Practical guide

Everything you sort out before you board

Fifteen short guides to the practical China: how to get in, how to pay, how to stay online and how to get around. Written plainly, with the date each one was last checked on the page.

15 guides published

Entry and documents

What to settle before you buy the ticket.

Visas for China

Since 2024, travellers holding an eligible passport can enter China without a visa for up to 30 days. But there are rules, deadlines and exceptions worth knowing before you book.

No visa needed for stays of up to 30 days — but reconfirm that the waiver is still in force in the week before your flight, because the policy has an end date.

Language

How to make yourself understood, and when you do not need to.

Language and communication in China

Mandarin, tones and apps that translate. Travelling in China without speaking Chinese is perfectly possible — with three tools and two phrases.

Little English is spoken outside hotels. Three apps on your phone and a guide resolve 95% of situations.

Money

Paying in China in 2026, and how much to carry.

How to pay in China

WeChat Pay and Alipay dominate, and since 2023 they accept foreign cards. Cash still works too — especially outside the big cities.

Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay with your card before you fly. And always carry 1,000 yuans in notes.

What a trip to China costs

From group tours to private itineraries: real figures per day, per person, with and without international flights.

A ten-day private tour comes to between US$ 2,900 and US$ 3,800 per person in a double room, without international flights.

Safety and health

The real risk, and the risk people imagine.

Health and medical care in China

Excellent hospitals in the big cities, tap water that is not safe to drink, and travel insurance that is not optional.

Take out travel insurance with high cover. Drink bottled water. And carry your medication in its original packaging.

Is it safe to travel in China?

Yes — it is one of the safest countries in the world for visitors. The real risk is not crime, it is scams and traffic.

You are safer walking through Beijing in the small hours than in most Western capitals. What does need attention are tourist scams and traffic.

On the ground

Transport, food, etiquette and luggage.

Internet, mobile and VPN in China

WhatsApp, Instagram and Google do not open without preparation. With international roaming or a roaming eSIM, almost everything works.

The simplest solution is to use your own carrier's roaming: traffic then leaves through your home network and blocked sites open.

Best time to visit China and the festival calendar

Two weeks of the year when you should not go, and two months when everything is perfect. With dates and temperatures.

September and October, or April and May. Avoid the first week of October and Lunar New Year at any cost.

China for older travellers and those with reduced mobility

There is a Chinese itinerary that is done slowly, by lift and cable car, without staircases. And there is one you should not do at all.

It is possible to make a great trip to China without climbing a single significant staircase. You just have to choose the right cable cars and avoid two destinations.

Chinese food: what to eat and how to order it

Eight regional cuisines in one country. Street food is safe, chilli is a choice, and breakfast is the best meal of the day.

Skip the hotel buffet. The best meal of your trip will be in a room with fifteen tables and a QR-code menu.

Etiquette and customs in China

Chinese people do not expect a visitor to know the rules — but they notice when one ignores them. Five gestures resolve ninety per cent of situations.

Receive everything with both hands, do not raise your voice, do not stick your chopsticks upright in rice. That is almost all you need to know.

Getting around China

The high-speed rail network is the best in the world and solves almost everything. The rest is solved with a car, not with public transport.

For journeys of 3 to 6 hours, the train always beats flying. For everything else, a car with a driver.

Shopping and haggling in China

You haggle for almost everything outside fixed-price shops, you claim tax refunds on departure, and there are classic traps you learn to avoid.

In markets the first price is an opening line. Answer with 30% and be willing to walk out on foot.

Travelling in China with children

Pandas, rafts, climbing and cooking classes. China is one of the easiest destinations in Asia for a family trip — if the pace is theirs.

Two big visits a day, at most. China delights children, but tires them twice as fast if you run an adult itinerary.

What to pack for China

The right suitcase depends on the season and the region. There are four things nobody remembers and that you miss on day two.

Broken-in shoes, a universal adaptor, a power bank with the capacity printed on it, and a paper kit. This is what almost everyone is missing.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for China?

Probably not. Citizens of Portugal and Brazil are currently exempt for stays of up to 30 days, a policy valid until 31 December 2026. We confirm the position before you buy your flight ticket.

Can I pay with my own card in China?

Not in most places. Day-to-day payment runs through Alipay or WeChat Pay, which accept international cards once registered. It is worth setting up before you fly.

Is English spoken in China?

In big-city hotels, yes. Outside that, little. It is why a Portuguese-speaking guide stays with the tour from the first day to the last.

Do I need a VPN?

Yes, if you want Google, Instagram or WhatsApp away from hotel Wi-Fi. It has to be set up before you arrive: inside China the app stores are blocked.

Is the tap water safe?

No. Drink bottled or boiled water — hotels put a kettle in every room.

See all questions

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