There are many reasons China is a great country to visit: loads of history, affordable accommodation, transportation, awesome food, beautiful landscapes, and high-tech cities.
As a foreigner, especially if it's your first time in Asia, you will feel like you are visiting a totally different world! But let´s be honest: China is not an easy country to travel in, especially for new travelers. But with this guide, it should be much easier to visit this amazing country. Let´s break everything into ten steps:
1. Getting your Visa to China
Getting a tourist visa to go to China can be surprisingly easy: you don´t need to pay any company to get it, and you can do it yourself.
The Chinese government will want to know all your travel plans in China: where you will stay, exact dates, and all transportation methods. So, the best is to book a package holiday with Tryp.com, already with accommodation:
After reserving your trip, go to your manage booking page and print the whole itinerary. I cannot stress this enough. You will need the whole itinerary and, of course, a passport!
Make sure you leave yourself at least 4 weeks before you start your trip to apply for the VISA but no earlier than 3 months. Yes, this means you will need to book before you have the VISA, but don´t be worried about that, you should get the Visa with no issues.
After you have your trip reserved, go to the official Chinese visa portal. Upload all the documentation there. Besides the trip documents, you will need:
- Past employment information
- Family details
- A passport-style photo
- And many others!
You will schedule an appointment as well, for the Visa office. Please read carefully all the terms, because you will need to bring a lot of printed documents, even things that you have already submitted!
When your appointment comes, bring all the documents printed, and also the passport-style photos. You will leave your passport at the Visa office, and will collect it when they have the visa ready.
And step one is done!
2. Communication in China
So, while you wait for your visa to be ready, let's start preparing the rest! The first thing that you need to know is that most western websites are blocked in China!
VPNs
So, please make sure that you have a working VPN!
And let me tell you I have tried a lot of them, so you don't! It can be pretty stressful when you arrive and your VPN doesn't work! But the reality is that many free VPNs and even popular paid ones will not work in China. I only had success with one, which is in this link - Zion Ladder. It was a bit scary to use it at first, as many things are in Chinese, but it worked well in all different provinces in China.
Also, install both the mobile app and the desktop app - they will be a life savior when you need something translated, some western maps or to communicate with friends and family!
Super apps
If people don´t use Facebook in China, what´s the alternative?
Well, let me introduce you to WeChat! And yes, you will need a WeChat account to visit China! There is no way around it, even to get inside the plane I needed it! They even asked me for a health questionnaire to be filled out at the airport, and I had to use my WeChat account. This will be super normal in China, so get yourself a WeChat account!
This is also how you will connect with locals! That friendly Chinese that you meet on your trip won't have Facebook, so if you want to keep in touch you will need WeChat.
Dataplans
Look into a data plan for China. An e-sim will be very helpful, as it will be difficult to get a SIM card in China - you would need a bank account for it! I've never tried it at the airport, to be honest, but out in the street it's impossible to get a SIM card as a foreigner.
This is something that honestly I don't know too much about, as I had family helping with this issue, but if you know more reach out to us, and share your experience!
Wifi
For most public wifi connections you will need a WeChat account or a phone number, so don't rely too much on those when outside. However, hotels, and restaurants will always have a free wifi network.
A cool trick that works specially well in the south-west of China is that many times the wifi passwords are just set as: 88888888 (eight eights!)
3. Payments
China is now practically a cashless society! In shops, restaurants, hospitals and all establishments you will see payment scanners. This is one of the main payment methods: you present a QR code in your phone, and the bill is immediately debited from your account. Another popular way is that you scan the QR code of the seller, and pay just like that. So, how do you get started?
With your Wechat account, it also comes a Wechat wallet. Try adding your credit card there, because if you succeed you will use it for payments everywhere. Do this before your trip, because you will be probably asked for a passport photo and even to take a few selfies to validate your identity. From your wechat account you will get your payment QR code.
Alipay
I strongly recommend you install the AliPay App. Please, also add your cards there, because it will save you a few times.
The Alipay app is actually my favorite app in China, because you can do so much with it. Below, you can see the two payment options: the scan feature, to scan merchant's cards, and the pay/ receive, that you can scan on those camera small machines at the shops:
Cash
Of course as a backup, you should bring cash to your trip. The currency is called Yuan, and expressed as RMB. But you will find it very difficult to use physical Yuans!
As an example, at McDonald's, I couldn't order with cash! I had to install a special mini-app inside Alipay to be able to order and pay, and for that I needed a Chinese phone number! Fortunatly, the staff was super helpful with this process, and very happy to communicate in gestures and take my phone to do the setup for me!
4. People & Language
When many people think about China, there are many preconceptions.
I am sure everyone has friends that will think it´s super dangerous to go to China, and that people won´t be friendly. They couldn´t be more wrong!
People in China, generally speaking (and I rarely found exceptions to this rule), are extremely friendly. There are not a lot of foreigners now, after COVID, so especially the new generation that spends a lot of time "locked at home" will be quite excited to see foreigners!
English speaking skills are rare, but you will see a lot of parents encouraging their children to practice "hellos" and "how are you" with the foreigner - you. Don´t be surprised if you are asked for photos: no, it's not a scam, and no, probably they are not confusing you with a western celebrity! People are just curious to see foreigners.
This can also happen in big cities, where young travellers, coming from smaller cities or rural locations will be seeing a foreigner for the first time. They will shyly ask for a picture, and engage in small talk. I think it's a great opportunity to exchange Wechat accounts (they will be delighted if you show them your Wechat QR code, that leads to your profile ), and you can make good friends like this!), and use the opportunity to ask for recommendations of things to see and do. Go with an open mind, don't forget that sometimes the coolest things in life are the unexpected ones, so don't feel shy to engage and make new friendships.
Last, you will notice that going through some shops, sellers will be quite insistent about trying to sell you things. You will need to learn to ignore them, and just smile. However this will not happen in big brands.
5. Communication
Regarding communication, my best advice is to use Google Translate. Use the voice feature in restaurants, or just show the screen, and the camera feature will save you from translating signs. Download the offline mode for Google Translator, so you can always translate text.
Chinese is a very tough language for a foreigner. Similar sounds (tones) will have totally different meaning. I recommend you to learn the simple "bu", meaning no, and "Xièxiè" (thank you) as a basic, as well as the iconic "Nihao" (hello).
As you may know, Chinese doesn't use our alphabet to write. It uses characters, which associate with sounds and meanings. I didn't spend any time trying to learn these characters, because you can have up to one hundred thousand different characters. It's very tough for a foreigner to learn, and honestly, it's better to use the Google Translator scan feature if you are not incredibly dedicated to learn a whole new writing system!
6. Safety
I always felt very safe in China!
However, also be mindful that it's a huge country, and so you will have all sorts of people, like anywhere else in the world, just multiply by 100x. What I mean by this is, for example, that scams ravaged the country, and people can be quite suspicious sometimes of people outside their circle. But again, you as a foreigner will get a green pass, because you are a novelty, so people will be very helpful! Also, remember there is a lot of surveillance in China: with cameras in every corner of a big city, so thieves are very rare! Police can be found easily and you can use 110 to call them, 120 for an ambulance, and 119 for firefighters.
7. Accommodation
Getting accommodation in China can be tough if you are not using Tryp.com! - many listings don't accept foreigners! This is because foreigners need to be registered with the police: so either the hotel has a system to do so, or they won't want to have the work! If you stay with friends this means you will need to travel to the local police station, bringing your passport and filling up some light paperwork. You may be photographed as well.
But that's something you don't need to worry about with Tryp.com! At the hotel, you will just need your passport. The process of checking-in can be slow because the hotel will need to insert your data in the system, but all is normal!
I always had good experiences with accommodation in China: hotels are affordable, and the standards are quite good.
8. Health
Hospitals in China are affordable, and we covered this topic extensive in a full article. Check it out here. Everything is cheap, so it may be a good idea to do a routine teeth cleaning!
9. Transportatiom
So, you just came out of the airport. Welcome to China! What now?
Taxis
First, watch out for the "taxi drivers" on foot at the exits of the buildinds: many of those soliciting at the exits don't have a license. Just ignore them, and avoid any conversation, otherwise they will follow you and stick to you like glue.
If you got an Alipay wallet activated and a Chinese number you can pick up a taxi through Alipay. Just click in "transport" as shown below, and insert the drop-off point.
Also, a convenient alternative is to stop a taxi in the street. They should all have a taximeter, and I strongly advise you to follow the route on your phone, so you are not sent on any unnecessary trips!
Metro
Some metro stations have machines, where you can buy one use metro cards with cash:
But the method I will really recommend is using Alipay.
Simply, on the top left corner, select the city you are in, and select the correct transport. After this, you will be provided a virtual card, that you can scan at the metro doors, or even at the bus. Super easy and convenient, and you will find all the major cities, like Beijing, Shanghai or Xi'an covered.
The cost will be debited from your card, and it will be VERY cheap!
Buses
Buses are a bit more difficult to navigate around, I found, than metro.
But, using a Chinese app called "Amap" you can find all the routes and navigate through that.
I was very surprised that in many cities buses are tracked in real-time, so you know exactly when they are coming. The same is also happening for traffic lights, which you can see while driving in Amap. Using Alipay you should have no trouble paying either with the bus card, scanning feature, or cash.
10. Food and other necessities!
Let´s start with an important tip! Most public toilets in China don't have toilet paper! So, always bring it with you. Some people think it's a good idea to steal the toilet paper, so no toilet paper for anyone. The only exceptions I found to this rule were airports, hotels and upscale malls.
Also, tap water is not potable. Bottled water is very affordable, thought, even when bought in the street. (we are talking a few dozen euro / dolar cents).
Be mindful of where you eat, but honestly I never had issues even eating in foodstalls and less than a euro / dollar meals. Aim to eat fresh or cooked in front of you and you shouldn't have any issues.
Chinese food is amazing, so I strongly advise you to seek local recommendations. Food is increadly affordable, and you can absolutely get away with spending less than 10 EUR / USD for a day in a major city. And if you were really serious about being on a budget, you could even do less than 5 EUR / USD for a breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If you can, also treat yourself with some nice restaurants, because the variety and quality of dishes will blow your mind!
If you don't have a tolerance for spicy food, just tell the restaurant you don´t want spicy food, or show them 我不要辣 - meaning exactly that.
I also strongly recommend you to eat a lot of fruit and fruit juices!
Watermellon in China is affordable and delicious, as well as mangoes, lichies, peaches and so many more! During the summer I was also drinking a lot of fruit juices, which are now supper popular, with shops just dedicated to them.
And that's the end of this guide! Subscribe us for more articles like this, and great deals: it's free!
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And above all, enjoy your trip to China, and don't forget to book it with Tryp.com - we have mapped intensively China, and surrounding asian countries, and will create easy-to-book unforgettable trips.
Our support will also gladly help you with anything before or during your trip!
Enjoy China!
