China

1. Jan Fine, with caveats: cold, crowds and high prices
2. Feb Fine, with caveats: cold
3. Mar · Fine, with caveats
4. Apr · Good
5. May · Good
6. Jun Fine, with caveats: rain
7. Jul Fine, with caveats: heat, rain
8. Aug Fine, with caveats: heat, rain
9. Sep · Good
10. Oct · Good
11. Nov · Fine, with caveats
12. Dec Fine, with caveats: cold

Good Fine, with caveats Hard cold crowds and high prices rain heat

Cheaper and fewer tourists: Feb–Mar, Jun–Aug, Nov–Dec - the trade-off: cold, rain, heat

Peak season: Jan - prices are higher, book early

Country-wide average; mountains, coasts and the far north or south can differ.

• Chinese New Year - February 6 - 12, 2027
  The biggest holiday of the year: about a week off, many shops and offices closed, trains and flights sold out - book early.
• Labour Day holidays - May 1 - 5, 2027
  National holiday: sights, trains and hotels are very crowded and expensive.
• National Day Golden Week - October 1 - 7, 2027
  National holiday: sights, trains and hotels are very crowded and expensive.

• Sockets: type A, C, I · 220 V, 50 Hz
  Phone and laptop chargers usually work (100–240 V); you may need a plug adapter.
• Traffic drives on the right
• Drink bottled or boiled water, not from the tap
• At temples, mosques and churches cover shoulders and knees and take off shoes where asked
• Jul–Aug: sunscreen, a hat, light clothes, a water bottle
• Jun–Aug: a light raincoat or umbrella, a waterproof phone pouch
• Dec–Feb: a warm jacket, hat and gloves

• Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty. Even small amounts of drugs bring long prison terms. source
• Carry prescription medicines in their original packaging with a copy of the prescription.

• Taxi & Cars: DiDi, Hello (formerly Hellobike), eHi Car Services
• Public Transport & Maps: Rome2Rio, Moovit
• Food & Groceries: Meituan
• Telecom, Internet & Apps: WeChat, Saily, Nomad
• Shopping, Classifieds & Parcels: Tmall, Taobao, DHL Express
• Travel: Tickets & Hotels: Trip.com, Air China, 12306

Based on our checks of each service. Banks may add a fee for payments abroad.

• Hello (formerly Hellobike) - About ¥1.5 for the first 15 minutes on a standard bike; e-bikes cost more (2026)
• eHi Car Services - Daily rental price by car class; deposit pre-authorised on a credit card; ¥75 service fee if returned with less fuel
• Trip.com - China train tickets: official fare plus ¥15–30 service fee per ticket; flights and hotels at listed price
• Alipay - No fee up to ¥200 per payment; 3% on foreign-card payments above ¥200 (2026)

Prices as each service lists them, from our latest check (the date is in the line). Tap a service for details.

• Google (Gmail, Maps), WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X are blocked. A foreign SIM or eSIM with roaming data usually still reaches them; download maps (Amap, Baidu) and set up WeChat/Alipay before the trip.
• eSIM, set up before the flight: Saily - China plans from about $4.49 for 1 GB / 7 days; unlimited 30 days about $72.99 (2026); Nomad - China plans from about $4 for 1 GB / 7 days; 20 GB / 30 days about $25 (2026); Airalo - China plans from about $4 for 1 GB / 3 days; unlimited 30 days about $69 (2026); Ubigi - China plans from about $4 for 1 GB / 7 days; 20 GB / 30 days about $19 (2026)
• 3 of 67 services here need a local phone number for the SMS code, for example eHi Car Services, Bank of China, Individual Income Tax app.
• Mobile operators and eSIM →