Quick answer: Start 4+ weeks out. Lock your passport/visa and VPN first — they need the most lead time. Then apps and payments 3 weeks out, trains and tickets 2 weeks out, packing and final checks in the last week. Print this list and tick as you go.

The 30-second version

If you do nothing else: (1) confirm your visa or 240-hour transit eligibility, (2) install and test a VPN at home, (3) set up Alipay + WeChat Pay with a foreign card, (4) get an eSIM so data works on landing, (5) book hotels and trains. Everything else is detail. Our app checklist and visa guide cover the two biggest stressors.

4+ weeks before you fly

  • Passport check — valid 6+ months, 2+ blank pages.
  • Visa or transit eligibility — confirm whether you need a visa or qualify for 240-hour visa-free transit (55 countries). If transiting, your ticket must go to a third country/region, not back home.
  • Book flights — keep the onward/third-country leg confirmed; airlines are strict at check-in.
  • Rough itinerary — pick 3–5 cities max. Use our first-timer itinerary planner.
  • Travel insurance — cover medical + trip disruption (SafetyWing or similar).
  • Notify your bank of travel dates so cards aren't frozen.

3 weeks before

  • Install the essential apps — see the apps checklist. Priority: Alipay, WeChat, DiDi, Trip.com, a VPN, a translator, Maps.me.
  • Set up Alipay with a foreign card — bind Visa/Mastercard/AmEx; step-by-step here. Do a $1 test payment.
  • Buy and TEST your VPN before you leave — it won't install easily once you're in China. (VPN guide)
  • Get connectivity — order an eSIM (Airalo) or confirm roaming; or plan a SIM at the airport.
  • Book hotels — note China's 24-hour police registration rule: most hotels handle it, but confirm.
  • Download the offline guide PDF so you're not relying on wifi on day one.
The VPN is the one thing you cannot fix from China. Most VPN sites and app stores are blocked inside the country. Install and test it at home, on both phone and laptop, before you fly.

2 weeks before

  • Train tickets for intercity hops — book on 12306 vs Trip.com (popular routes sell out).
  • Attraction tickets — Forbidden City, Zhangjiajie, pandas, etc. book ahead; many are timed-entry.
  • Learn 10 key phrases — "hello", "thank you", "how much", "the bill", "help".
  • Save emergency contacts — your embassy, hotel addresses, and a shared itinerary with someone back home.
  • Cash plan — carry some USD to exchange, or know your ATM withdrawal fee.

1 week before

  • Pack the essentials — power bank, Type A/I plug adapter, prescription meds (with copies), VPN already on the phone.
  • Reconfirm flights + first-night hotel.
  • Set up Alipay transport mini-programs (metro/bus) so you're not fumbling at the turnstile.
  • Screenshot/print key docs — visa or transit confirmation, insurance, hotel addresses (Chinese + English).
  • Check weather per city — China spans climates; pack layers.

2–3 days before

  • Final bag check against this list.
  • Mobile-data dry run — make sure eSIM/VPN/roaming actually connects.
  • Wallet ready — Alipay/WeChat topped up, some cash on hand.
  • Airport transfer plan — metro, DiDi, or hotel pickup from your arrival port.

On arrival

  • At immigration — passport + confirmed onward ticket + itinerary. Arrive early; check-in agents are strict.
  • Connect — airport wifi or eSIM, then switch on your VPN.
  • First local move — set up the metro via Alipay, message your hotel on WeChat.
  • Breathe. You're in China. It works.

Want this as a printable PDF?

The Complete Guide bundles this checklist, 20 city routes, payment setup, VPN steps, and 86 essential Chinese phrases — in one offline PDF you can follow on the plane.

Get the Complete Guide — $19.99