full speed resumes the next day.
  • Networks: plans run on major local carriers including China Mobile (5G) and China Unicom (5G). The exact carrier and speed for each plan are listed in its Plan details, right on the plan.
  • Instant delivery: your QR code and installation link are emailed within minutes of checkout. Install before your flight; validity starts on the day you activate.
  • Good to know: your phone must support eSIM (dial *#06# and look for an EID), and your 15-digit IMEI is required at checkout so your eSIM can be provisioned.

Travel Highlights

  • Beijing: walk the Great Wall at Mutianyu or Badaling in the morning, then lose an afternoon inside the Forbidden City.
  • Shanghai: the Bund at dusk, when the historic waterfront lights up facing the Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River.
  • Xi'an: the Terracotta Army, standing in formation for over 2,000 years — pair it with a bike ride on the Ming city wall.
  • Chengdu: giant pandas before the crowds, then Sichuan hotpot the way it is meant to taste.
  • Guilin, Yangshuo & Zhangjiajie: karst peaks, bamboo rafts on the Li River, and the sandstone pillars that inspired Avatar.

Getting Around

  • Airport to city: Major airports are linked to their cities by airport express trains, metro lines, shuttle buses, official taxis and ride-hailing pick-up zones. Use the official taxi queue or the signed ride-hailing area, have the destination address in Chinese characters ready, and avoid drivers who approach travellers inside the terminal.
  • City transport: Large cities have extensive metro systems, buses and, in flatter cities, shared bikes such as Meituan and HelloBike. Metro and bus travel can often be paid with a transit QR code in Alipay or WeChat Pay, while some cities also accept a local transport card or, in Beijing, tap-to-ride with Visa or Mastercard.
  • Ride-hailing: DiDi is the dominant ride-hailing platform in mainland China and offers an English-language interface in its international version. Uber does not operate independently in mainland China, having sold its mainland operations to DiDi in 2016, although Uber continues to operate in Hong Kong.
  • Longer trips and practical tips: High-speed rail links many major cities and is often the most practical option between cities; bookings are commonly made through the Railway 12306 app or website. Drivers rarely speak English, city blocks can be large, and walking is best combined with the metro for longer distances.

Safety and Practical Tips

China is generally safe for travelers, with low rates of violent crime. Take normal city care: watch for pickpockets in crowded stations and attractions, and politely decline uninvited “tea ceremony” or art-gallery invitations around tourist sights. Use official taxis or ride-hailing apps, and keep your passport with you — ID checks are common at stations and hotels.

One practical warning: daily life runs on apps, and some apps and websites you use at home may not work the same way in mainland China, so download maps, translation and payment apps before you go.

Entry and Visa

Visa rules depend on your passport. China has expanded visa-free entry and 240-hour visa-free transit to travelers from many countries, but eligibility, permitted areas and length of stay vary by nationality. Check the latest requirements for your passport before you book, and make sure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your trip.

Official information: National Immigration Administration and the Chinese Visa Application Service Center.

Weather and Climate

  • Climate zones: China spans tropical conditions in the far south, humid subtropical conditions across much of the south-east and centre, temperate monsoon conditions in the north and north-east, arid and semi-arid conditions in the north-west, and highland conditions on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, so weather at the same time of year can differ sharply by region.
  • Beijing by month: Beijing has four distinct seasons. Typical daytime highs rise from about 2°C in January to about 31–33°C in July, with overnight lows around −9°C to −7°C in January and about 22–23°C in July; spring and autumn are shorter transitional seasons.
  • Rainfall: Beijing is driest in winter and wettest in summer, with most rain concentrated in June to August and July usually the wettest month. Annual rainfall is roughly around 500 mm, but the exact long-term average varies by source and period, so check a forecast for the specific region and dates of travel rather than relying on a single national figure.
  • Best months and packing: April to June and September to October are widely described as the most comfortable times for Beijing, with October often singled out for clear, cool autumn weather. Pack layers for spring and autumn, light breathable clothing and rain protection for summer, and a warm coat, hat, scarf and gloves for winter; southern China needs lighter, more humid-weather clothing for much of the year.

Money and Payments

  • Currency: The currency is the renminbi, also called the yuan (CNY). Cash in renminbi is still useful as a back-up, especially outside major cities and with small vendors, even though day-to-day payments in cities are overwhelmingly mobile.
  • Alipay and WeChat Pay: Alipay and WeChat Pay dominate everyday payments in China, including shops, restaurants, transport codes and ride-hailing. Foreign visitors can generally register with a passport and link an international Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club or Discover card, but personal QR-code transfers and some person-to-person features are not available with foreign cards.
  • Foreign cards and contactless: International cards are most reliably accepted at larger hotels, international retailers and tourist-area businesses; many small shops, street vendors and local restaurants are mobile-payment only. A single China-wide contactless limit for foreign cards is and should not be assumed — tap-to-pay is far less central here than QR-code payment.
  • Wise, tipping and DCC: Wise states that a Wise card can be linked to Alipay or WeChat Pay and used where Visa or Mastercard is accepted, and that Wise operates in China under a local partner's licence, but the exact current limits, fees and whether every visitor can use Wise's in-app Alipay QR scan are — set up and test Alipay and WeChat Pay before relying on one method alone, and carry a second card plus some cash. Tipping is not customary in restaurants, taxis or most everyday services, although some international hotels and private guides or drivers may accept a cash gratuity. At card terminals and ATMs, always choose to be charged in CNY rather than your home currency to avoid Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) mark-ups, and note that a fee is commonly reported on Alipay and WeChat Pay transactions over ¥200 made with a foreign card — confirm the current threshold in the app before travel.