Arrival Guide
First Day in China: Arrival Guide for Foreigners
Your first day in China should be simple: get connected, reach your hotel, test payment, save addresses, and avoid a complicated itinerary.
Quick answer
Your first day in China should be simple: get connected, reach your hotel, test payment, save addresses, and avoid a complicated itinerary.
Visual overview
What you need to prepare
Get connected first.
Save address in Chinese.
Test a small purchase.
Check your hotel area.
Get connected first
Activate eSIM or roaming before leaving the airport so you can use maps, translation, and payment apps.
- eSIM
- Roaming
- Airport Wi-Fi as backup
Reach your hotel safely
Use official taxis, metro, or reliable ride options and show the hotel address in Chinese.
- Save hotel address
- Keep passport ready
- Avoid over-planning
Test payment and maps
Buy a small item with Alipay and check that your map app works around your hotel.
- Test Alipay
- Save hotel location
- Eat nearby
Foreigner tips
Avoid these common problems
Do not plan a complicated cross-city route after a long flight.
Payment, maps, data, and translation should work before sightseeing.
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