China On Your OwnStart the China checklist
Entry and preparation

What to prepare before your first trip to China

Start with the entry route for your passport and itinerary. Then set up two ways to pay, choose phone data, and book only the trains and major sights that set your dates.

Your preparation runway

Do the hard-to-recover work before the fixed bookings

The order matters more than completing every possible app or attraction.

  1. 1
    ConfirmEntry route and official source
  2. 2
    Set upPayment, phone, and identity accounts
  3. 3
    FixTrains and reservation-only sights
  4. 4
    SaveAddresses, records, and backups
What you are seeingA four-phase route from eligibility checks to an offline arrival pack.
What to doComplete the phases from left to right, opening the linked guide whenever a condition is unclear.
Check before travelThis sequence organizes work; it does not decide entry eligibility or guarantee a booking.
Reviewed 2 Aug 2026First-trip preparation guide
1

Enter

Passport and entry route

2

Pay

Mobile payments and cash

3

Connect

Data, phone, and apps

4

Move

Trains and local transport

5

Explore

Tickets and workable routes

Your six setup tasks

Check your entry routePassport, purpose, route, and official checkPrepare mobile paymentsAlipay, card issuer, and cash backupChoose your phone setupDevice, data, and mainland number needsPrepare for China trains12306, passport details, and stationsCheck major sight reservationsOfficial channels, passports, and time slotsSave an offline backup packAddresses, bookings, cash, and contacts