China's door is open wider than ever. This is the practical, minute-by-minute playbook for a foreign visitor landing in China in 2026 — entry routes, SIM/eSIM, Alipay and WeChat Pay, airport-to-city transit, and getting around without a wallet full of cash.
Do these at home, and the first day in China becomes boring in the best way.
International hubs (Shanghai PVG/SHA, Beijing PEK/PKX, Guangzhou CAN, Shenzhen SZX, Chengdu TFU, Xi'an XIY) are modern and signposted in English.
A realistic landing day, from the gate to dinner:
| Window | Action | How |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 hr | Through immigration, grab connectivity | SIM kiosk or activate eSIM QR |
| 1–2 hr | Airport → hotel | Metro / airport rail / DiDi (route per city below) |
| 2–3 hr | Set up payments | Alipay / WeChat bind foreign card (airport help desk or in-app) |
| Evening | First DiDi ride + dinner | Pay inside the apps — no cash needed |
| Next morning | Metro day-pass, explore | Metro Man / Alipay metro QR |
That's it. By dinner on day one you're riding DiDi and scanning QR codes like a local.
Recommended
Buy before you fly from a travel provider (Airalo, China Unicom international). Scan the QR on landing; data starts immediately. No kiosk, no passport swap.
At arrivals
Carrier kiosks (China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom) in every international hall. Show passport, pick a data plan, done. Plans are cheap — a few GB for days costs only tens of RMB.
The single biggest "I'm in China now" unlock is Alipay + WeChat Pay. Bind a foreign card (Visa / Mastercard / JCB) inside each app — there are airport help desks and QR guides if it won't bind at home.
Every one of our 20 city guides has an "Arrival & first steps" block with the exact airport, airport-to-city transit and a local tip. The headline hubs:
Start with the city guides hub for the full set, or jump straight to the best entry cities for shopping.
All the headline figures in one place: China Haul by the Numbers 2026.
Either be on the 50-country unilateral visa-free list (ordinary passport, up to 30 days, no paperwork) or qualify for the 240-hour transit route (onward ticket to a third country/region required). Carry a passport valid 6+ months; for transit, keep the confirmed onward ticket handy.
An eSIM pre-bought from a travel provider (Airalo, China Unicom international) is the smoothest — you're online the moment you land. Alternatively, every international arrivals hall has carrier kiosks for China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom physical SIMs. Either way, set it up before you leave the terminal.
Bind a foreign card inside Alipay and WeChat Pay (there are airport help desks and QR guides). After that, DiDi, the metro, restaurants and almost every shop take the two apps. Carry a little RMB only for the rare cash-only vendor.
Metro / airport express rail (Shanghai even has the Maglev), or DiDi rideshare. Exact routes and times are on each city's 'Arrival & first steps' block in our city guides — for example Shanghai via PVG/SHA, Beijing via PEK/PKX.
No. The 50-country list is unilateral visa-free (up to 30 days, no onward travel needed). The 240-hour route covers about 57 countries but requires continuing to a third country or region via designated ports.
Policy numbers change. Before you book, confirm the current eligible-country lists, ports and participating tax-refund stores on the official English sources below.