China travel apps
Start with payment, maps, and your first transfer. Add the rest only when your route needs them.
Install these first
Finish payment verification and keep a second method ready.
Save the hotel, airport, station, and Chinese addresses.
Set up DiDi or learn the ride service inside Alipay.
App directory
This is a task list, not a download contest. Install the smallest stack that covers your own route.
The first payment app to set up for most short trips. It can also open transport and ride-hailing services without adding another account.
Before you fly: Link a supported international card, complete identity checks, and test the interface before departure.
Useful when a hotel, guide, restaurant, or local contact communicates through WeChat. WeChat Pay can be a second payment route.
Before you fly: Register while your home number can still receive security codes. Payment availability depends on current in-app rules.
A local map option with detailed transit, walking routes, entrances, and place listings across mainland China.
Before you fly: Search your hotel and first airport or station route before you fly. English coverage varies by device and app version.
Use the standalone app or a ride service inside Alipay. The exact pickup point matters at airports and large railway stations.
Before you fly: Save the hotel address in Chinese and identify the signed ride-hailing pickup area before requesting a car.
China Railway's official booking service. Tickets are tied to the passport details used at purchase.
Before you fly: Enter your name and passport exactly, complete verification, and keep the train number and station name offline.
An English-friendly option for hotels, flights, trains, and attraction tickets when the official Chinese channel is difficult to use.
Before you fly: Check the exact hotel branch, foreign-guest policy, cancellation terms, and arrival address before payment.
A focused Chinese dictionary that is useful for menus, signs, addresses, and short conversations when general translation struggles.
Before you fly: Download the app and any offline dictionaries you need before losing a reliable connection.Setup order
You may need text messages for account registration and card checks.
Use the same passport details that will appear on bookings and train tickets.
Find your hotel, open a ride route, and confirm the payment screen is reachable.
Keep hotel details, tickets, addresses, and emergency contacts outside the apps.
Common questions
For a short first trip, prioritize Alipay, a working map, a ride option, and the booking tool you need. Add WeChat when you expect local communication and 12306 when you will travel by train.
You can, but registration, identity checks, card approval, and security codes are easier to solve before departure. Finish the critical setup while your home SIM and normal internet connection still work.
One working payment app may cover most purchases, but a second wallet, a physical bank card, and some RMB give you a safer day-one backup.
No. English support varies by app, operating system, and release. Test the exact workflow you need and save key names and addresses in Chinese.
Sources and verification
Continue planning