China Travel Tips for First-Timers 2026

China is a perfect destination for everyone to have some fun. You may have no idea about how to prepare everything that needed to take when traveling to China for the first time.

Here, we conclude the most useful information for you to help with your first China tour, just check it out!

Valid Passport & Visa

Get the original copy of your visa and make sure your passport is valid for at least 3 months more than your duration in China. As a suggestion, you can save a scanned copy of your important documents on digital devices.

Most travelers obtain a tourist visa (L visa) to visit China. You may need to apply for a China visa one to two months before your tour date.

Visa-Free Policy Up to 30 Days

However, there is no requirement for a visa application to visit China for 30 days for visitors from 46 countries. 

Europe (33 Countries): France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Finland, Slovakia, Monaco, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Norway, Iceland, and Latvia.

Asia (6 Countries): the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Bahrain, South Korea, and Japan.

Oceania (2 Countries): Australia and New Zealand.

South America (5 Countries): Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay.

North America: Canada

240 Hours Visa-Free Transit Policy

There is another 240-hour visa-free policy. Citizens from the countries listed below can stay in China for up to 240 hours if they are in transit from China to a third country or region.

Americans (6 countries): United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and the Republic of Chile.

European citizens (40 countries): Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.

Oceanians (2 countries): Australia and New Zealand.

Asians (7 countries): South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Indonesia.

Travel Insurance

We recommend you buy your travel insurance before your trip, not only for the China tour. It protects your finances, health, and security during your China vacation. You can consult your insurance company to choose the appropriate product.

Instant Messaging in China

Unlike Western countries, the Chinese have different digital platforms to contact families and friends. Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram cannot be used in China. WeChat, QQ, and Weibo are most commonly used in China. If you are considering keeping in contact with your families and friends, local Chinese friends, and your tour guide, you should make some preparations.

Virtual Private Network (VPN) to Contact Home

Some Western websites are banned to use in China, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Google. You need to install a workable VPN before you leave for China to guarantee a connection to WhatsApp and other software.

China SIM Card to Contact Local Guide

You may need a China sim card to contact your guide and do some other certifications for creating a WeChat account if you have never applied for one. You can buy a SIM card in many places in China including most airports.

If you visit Hong Kong and other cities in China's mainland, remember the SIM card may not work for both places because they don't share a common telecom system.

Power Bank

You will likely use your phone, camera, and other devices more often than usual during your trip, which means more frequent charging.

A VPN app may also increase your phone's battery drain. To avoid running out of power, always make sure your power bank is fully charged

before leaving your hotel.

Important Note: As of July 5, 2025, China introduced stricter regulations on power banks. Passengers are not allowed to carry power

banks without a valid China Compulsory Certification (CCC) mark or with unclear labels.

Before traveling, double-check that your power bank complies with these rules. If it doesn't, purchase a new one in advance.

Eat in China

China is famous for its numerous delicacies and unique flavors of cuisines. You will find Chinese cuisine is totally different from those in Western Chinese restaurants. Be open-minded to try some new things during your Chinese tour. However, you may face some problems such as allergies and other difficulties.

Things to Prepare for Food Allergies

Compared to Western countries, being allergic to gluten food is not a common problem so you should be careful about this. Chinese food is heavily based on soy sauce, rice noodles, and rice flour. You can prepare a Chinese restaurant card as a reminder to help you eat safely. Moreover, make sure you have your medicine with you and prepare some snacks with you for some emergency.

Packing Tips: Clothes Packing Tips

All essential clothes you need to pack are due to the weather of your travel date. We recommend you check the weather of the cities you will visit on your China tour before you start packing your clothes. As a reminder, make sure to bring appropriate shoes because it may be hard for you to buy a pair of new shoes in the right size in China.

If you are going to have an adventure tour including hiking, or exploring the mountains, we recommend you bring some quick-drying clothes. Dress layer when hiking to keep yourself warm and dry.

If you are going to have a summer vacation, don't forget to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, umbrellas, hats, long sleeves, and any other you can use to protect yourself from the sun.

For winter vacation, remember to wear warm if you are traveling to Northern China for it is really cold and dry.

Hygiene and Beauty Products

Remember to bring your toiletries and make-up kits with you if you are not easily accustomed to new products or have sensitive skin. However, these things may eat up the limited space of your package, so remember to bring travel size if you have to bring your own toiletries and make-up kits.

If you are planning a China tour including Beijing or other Northern parts of China, remember to bring moisturizer against the super dry weather.

Shaving essentials and hair styling products are easy to forget for male travelers, bring your products if needed. Moreover, for female travelers, you may also want to prepare your tampons. Though tampons are becoming more and more usual in Asia, there are not many brands for you to choose from.

Prepare Medications & Vitamins

It is always not that easy to buy appropriate medicine in a different country. You may need to consult your healthcare provider for your daily pills and vitamins.

Moreover, bring some commonly used emergency medicines for emergency conditions. For example, pepto-bismol, allergy pills, antibiotic cream, and some other regular medicines for kids and elderly people if you are having a family tour.