Short answer: Pack for documents, payments and connectivity first, and for clothes second. Most first trips fail on a missing setup — a payment app not installed, a translation app without offline Chinese, a hotel address saved only in English — not on a missing jumper. Work through this guide in order: documents, money, apps, connectivity, adapters and clothing by season, medicines, and a day bag that keeps your phone, payment and map alive all day. Print the checklist at the end, tick it off the night before you fly, and put the same list in your phone.
Last updated: 29 October 2026. Visa, payment and connectivity rules change — recheck the linked guides close to departure. Real photos will be added later; this guide is text-only for now.
1. Documents
- Passport, valid for at least 6 months beyond your trip in most cases, plus a copy and a phone photo stored separately from the original.
- Visa, or proof of visa-free eligibility, plus any required onward ticket or hotel confirmation. Check visa-free countries first, then the L visa guide if you need a visa.
- Travel insurance documents and the insurer’s 24-hour emergency number, saved in your phone and emailed to yourself.
- Flight, hotel and train confirmations, with hotel addresses in Chinese characters for taxi drivers. See train tickets.
- Embassy or consulate emergency contact for your nationality, saved in your phone.
- Emergency numbers: 110 police, 120 ambulance, 119 fire, 122 traffic police. See is China safe.
2. Payments setup — do this at home, not at the airport
- Set up Alipay: download at home, sign up with your home phone number, verify with your passport, link an international card, and understand the fee rule for payments over 200 CNY (check the in-app display, which governs).
- Set up WeChat Pay as your backup, the same way.
- Carry two different cards if you can, kept separately, plus some cash in small bills (100–200 CNY in small notes for stalls, taxis and backup). See money in China for budgets and ATM ranges.
- Tell your bank you will use your cards in China, so a first transaction is not blocked as suspected fraud.
- Test a small payment at home where possible, and screenshot your linked-card screens in case you need support later.
3. Apps to install before flying
| App | Why, before flying | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Alipay, WeChat | Payments, transport codes, delivery, local contact | Alipay, WeChat Pay |
| DiDi | English ride-hailing with fixed, tracked pricing | Getting around cities |
| Amap / Apple Maps | Google Maps is unreliable in China; download offline maps | Internet in China |
| Translation app with offline Chinese | Menus, signs, camera translation, spoken phrases | Translation apps guide |
| Trip.com / 12306 app | Train booking and orders on your phone | Train tickets |
| Your airline and hotel apps | Check-in, changes and confirmations without email access problems | — |
Download offline Chinese in your translation app, download offline maps for your first city, and download entertainment and reading at home. Do not plan a first-time install of a critical app inside China — see internet in China for why.
4. Connectivity
- Travel eSIM installed and tested, or home-carrier roaming confirmed, or a local-SIM plan decided. See eSIM and SIM cards.
- Check that two-factor codes for banking and email still reach you while travelling — a code sent to an inaccessible home number is a common lockout.
- Agree a check-in channel with family at home and test it before departure.
- Power bank, charging cable and a second cable, in your day bag — not in checked luggage.
5. Adapters and power
China uses 220V. The common sockets are Type A (two flat pins, as in the US), Type C (two round pins, as in much of Europe) and Type I (three angled pins, as in Australia). Most modern phone, laptop and camera chargers are multi-voltage (100–240V) — check the label on your charger. If your plugs do not match any of those three types, bring a universal adapter. Hotels usually have at least one socket type that fits a common charger, but do not rely on the hotel lending you an adapter. A small multi-plug strip is useful if you travel with several devices, and a power bank covers long train and sightseeing days.
6. Clothing by season
| Season | Beijing / Xi’an / Shanghai pattern | Pack |
|---|---|---|
| Spring (Mar–May) | Cool to warm, changeable, rain increasing | Layers, light waterproof jacket, comfortable walking shoes |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | Hot and humid, especially Shanghai and Chengdu; rain and thunderstorms | Light breathable clothes, rain jacket or compact umbrella, sun protection, sandals plus walking shoes |
| Autumn (Sep–Nov) | Usually the most comfortable season; cooler by November in the north | Layers, light jacket, walking shoes; add a warm layer for November in Beijing |
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | Cold and dry in Beijing and Xi’an; cold and damp in Shanghai and Chengdu, where indoor heating is less consistent | Warm coat, hat, gloves, scarf, warm layers; indoor layers for damp southern cold |
General rules for any season: comfortable walking shoes are non-negotiable — you will walk far more than you expect, on stone, stairs and uneven streets. Pack one smart outfit for a nicer restaurant if you want it, but do not pack for formal occasions you have not planned. Laundry services are common in mid-range hotels and laundries exist in cities, so a 10-day trip does not need 10 days of clothes. For Chengdu food days, pack clothes you do not mind getting chilli oil on — see Chengdu food guide.
7. Medicines and health kit
- Regular prescription medicines in original packaging, plus a prescription copy and enough supply for the whole trip plus a few extra days.
- A small kit: pain relief, stomach remedies, plasters, motion-sickness tablets if trains or buses affect you, and any allergy medication you normally carry.
- Sunscreen, insect repellent for summer and rural areas, lip balm, and hand sanitiser.
- A written Chinese allergy or dietary card if you have a food allergy or a strict diet — show it, do not rely on spoken English. See how to order food.
- Travel insurance that covers medical treatment and evacuation, with the policy number in your phone. Treatment for non-residents is normally charged — see safety and health.
8. Day-bag essentials (every day out)
- Phone, power bank and cable
- Passport copy and phone photo; original only when a ticket or check-in needs it
- One payment card plus small-bill cash, separate from your main wallet if possible
- Hotel card in Chinese characters
- Water bottle, tissues (many public toilets do not supply paper), hand sanitiser
- Translation app with offline Chinese, and your map with the hotel saved
- Sun or rain protection for the day’s forecast, and a light layer even in summer for air-conditioned trains and museums
9. What not to pack
- Large amounts of cash, or your only card and only cash in the same bag.
- Valuables you would worry about in a crowd — expensive jewellery, an extra laptop you will not use.
- Food you expect to live on: supermarkets and convenience stores are everywhere, and eating locally is cheaper and easier than carrying a week’s supplies.
- Anything you have not checked against airline and Chinese customs rules, especially medicines, large electronics and restricted items. When in doubt, check the official rule before you pack it, not at the airport.
Printable checklist
Copy, save or print this list and tick it off the night before you fly.
- ☐ Passport valid, visa or visa-free eligibility checked, copies stored separately
- ☐ Flight, hotel and train confirmations; hotel addresses saved in Chinese characters
- ☐ Travel insurance bought; insurer’s 24-hour number and policy number in phone
- ☐ Alipay set up at home: home number, passport verified, card linked
- ☐ WeChat Pay set up as backup
- ☐ Bank told about China travel; two cards packed separately; small-bill cash ready
- ☐ Travel eSIM installed and tested, or roaming confirmed
- ☐ DiDi, Amap or Apple Maps, translation app with offline Chinese installed
- ☐ Offline maps for first city downloaded; entertainment and reading downloaded
- ☐ Two-factor codes checked: can you still receive them while travelling?
- ☐ Family check-in channel agreed and tested
- ☐ Adapter checked against Type A, C and I sockets; chargers multi-voltage
- ☐ Power bank and cables in day bag, not checked luggage
- ☐ Clothing for the season, plus layers and comfortable walking shoes
- ☐ Medicines in original packaging, prescription copy, health kit packed
- ☐ Allergy or dietary card in Chinese, if needed
- ☐ Emergency numbers saved: 110, 120, 119, 122, embassy, insurer
- ☐ Day bag packed: phone, power bank, passport copy, hotel card, water, tissues
Frequently asked questions
What is the one thing first-timers most often forget?
Setting up Alipay and a data connection at home. Both are easy before you fly and awkward on arrival, and together they unlock paying, riding and navigating.
Do I need a power adapter for China?
It depends on your home plug. China uses Type A, C and I sockets at 220V. Check your charger’s voltage label and bring a universal adapter if your plug matches none of those types.
How much cash should I bring?
Enough small-bill cash for a day or two as a backup — roughly 100–200 CNY in small notes on arrival — with cards and payment apps as your main methods. See money in China.
What should I wear in China?
Comfortable walking shoes and layers for the season. Dress codes are relaxed almost everywhere a first-timer goes; one smart outfit covers a nicer dinner.
Start here if you have not yet: First Time in China home, Alipay setup, eSIM and SIM cards, safety, and internet in China.