China Travel Check

Field manual · Independent China

Arrive readyfor China.

Most China guides online were written to sell you a tour — or were accurate two years ago. This is the field manual: payment, internet, visas and trains, field-tested and stamped with the date every page was last verified.

Read the guidesCan you go visa-free? →

Check, then board

Tools
01VERIFIED 2026.09.29

Visa-free checker

Pick your nationality, see your entry options — 30-day visa-free, mutual exemption, or 240-hour transit.

02NO AI, NO FICTION

Trip planner

Days + style, get a route a human actually rode — with budgets, pacing and booking windows.

03SAVED ON DEVICE

Pre-flight checklist

From two months out to your carry-on: eSIM, Alipay, WeChat, train and attraction bookings.

Start here

All guides →
Before you goVERIFIED 2026.09.29

China's visa-free rules in 2026: who can just show up

50 countries get unilateral visa-free entry, 240-hour transit covers 54. Here's exactly how each route works, and the traps.

7 MIN READ

MoneyVERIFIED 2026.09.29

Paying in China: Alipay + WeChat Pay with a foreign card (2026)

China is nearly cashless. Here's exactly how to set up Alipay and WeChat Pay with a foreign Visa/Mastercard — limits, fees, and what still trips people up.

8 MIN READ

InternetVERIFIED 2026.09.29

Internet in China: the eSIM answer to the Great Firewall

Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and Gmail don't work in China — unless your phone roams. Here's the legal, zero-setup fix, and what to know about VPNs.

6 MIN READ

Before you goVERIFIED 2026.09.29

The 6 apps to install before landing in China

Alipay, WeChat, AMap, 12306, Trip.com and a translation app — what each one is for, and which extras earn their spot.

5 MIN READ

Freshness report

Advice for China rots fast — entry and payment rules have changed dozens of times since 2024. This is the verification state of every page on the site. Amber means a re-check is due.

One email, no spam

When rules change, you'll know

Visa updates, payment limit changes, reservation system shifts — we re-test and send a short note when something you'd care about changed.

Opens your mail app — no tracking, no spam