The Free China Starter Kit
Planning prompts for before you land — plus a sample 3-day Beijing route. Current access, account and travel requirements vary by service and itinerary.
1. Pre-flight setup checklist
- Review payment options. Check the current payment-app, issuer and merchant requirements before attempting to add a foreign card.
- Plan connectivity. If you plan to use a VPN or travel eSIM, verify current rules, provider terms and device support, then test before departure.
- Check entry requirements. Confirm any visa-free or transit eligibility, route, documents and carrier requirements with current official sources.
- Prepare maps and translation backups. Save materials in a format you can test on your own device.
- Check local transport options. Verify current operator, app, payment and QR-code requirements for your cities.
2. First 24 hours in China
Use the connectivity and payment options you have already verified, keep your hotel address available, and check current official or provider guidance for local transport.
Keep your original passport ready. Ask the accommodation provider directly about current guest-registration and document requirements before booking or arrival.
Confirm timed-entry tickets, passport requirements, station exits, weather and your first route.
3. Show-this Chinese cards
Emergency: 请帮我打电话。警察 110，救护车 120，火警 119。
Hospital: 我需要去医院。我有旅行保险。请帮我联系酒店。
4. Your free 3-day Beijing route
Day 1 — Imperial core
- Tiananmen then the Forbidden City (check current official entry, booking and document rules)
- Jingshan Park hilltop view
- Nanluoguxiang hutong dinner
Day 2 — Great Wall
- Mutianyu Great Wall (check current opening, transport and entry information)
- Cable car up, toboggan down
- Peking duck on Ghost Street
Day 3 — Temples & modern Beijing
- Temple of Heaven (check current opening and entry information)
- Summer Palace lakeside
- 798 Art District, then the CBD skyline
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Ready for the whole trip?
This free kit handles the basics. The complete guides add the city-by-city decisions: exact arrival playbooks, where to stay, booking windows, route timing, food, scams, offline packs and safety backups.
Airport / rail to hotel, first-day pacing and Chinese address cards.
Optimised order, timings, tickets and transfers.
Scams, emergency contacts, hospitals, passport and permit cautions.