Travelling in China is very different from most destinations and having the right apps makes the experience significantly easier. From payments and transport to maps and bookings these apps are not optional. They are part of everyday life in China and travellers need to adapt quickly.
We strongly recommend downloading and setting everything up before you arrive. It is much easier to do this while you still have reliable internet access and access to your usual banking apps.
Important to know: Credit cards and cash are rarely accepted. Almost everyone uses mobile payments and many places will not have an alternative.
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🚨 IMPORTANT WARNING: Power Banks in China
(This one really matters)
When arriving in China, power banks are strictly checked at airport security.
- Power banks must be in your carry-on luggage
- They are not allowed in checked luggage
- You will be required to take them out of your bag during screening
⚠️ CCC Certification Is Mandatory
Your power bank must have a visible CCC (China Compulsory Certification) marking on the back.
- ✅ If it has CCC clearly printed → it will be allowed
- ❌ If it does not have CCC → it will be confiscated immediately
- There is No appeal, No discussion and No getting it back
We saw this happen, and once it’s taken, that’s it.
🔋 Tohu Tip
Before travelling, check the back of your power bank. If it doesn’t show CCC, leave it at home and buy a compliant one before your trip.
Payment Apps – Alipay and WeChat Pay
Alipay and WeChat Pay are essential.You will struggle to pay for everyday things without at least one of them.
Almost all restaurants, shops, taxis, attractions and even small street vendors use QR code payments. Cash is rarely used and many places simply cannot accept international cards.
Our approach:
- Toni (iPhone) used Alipay
- I (Samsung) used WeChat Pay
- We linked both payment apps to our joint bank cards. I did find WeChat a little harder to track payments on, as transaction details were often displayed in Chinese. The built-in scan and translate option didn’t always work for me and sometimes redirected to another page. To stay organised, I started noting down what each payment was for in a small notebook, which made it much easier to cross-check charges against our bank statements later.
This gave us a backup option, which we highly recommend.
Before leaving:
- Download the apps
- Verify your identity
- Load your debit or credit cards
- Test the apps if possible
👉 Check Out Our Full Guide Here: WeChat vs Alipay – What Travellers Need to Know
eSIM in China
For our trip, we both decided to use eSIMs instead of physical SIM cards and it turned out to be a very easy and reliable option.
Because most hotels in China provide Wi-Fi, we knew we didn’t need a large mobile data package. Our mobile data was mainly used for:
- Booking Didi rides
- Using translation apps
- Navigating with maps
- The occasional quick search while out and about
For our data plans:
- Toni used a 10GB 30-day eSIM
- I used a 2GB 30-day eSIM from Airalo
By the end of the trip:
- I had almost fully used my 2GB on the final day
- Toni still had around 7GB remaining
Based on our experience, if you’re relying on hotel Wi-Fi for most of your usage and only using mobile data for essentials like maps, Didi and translations, 2GB is generally enough for a 30-day trip.
If you plan to:
- Use social media regularly
- Upload photos or videos
- Work online
- Rely less on hotel Wi-Fi
Then a larger data package would be a better choice.
We found Airalo eSIMs simple to set up before departure and convenient to use throughout the trip. You can check current plans and coverage here
👉 Airalo eSIMs for China.
👉 Check Out Our Full Guide Here: Staying Connected in China Guide
Maps in China – Amap (Gaode Maps)
Google Maps does work sometimes with a VPN but we found it unreliable and often inaccurate. It led us on a few misadventures before we switched.
Amap (also called Gaode Maps) is the most commonly used mapping app in China and once we downloaded it everything made much more sense.
Why Amap is helpful:
- More accurate than Google Maps
- Shows correct train stations
- Helps you understand large transport hubs
- Works well with public transport and walking directions
This became especially useful when booking trains. For example when travelling from Zhangjiajie to Chongqing, Google Maps didn’t clearly show the difference between Chongqing West, South, East or North stations. Amap made this much clearer.
That said one thing we quickly realised is that most train stations are at least 30 minutes outside the city. Which station you choose often depends on where you’re staying. Didi rides are inexpensive so even if you arrive at a different station it’s usually only a few extra dollars.
👉 Check Out Our Full Guide Here: Maps in China – What Works and What Doesn’t. You can also download Goade Maps Here
Didi – Chinas version to Uber
Didi is China’s version of Uber/Grab and it’s the easiest way to get around cities and between transport hubs.
A few practical tips from our experience:
- Always check the price at the start and the final charge
- Sometimes tolls are added. Drivers should notify you but not always
- We were once charged for tolls we didn’t pass through
- We contacted customer service via chat and the charge was refunded without any hassle
- Occasionally payments need to be confirmed manually
- Other times they are deducted automatically
- What happends if payment has not been charged to your account
- You’ll receive reminders and you simply won’t be able to book another ride until it’s settled
- Always rate your driver at the end.
- There’s a feedback section and it genuinely helps improve service
In smaller towns such as Fenghuang Ancient Town, Didi may not operate fully. In these cases the app will automatically switch to a local taxi option, which still works well.
👉 Check out Our Full Guide Here: Using Didi in China – What Travellers Need to Know
Internet and VPN
If you want access to:
- Gmail
- Google Maps
- TikTok
You will need a VPN. We use Surfshark and it was worth its weight in gold. However there are a couple of things to be aware of:
- Sometimes you need to turn the VPN off when:
- Booking a Didi
- Making payments with Alipay or WeChat
- This is normal and not a problem
Hotel internet in China is generally slow, even in good hotels. If you plan to work online don’t expect fast speeds. We were warned about this beforehand so it wasn’t a surprise.
👉 Check Out Our Full Guide here: Internet and VPNs in China – What to Expect
Trip.com – Essential Booking App
Because Trip.com is a China-owned company, the information and support it offers for travelling within China is far more detailed than many international platforms. It quickly became one of our go-to apps on the trip.
What we loved:
- Flights
- Trains
- Accommodation
- Attractions
- Customer support
- Reward points
You earn points for:
- Bookings
- Writing reviews
- Using certain services
Those points can be used for:
- Accommodation discounts
- Attractions
- Airport lounge passes
Lounge passes:
You can accumulate points to get Free Lounge Passes. They are more budget than premium lounges but the chairs are comfortable and you get snacks, hot drinks, soft drinks and beer. For a couple of hours comfort, it’s far better than sitting on hard airport seating.
Flights:
We booked all our flights through Trip.com. We had one issue caused by China Southern changing flights (which they’re known for). Trip.com contacted us immediately and worked through the changes with us. For a small additional fee we recommend taking their insurance. Even though we had Amex insurance it would have saved us time if things became more complicated.
Accommodation:
We booked most hotels through Trip.com but still used Booking.com for some stays. Both platforms worked well for us.
👉 Check Out our Full Guide: Using Trip.com in China – Trains Flights and Hotels
Finding the Best Food – Da Zhong Dian Ping (Dianping)
If you’re serious about eating like a local, Da Zhong Dian Ping (Dianping) is hands down one of the best apps to have on your phone in China.
Think of it as China’s version of Yelp but far more detailed. It’s packed with local reviews, real customer photos and rankings for everythingDuring our tr including street Food Stalls. Dianping quickly became our go-to app whenever we wanted to find a great place to eat nearby. You can search by:
- Cuisine
- Price range
- Distance
- Popularity
Thanks to Dianping, we discovered some fantastic local food spots in places like Shanghai and Beijing that we would have completely missed otherwise.
This is incredibly helpful when you’re in a new city and don’t know where to start. Most menus are only in Chinese, so being able to rely on images makes choosing food much easier. While photos don’t always perfectly reflect the final dish, they do give a good indication of what to expect.
The app itself is mostly in Chinese, but it’s relatively easy to navigate using built-in translation tools or your phone’s auto-translate. The extra effort is well worth it. Thanks to Dianping, we discovered some fantastic local food spots in places like Chongqing and Xián that we would have completely missed otherwise.
Final Tohu Tip
China can feel overwhelming at first but once these apps are set up everything becomes surprisingly smooth. Mobile payments, transport bookings and navigation quickly become second nature.
Download everything early set it up properly and you’ll remove a lot of stress before you even land.
🔗 More China Travel Guides
Want more China Inspiration?
Explore all our China blogs in one place — from ancient towns and national parks to mega-cities and night markets.
👉 Read all our China Destination Guides & China Travel Essentials Guides Here
🌍 Travel Planning Resources
These are the tools we personally use and trust when planning our travels from finding a place to stay to booking activities, transport and insurance. Let your Tohu guide you — Trust the Journey and follow what feels right for you.
- ✈️Flights – Compare great deals with Trip.com then Kiwi.com for flexible, affordable options.
- 🚐 Campervans – Compare rental deals with Motorhome Republic across Aotearoa and beyond.
- 🛏️ Stays – Compare hotels on Trip.com and TripAdvisor or Booking.com.
- 🚐 Rental Cars – Compare prices and book through Airport Rentals by Motorhome Republic for trusted brands and easy airport pickup.
- 🎟️ Activities – Browse tours and experiences on Viator, Get Your Guide, or TripAdvisor
- 🚆12Go Asia – Compare and book trains, buses, and ferries across Asia in one place with 12Go.
- 🛡️ Travel Insurance – Get flexible short-term coverage with Insubuy for your next holiday.
- 🔒 Protect Your Privacy with a VPN – We recommend Surfshark VPN for secure and private browsing while travelling. It’s fast, affordable and works worldwide — perfect for public Wi-Fi at airports, cafes and hotels.
- 📱 Travel eSIM – Stay connected with Airalo
- 💼 Lounge Access – Treat yourself with Priority Pass – for UK or US
- 🎶 Events & Concerts – Book tickets worldwide through Ticketmaster.
🧭 Note: Some booking links can be a bit shy when you’re using a VPN. If one doesn’t open, try pausing your VPN or switching to a different server location or secure Wi-Fi network to get things flowing again.
“Travel teaches you trust — in the journey, in others and in yourself.”