First 24 Hours In China: Your Step-by-Step Arrival Checklist for 2026
Before you even get off the plane
If you want the least friction, we recommend Airalo’s China eSIM —install before you fly, activate on arrival. Keep the QR code available offline so you can switch it on before leaving the airport. Or Holafly as alternative —install via app before landing, same easy setup.
The first time I landed at Shanghai Pudong, I made every mistake you can imagine. I wandered around the arrivals hall for 45 minutes trying to figure out how to get online. I overpaid for a taxi because I didn’t know about DiDi. I ended up eating at a Burger King because I couldn’t read any menu.
You don’t have to do that. Here is what actually matters in your first 24 hours in China.
The smartest thing you can do is prepare before you land. Download these apps while you still have wifi: Alipay (you will use this for absolutely everything), DiDi (ride-hailing), WeChat (messaging + payments), Google Translate or Apple Translate (download Chinese offline pack), and MetroMan or Apple Maps (for subway navigation; Google Maps is unreliable in China).
Set up Alipay before you fly if possible. Link a foreign Visa or Mastercard. It takes 10 minutes and will save you an hour of frustration at the airport.
Step 1: Get connected (minutes 0-15 after landing)
Your first priority after stepping off the plane is getting internet access. Without it, nothing else works —no Alipay, no DiDi, no maps, no WeChat.
The fastest option: buy a SIM card at the airport. Every international terminal in China has China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom counters in the arrivals hall. A tourist SIM with 10-15GB data for 7-15 days costs about 50-150 RMB ($7-20 USD). Bring your passport —they need it for registration. The process takes 5-10 minutes, though you might have to queue.
eSIM is even easier if your phone supports it and you set it up before flying. I use Airalo or Nomad. A 7-day 3GB plan runs about $5-10. You activate it when you land, and you are online within 30 seconds.
International roaming works but is the most expensive option. Check with your carrier. T-Mobile users get free 2G data (barely usable), while most others charge $10-20/day.
Once you have data, connect to the airport free WiFi (it usually requires SMS verification, which works once your Chinese SIM is active, or you can use the鑷姪鍙栧彿 machines near the information desks that print a WiFi login slip).
Step 2: Get some cash (minutes 15-25)
China runs on mobile payments. You will see QR code scanners everywhere —at the corner baozi stall, at the subway turnstile, at the night market. But having a small amount of cash as backup is smart.
Airport ATMs accept foreign cards at decent rates. Withdraw 200-500 RMB ($28-70 USD). Avoid the currency exchange counters unless you are exchanging cash —their rates are worse.
Keep the cash for: small street food stalls that might not have WeChat business accounts, taxi drivers who “can’t scan” (it happens), and as emergency backup if your phone dies.
Step 3: Get to your hotel (minutes 25-120)
You have three options, and the best one depends on your luggage situation and budget.
Metro/subway (5-30 RMB, $0.70-4 USD): Every major Chinese airport has a metro connection. The signs are in Chinese and English. Buy a single-ride ticket at the machine (it takes cash or Alipay) or use the Alipay transport QR code if you already set it up. Beijing Capital Airport to downtown: 30 minutes, 25 RMB. Shanghai Pudong to East Nanjing Road: 50 minutes, 7 RMB. Guangzhou Baiyun to Tianhe: 40 minutes, 8 RMB.
DiDi ride-hailing (100-200 RMB, $14-28 USD): This is what I use every time. Open DiDi, set pickup to “Departure/Arrival” (it auto-detects the nearest airport pickup point), and enter your hotel address. Pro tip: have your hotel address written in Chinese on your phone screen to show the driver. DiDi shows the price upfront —no negotiation, no overcharging. The driver will probably call you. If you don’t speak Chinese, use the in-app “Translate” button or just send a text through the app saying “I am at the pickup point, please wait.”
Taxi (150-300 RMB, $20-42 USD): Follow the signs to the official taxi rank. Ignore the touts who approach you inside the terminal. Official taxis use meters. Have your destination written in Chinese.
What I actually do: Metro if I have one small bag, DiDi if I have luggage. The extra 100 RMB for DiDi is worth it when you are jet-lagged and don’t want to navigate a subway transfer with a suitcase.
Step 4: Check in and get oriented (hours 2-4)
Once you drop your bags, take 30 minutes to settle in. Check that your Chinese SIM or eSIM is working. Test Alipay by buying a bottle of water at the hotel convenience store. Connect to the hotel WiFi (usually free, login via SMS or room number).
Download offline maps for your city in Apple Maps or use Amap (楂樺痉鍦板浘) —Apple Maps works decently in China with English place names. Google Maps is blocked and unreliable.
This is also a good time to set up WeChat if you haven’t. Add your hotel’s WeChat —many hotels use WeChat for concierge services.
Step 5: Eat your first real meal (hours 4-6)
By now you are probably hungry and possibly jet-lagged. Do not eat at the hotel restaurant unless you like paying triple for mediocre food.
Walk outside and find a noodle shop. How to spot a good one: it is busy at non-peak hours, has steam coming out of the kitchen, and the staff look too busy to care about you. Point at the menu (usually has pictures) or at what the person next to you is eating.
If you are nervous about street food hygiene, stick to cooked food that is served hot. Avoid raw salads and pre-cut fruit for the first day while your stomach adjusts.
Budget for food:
- Street noodles or jianbing (Chinese crepe): 10-20 RMB ($1.40-2.80)
- Casual restaurant meal with rice and 2 dishes: 40-80 RMB ($5.60-11)
- Mid-range restaurant: 100-200 RMB ($14-28)
- KFC/McDonald’s set meal: 35-50 RMB ($5-7)
Step 6: Evening exploration (hours 6-10)
Do not stay in your hotel room. Go for a walk. This is when China comes alive.
Find a night market or a pedestrian street. Try skewers (chuan’r, 串儿), watch people dance in the square (yes, this is a real thing), buy random snacks from street vendors. Nobody will bother you. Chinese people are curious about foreigners but generally keep to themselves.
Things that will feel strange but are normal: people staring at you (just smile), loud conversations in public (this is normal Chinese volume), and everything being incredibly cheap compared to back home.
Safety note: China is one of the safest countries I have traveled in. Violent crime against tourists is virtually non-existent. Petty theft exists in crowded tourist areas —keep your phone in your front pocket —but it is far less common than in European capitals.
What not to worry about
- Not speaking Chinese: You can survive. Translation apps work. Many people in service roles know basic English. Signs in airports and subways have English.
- Getting lost: Maps work (Apple Maps, Amap). Worst case, show your hotel address to a taxi driver.
- Food safety: Street food is generally fine. Your stomach might need a day to adjust, but food poisoning is less common than people think.
- Being scammed: Airport taxi touts exist but are easy to avoid —just walk to the official taxi rank. Do not buy tea or art from people who approach you on the street.
Your 24-hour checklist (print this or save it)
- Before landing: Install Alipay, DiDi, WeChat, translation app
- Minute 0-15: Get a SIM card or activate eSIM
- Minute 15-25: Withdraw 200-500 RMB from ATM
- Minute 25-120: Metro or DiDi to hotel
- Hour 2-4: Check in, test Alipay, download offline maps
- Hour 4-6: Find a busy noodle shop, eat your first meal
- Hour 6-10: Go for a walk, find a night market, explore
- Hour 10+: Sleep (you earned it, tomorrow is a full day)
I have been living in China for three years now. The first 24 hours are the hardest, not because China is difficult, but because everything is unfamiliar. Give yourself grace. You will figure it out. And by day two, you will wonder why you were ever nervous.
Planning your trip?
china survival kit —Full-screen translation cards and checklists for your trip.
best time to visit china —Check weather and crowds by city and month.
Planning your trip?
china survival kit —Full-screen translation cards and checklists for your trip.
best time to visit china —Check weather and crowds by city and month.
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