📱 Essential Travel Apps for China

THE most important app for China. Payment everywhere—shops, metro, taxis, street food. Link foreign card before arrival. Complete identity verification with stable internet. Foreign cards incur ~3% fees on large transactions. Download first.

💡 Set up BEFORE arriving in China for easier verification

Chinese WhatsApp + payment + mini apps. Hotels, restaurants communicate via WeChat. Backup payment where Alipay not accepted. Peer transfers. WeChat Pay now supports Visa/Mastercard/JCB. Social essential.

💡 Mini programs handle transport, food delivery, tickets—no separate apps needed

Navigation for Android users in China. English version available. More intuitive than Baidu Maps. AutoNavi backend. Apple Maps users can use Apple Maps (uses AutoNavi in China). Google Maps unreliable without VPN.

Official China Railway app. Book high-speed trains (CRH). Beijing-Shanghai 4.5-6 hours (¥610-1,925). Sales 5am-1am daily. English interface available. Essential for intercity travel. Alternative: Rail Ninja (English-friendly third party).

Chinese Uber. Essential for taxis. Safer than street taxis, prices shown upfront. English interface. Payment via Alipay/WeChat. Door-to-door rides ¥20-100 typical city journeys. Works nationwide.

Best overall flight search. Price tracking, flexible dates, and the cleanest interface. Use the calendar view to find the cheapest days to fly.

"Everywhere" search shows you the cheapest destinations from your home airport. Perfect for spontaneous trips. Also great for whole-month search.

Predicts when flight prices will rise or drop. Set alerts and book at the perfect moment. Can save hundreds on international flights.

Chinese platform—excellent for domestic China flights and trains. Often cheaper than international sites for within-China travel. English interface. Accepts international cards.

Works perfectly in China for iPhone users. Uses AutoNavi (Amap) backend. Reliable navigation, public transport info, offline maps. No VPN needed. Best navigation option for iOS.

💡 Download Beijing, Shanghai, other city offline maps before arrival

Best navigation for Android in China. English interface now available. More intuitive than Baidu Maps. Offline maps, public transport, walking directions. No VPN required.

💡 Google Maps unreliable in China—don't rely on it

Alternative navigation app. More features but interface more complex. Primarily Chinese language. Backup option if Amap doesn't work. Locals prefer this or Amap.

Chinese Uber replacement. Safer than street taxis. English interface. Payment via Alipay/WeChat. Shows price upfront. Essential for city navigation when metro not convenient.

19,500+ hotels across China. Shanghai (1,855 hotels), Beijing (1,275), Guangzhou (1,150). Free cancellation on most. International payment accepted. English interface essential for foreigners.

Rent apartments, houses, or unique stays. Great for longer trips or if you want a kitchen. Many hutong courtyard stays in Beijing. Apartments cheaper for groups.

Best platform for hostels. China has excellent hostels—Shanghai (31), Chengdu (14), Beijing (13). Private rooms available, not just dorms. Good for solo travelers.

Chinese platform often cheaper for domestic hotels. English interface. Accepts international cards. Good deals on Chinese hotel chains. Alternative to Western booking sites.

Download Chinese (Simplified) pack for offline use. Camera mode translates signs, menus instantly. Voice translation for conversations. Essential—few people speak English outside tourist areas.

💡 Download Chinese language pack before arrival—offline mode essential

Everyone in China uses WeChat. Hotels, tour operators, restaurants, locals all communicate via WeChat. Voice messages, translation built-in. Add locals as friends for help.

Chinese-English dictionary. Handwriting recognition, camera OCR, example sentences. Better than Google Translate for learning words/phrases. Free basic version excellent.

Access Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram. LetsVPN, ExpressVPN, NordVPN work in China. Install BEFORE arrival—VPN sites blocked in China. Backup for unreliable WiFi.

City-specific metro apps (Beijing Subway, Shanghai Metro). Show routes, fares, real-time info. English available. Download for cities you're visiting. WeChat mini programs also handle metro codes.

Food delivery apps. Like Uber Eats but local. Cheap meals delivered (¥15-40). Requires Chinese phone number. WeChat/Alipay mini programs easier for tourists. Alternative to restaurant dining.

Recent reviews help find authentic spots, avoid tourist traps. Works in China. Filter reviews by language. Check ratings before visiting attractions, restaurants.

Recommended over physical SIM. Enables normal social media and Google services without constantly toggling VPN. Airalo, Nomad eSIM work well. Setup before departure.

Great Wall tours, Terracotta Warriors, Li River cruises. Great prices and instant confirmation. Skip-the-line tickets. English platform, international payment accepted.

Asian-focused activity platform. Often cheaper than GetYourGuide for China tours. Forbidden City tickets, panda base entry, high-speed train tickets. English interface.

Largest selection of tours, activities, and experiences worldwide. Read reviews, book instantly, and get mobile tickets. Owned by TripAdvisor.

Plan hiking, cycling and outdoor routes with turn-by-turn voice navigation and offline maps. Community-driven with 45M+ users sharing routes, tips and highlights worldwide. iOS & Android (free with premium options).

Absolutely essential. Link foreign Visa/Mastercard. Used everywhere—shops, metro, taxis, street food. ~3% foreign card fees on large transactions. Setup before arrival with stable internet.

💡 China is cashless—Alipay essential for daily life

Backup payment option. Accepted where Alipay isn't. Now supports international Visa/Mastercard/JCB cards. Peer-to-peer transfers. Required for some WeChat mini programs.

Multi-currency card with good exchange rates. Better rates than banks. Backup payment method for places accepting international cards (hotels, airports). Load Chinese Yuan before trip.

110: Police
119: Fire department
120: Ambulance/medical emergency
122: Traffic accidents

Save before traveling:
• Your embassy contact (internet restrictions may block access later)
• Travel insurance emergency number
• Bank fraud line (in case of card theft)
• Hotel WeChat contact