Essential apps for a China trip

The useful China travel app list is short when it is organised by task. Install everything you may need before you leave home, sign in, and check that your phone can receive verification messages. An app that is technically installed but cannot be verified is not a travel plan.

Set up Alipay and add an eligible international card before the trip. WeChat Pay is another option, but there is no benefit in creating several payment accounts without testing them. Carry a physical card and a small amount of cash for a failed payment, a low battery or a merchant that uses a different collection flow. Read our Alipay setup guide for the payment screens and identity checks.

Please use a map application that features the latest location data for mainland China. Depending on your mobile device, language preferences, and current city, apps such as Amap, Apple Maps, or Baidu Maps may offer specific advantages. We recommend saving the Chinese names of your hotel, transport hubs, and key attractions. Many large venues have multiple entrances, terminals, or visitor access points; consequently, precise Chinese place names are often more practical than the English map pins.

You can switch the settings for Baidu and high-speed rail to English.

Please take a screenshot of your itinerary for the first day. Offline maps should be treated only as a backup, as their accuracy cannot be fully guaranteed due to potential changes in map data, public transit directions, and location details. Additionally, please consult our map and navigation guide for tips on locating entrances and understanding local taxi-hailing practices.

For trains, use China Railway 12306 or a reputable booking service that accepts the passport you will travel with. Trip.com can be easier for visitors because it presents an English interface and combines different transport products, but check the final passenger name and passport number carefully.

Of course, you can also select the English interface in the settings of the China Railway 12306 app.

Attraction tickets may be sold through an official site, an official mini-program or a booking platform. Do not assume that one app sells every ticket or that a screenshot is enough to enter. Save the confirmation number, passport used for the booking and any entry instructions.

Download an offline Chinese language pack in the translation app you prefer. Save a short note with your hotel address, dietary restrictions, emergency contact and the name of the next station. Translation works best when you show a short concrete sentence rather than a long paragraph.

Didi can be useful for airport transfers and short city journeys, but pickup points are often assigned to a particular bay or floor. Check the vehicle plate and driver name before entering. Your ride-hailing app, map and payment wallet all depend on connectivity. Read our internet and eSIM guide and arrive with a connection that has been tested.

The goal is not to collect apps. It is to remove the three predictable moments of stress: the first payment, the first station and the first address. Set those up at home, then keep paper and offline fallbacks for the moments when a screen does not cooperate.

In addition to Didi Chuxing, you can also book rides using the high-speed rail map and Baidu Maps mentioned in the article above.