An independent guide for foreign visitors to China

Plan your China trip with facts you can check.

What to book, by when, and how, as a foreign visitor. Every answer shows its source, the date we looked, and the evidence supporting each check.

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Five evidence questions, with sources for each

A red seal means evidence supports that item. It is not a claim that we personally completed a trip. How evidence checks work

  1. Official rules
  2. Procedure and interface
  3. Foreign-passport requirements
  4. Payment route
  5. Entry or use requirements

Guides you can rely on today

Book Forbidden City tickets with a foreign passport Reserve online in advance and enter your passport details. The Palace Museum’s English visit page says it does not sell same-day tickets. 4 of 5 applicable checks supportedEvidence reviewed 11 Nov 2026 · not a China Checked field test Read the guide
Book the Summer Palace without a Chinese phone number A June 2025 reply from the Beijing government hotline said online booking needed a mainland number. Tickets are also sold in person. 5 of 5 applicable checks supportedEvidence reviewed 11 Nov 2026 · not a China Checked field test Read the guide
Visa-free entry: who qualifies, and until when Eligible ordinary passports allow stays of up to 30 days. Entry deadlines vary by nationality: check the official country list and your embassy’s current notice. 4 of 4 applicable checks supportedEvidence reviewed 12 Nov 2026 · not a China Checked field test Read the guide
Pay in China with a foreign card Link a supported foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay. Government guidance describes no standard platform fee up to CNY 200 and 3% above it; promotions and issuer charges can differ. 5 of 5 applicable checks supportedEvidence reviewed 11 Nov 2026 · not a China Checked field test Read the guide
Buy train tickets on 12306 with a passport Register on the official 12306 English site or app with your passport, pass identity verification, then buy. Do the verification days ahead. 5 of 5 applicable checks supportedEvidence reviewed 11 Nov 2026 · not a China Checked field test Read the guide

Four cities, under a minute each

Short films on what not to miss. Original music, no narration, and every number on screen is sourced on the city page.

Start from a city

Beijing 2 checked, 3 being checked Open Beijing
Shanghai 5 guides being checked Open Shanghai
Xi’an 6 guides being checked Open Xi’an
Chengdu 5 guides being checked Open Chengdu

Being checked next

We publish a guide only once we have read the operator’s own rules. These 20 are in progress. The trip planner already schedules them, clearly marked as unchecked.

Beijing3 in progress
  • Tiananmen Square reservation, and how it relates to your Forbidden City ticket
  • Get from the airport into Beijing
  • Use the Beijing subway as a visitor
Shanghai5 in progress
  • Shanghai Museum reservation
  • Shanghai Disneyland: tickets and what to prepare
  • Hotel check-in as a foreign guest
  • Get from Pudong Airport into the city
  • Choose between metro, taxi and ride-hailing
Xi’an6 in progress
  • Terracotta Army tickets with a foreign passport
  • Shaanxi History Museum reservation
  • City Wall: tickets, gates and bike hire
  • Get from Xi’an Xianyang Airport into the city
  • Reach the Terracotta Army from the city centre
  • Arrive by high-speed train at Xi’an North
Chengdu5 in progress
  • Chengdu Panda Base tickets with a foreign passport
  • Leshan Giant Buddha: tickets and getting there
  • Dujiangyan and Mount Qingcheng as a day trip
  • Get from Tianfu or Shuangliu airport into the city
  • Use the Chengdu metro as a visitor
Everywhere in China1 in progress
  • Phone service and verification texts

What changed

240-hour visa-free transit widened to 57 countries, adding Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam.

Visa-free entry for Russian passport holders extended to 31 December 2027.

UK and Canadian passport holders added to 30-day visa-free entry.

See every change and who it affects

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See the sources for every number