First Time in China: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go (2026)

Visiting China for the first time is one of the most rewarding trips you can take — and one of the most misunderstood. The short answer to "is it manageable?" is yes, absolutely. But only if you sort a handful of non-obvious practicalities before you board.

This guide covers exactly that: what to do before you go, how to get around once you're there, which cities to start with, and how to handle the things that catch first-timers off guard — from payments to apps to finding a taxi that will actually stop for you.

China has significantly expanded its visa-free access in recent years, and 2026 is the easiest time yet to visit — so it's worth checking carefully before you assume you need a visa.

UK, Australian, and Canadian passport holders can now enter China visa-free for stays of up to 30 days, valid until 31 December 2026. The UK and Canada were added to the scheme from 17 February 2026, following confirmation by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Australia has been covered since mid-2024, with the policy now extended through to the end of 2026. Sources: VisasNews; China Discovery.

Most European passport holders are also covered. The 30-day visa-free scheme includes a wide range of European nations — Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and many others — as well as Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and several countries across the Middle East and South America. Source: China Discovery.

US passport holders are not currently included in the visa-free scheme for standard tourist visits. However, Americans can use the 240-hour (10-day) transit visa exemption when travelling through China to a third country. Source: Mandarin Zone.

The visa-free policy covers tourism, business, family visits, cultural or educational exchanges, and transit — but employment activities are strictly prohibited. Violations can result in fines, deportation, and potential bans on re-entry. Source: Newland Chase.

If you do need a visa — for example, US passport holders, or those whose stays exceed 30 days — follow the practical checklist below:

• Apply at the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in your country. In the UK, there are centres in London, Manchester, and Edinburgh.
• Allow 4–6 weeks before your travel date, especially in peak season.
• You'll need a completed application form, passport photos, a valid passport, travel insurance, and evidence of accommodation and onward travel.
• Fees vary by nationality and processing speed.

China has also expanded its transit visa-free policy to 240 hours (10 days) across more ports of entry, which is useful if you're passing through en route to another destination. Source: China Briefing.

One practical tip: this policy is currently due to end on 31 December 2026, so policies may change — always verify the current rules for your specific passport before booking. And whatever your visa situation, book flexible or refundable accommodation for your first few nights until everything is confirmed. Source: The Dragon Trip.

This is the single issue that causes the most stress for first-time visitors to China, and it's almost entirely preventable.

China operates on a near-cashless mobile payment system. WeChat Pay and Alipay handle the vast majority of transactions — from street food stalls to hotel bills to taxis. Foreign credit and debit cards are accepted at international hotels and some tourist-facing restaurants, but not reliably elsewhere. ATMs exist but can be inconsistent for foreign cards.

Both apps now allow foreign visitors to link an international Visa or Mastercard directly to a Chinese payment account. The process is straightforward but must be done before or immediately upon arrival:

1. Download WeChat or Alipay
2. Create an account using your foreign phone number
3. Add your international card in the payment settings
4. Verify your identity — you'll need your passport

Alipay's "Alipay International" feature tends to be slightly easier for foreign visitors to set up. WeChat Pay requires a verification step from an existing WeChat user in some cases.

Carry a small amount of cash (RMB ¥500–¥1,000, roughly £55–£110) as a backup. Some rural areas, older markets, and smaller local restaurants still prefer or only accept cash.

For a deeper breakdown of the payment landscape, see our guide to Alipay, WeChat Pay and Cash in China.

Your usual travel apps — Google Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram, Gmail — do not work in China without a VPN. The "Great Firewall" blocks most Western platforms. Download a reliable VPN (ExpressVPN and Astrill are popular choices) and activate your subscription before you land. It becomes much harder to set up after arrival.

Here are the apps worth having ready before you fly:

DiDi in particular is worth installing before you go. It works similarly to Uber and accepts foreign cards — making it far easier to get around cities than flagging down street taxis, which can be reluctant to stop for foreigners without a local phone number to call.

China's high-speed rail network is one of the finest in the world. Trains run between all major cities at speeds up to 350 km/h, are punctual, clean, and significantly cheaper than domestic flights once you factor in airport time.

Shanghai to Hangzhou, for example, takes about 45 minutes. Shanghai to Beijing takes 4.5 hours. Guangzhou to Hong Kong takes under an hour.

To book tickets:

• Use Trip.com or China Train Tickets — both have English interfaces and accept foreign cards.
• Alternatively, book through a local agent or your tour operator.
• Bring your passport to collect tickets and to board — your passport number is tied to the booking.

For a full walkthrough of booking, arriving at stations, and avoiding common mistakes, see our guide to China high-speed trains.

Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and most major cities have extensive, well-signed metro systems. Signs and announcements are bilingual (Chinese and English) in most tourist cities. Top up a transport card with cash at any station machine, or pay via Alipay/WeChat Pay at the gates.

In major cities, DiDi is almost always easier than street taxis for foreign visitors. Street taxis can be reluctant to stop, and drivers rarely speak English. DiDi shows the destination in Chinese for the driver and lets you pay through the app — no language negotiation needed.

This is where most first-timers overthink it. China is vast — trying to cover too much ground in a first trip leads to exhaustion, jet lag compounded by overnight trains, and a rushed blur of temples and skylines.

The most practical approach for a 10–14 day first visit: anchor in one region rather than crossing the country.

Shanghai, Suzhou, and Hangzhou form a natural triangle in eastern China that most international visitors find approachable, beautiful, and relatively easy to navigate. English signage is common. International hotel options are plentiful. The pace is high, but the infrastructure is seamless.

• Shanghai offers everything from the Bund's colonial waterfront to buzzing food markets and some of the world's best contemporary art museums.
• Suzhou is half an hour away by high-speed train and feels like a different era — classical gardens, silk markets, and canals that predate Venice.
• Hangzhou is where China's tech elite go to relax, built around a vast lake with pagodas and tea fields in the hills above.

See our guide to Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou: a softer first week in China for a full suggested itinerary.

If you want something grittier and more visually dramatic, Chongqing — a megalopolis of 30 million people built on mountain ridges above the confluence of two rivers — is unlike anywhere else. The food is notoriously spicy (Sichuan hotpot originated here), the streets stack vertically in ways that defy logic, and the night views from the hillside neighbourhoods are extraordinary.

It pairs well with a Yangtze River cruise down to the Three Gorges, which remains one of China's most dramatic landscapes.

The honest answer: none, but a little goes a long way.

In Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and other tourist-facing cities, English is available enough in hotels, airports, and many restaurants that you can navigate without Mandarin. Outside of major tourist hubs, it becomes much harder.

A few phrases worth knowing:

• Nǐ hǎo (你好) — Hello
• Xièxiè (谢谢) — Thank you
• Duōshǎo qián? (多少钱？) — How much?
• Wǒ bù dǒng (我不懂) — I don't understand
• Nǎ lǐ shì...? (哪里是...？) — Where is...?

The Pleco app with camera translation is genuinely useful for menus, signs, and packaging. Point your phone at text and it translates in real time.

More practically: saving key addresses and destinations in Chinese characters on your phone before you go saves significant time. Show the driver or shop assistant the screen rather than attempting pronunciation.

China is, by most measures, a very safe destination for tourists. Violent crime against foreigners is rare. Street scams exist — particularly the "tea ceremony" scam in tourist areas of Shanghai and Beijing, where friendly strangers invite you for tea and present you with an enormous bill — but these are well-documented and easy to avoid once you know to look for them.

• Travel insurance is essential — make sure it covers medical evacuation, as this can be extremely expensive in remote areas.
• Vaccinations: check current NHS or travel health clinic advice; Hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended.
• Tap water is not safe to drink in China; bottled water is cheap and widely available.
• Air quality can be poor in Beijing and northern industrial cities, particularly in winter. Shanghai and southern cities are generally better. Apps like AQIcn track real-time air quality if this is a concern.

One of the most common situations we see: travellers who want to explore independently, but know they'll run into friction — a restaurant that doesn't have an English menu, a train station where their booking isn't coming up on the machine, a taxi that won't take them where they need to go.

This is exactly what our China Companion service is designed for. Rather than booking a full guided tour, you travel on your own terms but have bilingual, local support available when you need it — for payments, reservations, translation, and logistics.

It's particularly useful for families travelling with children or elderly parents, where small complications can derail an entire day. See our guide to planning a China family trip with children or older parents for more on this.

Here is a practical framework for a first trip. This is not a checklist — it is a starting point to adapt around your pace and interests.

Days 1–3: Shanghai
Arrive, recover from jet lag, and settle in. Explore the Bund and French Concession at a slow pace. Eat well — Shanghai's food scene rewards exploration. Set up WeChat Pay and DiDi if not already done.

Day 4: Suzhou day trip
Take the 30-minute high-speed train from Hongqiao station. Spend the day in the classical gardens (Humble Administrator's Garden is the best-known; Garden of the Master of Nets is quieter). Return to Shanghai for dinner.

Days 5–6: Hangzhou
Travel by high-speed train (45 minutes from Shanghai Hongqiao). Base yourself near West Lake. Hire a bike for the lakeside paths. Take a half-day trip to Longjing tea village in the hills. The food here is lighter and more refined than Shanghai — try the West Lake fish in vinegar sauce.

Day 7: Return to Shanghai, onward to Chongqing
Fly or take overnight train to Chongqing. Flying is faster (2 hours); overnight train saves a hotel night but is long (15+ hours).

Days 8–9: Chongqing
Explore Hongya Cave and the riverside night views. Take the cable car across the Yangtze. Eat Sichuan hotpot — at least once, probably twice. Day trip to Dazu Rock Carvings if time allows.

Day 10: Fly home from Chongqing
Direct flights to London and other European hubs are available from Chongqing Jiangbei Airport.

Yes. China consistently ranks as one of the safer countries in Asia for solo female travel. The main precautions are the same as anywhere: stay aware in crowded areas, use DiDi rather than unmarked taxis, and keep hotel and emergency contacts saved on your phone.

If you want to use Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Gmail, or most Western social media platforms, yes. Install and test your VPN before departure — it is much harder to set up after you arrive.

At international hotels and some tourist-facing restaurants, yes. But for street food, local transport, smaller restaurants, and most everyday transactions, you'll need WeChat Pay or Alipay linked to a card. Keep a small amount of RMB cash as a backup.

For a straightforward trip (visa, hotels, main train tickets), 6–8 weeks is comfortable. During national holidays — particularly Golden Week in early October and Chinese New Year (late January or February) — trains and hotels sell out weeks in advance and prices increase significantly. Avoid these dates if possible, or book 3–4 months out.

Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–November) offer the most reliable weather across most of China. Summers are hot and humid, particularly in southern cities. Winters are cold in the north but manageable in Shanghai and further south.

Your first time in China will surprise you — usually in the best ways. The scale is different. The food is better than expected. The infrastructure is more advanced than most Westerners assume. And the people, once past the language barrier, are generally warm and genuinely curious about foreign visitors.

The things that trip people up are almost always logistical: a payment app that wasn't set up before arrival, a train ticket that requires a passport to collect, a restaurant with no English menu and no camera translation app. These are all solvable before you leave home.

If you'd like to plan a trip with our support — whether a full bespoke itinerary or simply on-the-ground assistance when you need it — get in touch with the Nihao Serica team. We've helped travellers from London (and much further afield) navigate China for years, and we're happy to help you plan a first trip that actually works.