Essential Apps You Need for Your Trip to China 📲
- Júlia Partal
- Mar 25
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 25
If you’re preparing for a trip to China, you probably already know that you’ll need a lot of space on your phone: in this country, practically everything happens through your device, and their app ecosystem is completely different from ours.
Want to pay, order a taxi, or take the subway? You’ll need AliPay. Want to know how to get from one place to another? Use AMap (Google Maps won’t help you at all). Want to find a good restaurant and get a discount? Check Dianping.
Figuring out how to connect to the internet without restrictions, knowing how to get around the country, make payments, or book activities is often what worries travelers the most before going to China. That’s why I created this guide, where I explain everything in detail.
1. Stay Connected in China
👉 Holafly eSIM
Includes unlimited internet and a built-in VPN (essential for accessing Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.).
You can share the connection with other devices, like your laptop.
It’s easy to set up before your trip.
💡 This is the most convenient and reliable option if you’re traveling to China, especially because of the VPN.
👉 SIM card
You can buy it directly at the airport
You'll need to install a VPN in your device to acces some apps
Will allow you to make and receive phonecalls and SMS, which can be useful in some ocasions.
👉 VPN
In China, there is what’s known as the “Great Firewall”, a system that prevents free access to the internet and blocks many websites and apps such as Facebook (Meta), Google, and all of its related services. A VPN is a tool that allows you to bypass this firewall and access the internet as if you were in another country.
Which websites or apps are blocked without a VPN? Most of the ones we use on a daily basis: WhatsApp, Instagram, Gmail, YouTube, Facebook, Google Maps, Spotify, and more.
My recommended VPN is an app called VPNify, which you should install on both your phone and your computer. It’s free in exchange for watching a few ads every 24 hours (last tested in May 2025).
Other popular options include ExpressVPN, LetsVPN, and Astrill. However, VPNify has always worked best for me and, unlike the others, it’s free.
What I personally do for peace of mind is always have a one-day Holafly eSIM ready. That way, if I run into any issues with my VPN, I can switch to the eSIM and have 24 hours to sort everything out.
⚠️ No VPN is 100% stable, as the Chinese government actively tries to block many of them. An eSIM with a built-in VPN is the best option if you want to ensure a more reliable connection.
2. Navigation & Maps Apps
Even with a VPN, Google Maps doesn’t work properly in China, as it lacks public transit information and real-time road updates. While some Western alternatives (like the iPhone Maps app or the offline navigation app Maps.me) do work, the best option is to download this Chinese app:
👉 AMap (高德地图 / Gaode Ditu)
Available in English
Works without a VPN
Provides detailed directions for cars, metro, buses, bikes, and walking
Includes real-time information
Lets you book a Didi (China’s Uber) directly from the app
The App Store title may look intimidating, but don’t worry! It’s fully available in English.
3. Travel Bookings (Trains, Flights & Hotels)
Planning your transportation and visits in advance is key in China. It’s a country with a LOT of people, and train tickets and entrance passes to major attractions often sell out quickly. With these apps, you’ll be able to book everything you need:
👉 Trip.com
Easy and intuitive app, similar to Booking
Lets you book high-speed trains, domestic flights, hotels, and attraction tickets
Accepts international credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.
You can select seats and check schedules
⚠️ Even if English isn’t your main language, I recommend setting the app to English. It may sound odd, but I’ve noticed it shows more options (and sometimes much cheaper ones) than the Spanish version.
It’s much more than a messaging app: it’s also essential for booking tickets to many public attractions.
Some places only allow official ticket reservations through mini-apps within WeChat. You can usually buy through an agency like Trip.com, but tickets may be slightly more expensive that way.
💡 If you have the time and patience, having WeChat and learning to use it can open many doors. Here are some official mini-apps that can be particularly useful (just copy and paste the Chinese name into the app’s search bar):
Forbidden City: 故宫博物院
Tiananmen Square (free reservation if you only want to visit the square, without entering the Forbidden City): 天安门广场预约参观
Terracotta Warriors: 秦始皇帝陵博物院
Chengdu Panda Base: 成都大熊猫繁育研究基地
The app also has a built-in translation tool, which makes navigating these mini-apps much easier for non-Chinese speakers.
4. Mobile Payments in China
In China, your phone is basically your wallet. While things are slowly changing to accommodate foreign tourists, forget about traditional credit cards outside international hotels and a few major chains. There’s no other option, you’ll need to be ready with China’s super-app: Alipay.
👉 Alipay
Can be used almost everywhere: restaurants, shops, markets, attractions…
You can register with your passport and link a Visa or Mastercard
Also handy for:
Paying for metro, buses, and shared bikes
Ordering taxis through Didi
Payments are also possible via WeChat once your account is activated and linked to a credit card. It can serve as an alternative to Alipay and is mostly used for transferring money between people.
Accepts international Visa and Mastercard
If you use WeChat for booking through its mini-apps (highly recommended but tricky if you are not familiary with it's use and don’t speak Chinese), activating payments will make the process much easier.
Mainly useful for:
Booking tickets for various attractions
Ordering taxis with Didi (through a mini-app)
Exchanging money or spliting bills with friends
💸 Even though you’ll probably rely mostly on mobile payments, it’s always wise to carry a little cash for emergencies (even if, to be honest, I never needed it).
5. Reviews & Deals for Food & Services
Dianping (大众点评 in Chinese) is an app that combines restaurant recommendations, reviews, reservations, and much more. You could describe it as a mix of TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Google Maps, all integrated into a single platform.
Although it’s not essential and is only available in Chinese, it can be very useful once you get the hang of it. With a bit of patience and the help of Google Translate, you can take advantage of features like reserving a table at especially busy restaurants. That said, in China, it’s generally not difficult to find a place to eat without a reservation.
Wrap up Table
NEED | RECOMMENDED APP |
5G and VPN | Holafly (eSIM), VPNify |
Free VPN | VPNify |
Maps and navigation | AMap (Gaode Ditu) |
Transport, hotels | |
Attractions Tickets & Reservations | Trip,com, WeChat |
Digital Payments | Alipay, WeChat |
Taxis (carpooling) | Didi (integrated with Alipay, Wechat and AMap) |
Restaurant Reviews, Reservations and Discounts | Dianping |
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