Your phone is your most important piece of travel gear in China. More important than a guidebook, more important than a phrasebook. Everything from paying for a bowl of noodles to booking a bullet train runs through an app. The catch: the apps you rely on at home stop working at the Chinese border.
These 12 apps replace your entire digital toolkit. Download and set all of them up before your flight.
Key Takeaways
- Install everything before you land — VPN apps and some others cannot be downloaded inside China.
- Non-negotiables: WeChat, Alipay, Amap, DiDi, VPN. Set them up, verify identity, test them.
- Google Maps is inaccurate in China by design — coordinates are offset up to 500 metres.
- Trip.com is the easiest English-language booking platform for trains, flights, and hotels.
- Baidu Translate camera mode solves Chinese-only menus and signs instantly.
- Dianping finds restaurants that actual locals eat at, not tourist traps.
Category 1: Payments (Non-Negotiable)
1. WeChat (微信)
WeChat is China’s super-app — messaging, social media, and payments in one. WeChat Pay is accepted at over 80 million merchants. For tourists, you link a foreign Visa or Mastercard directly — no Chinese bank account needed. Also how you will communicate with local guides, hotel staff, and Chinese contacts. Set it up: WeChat Pay for foreigners guide.
2. Alipay (支付宝)
Alipay works alongside WeChat Pay. Some vendors accept only one or the other, so have both. The Alipay Tour Pass lets you pre-load a RMB travel wallet using your foreign card — useful if your card fails direct verification. Alipay also runs the metro transit QR code in many cities. Link: Alipay for foreigners.
Category 2: Navigation
3. Amap / Gaode Maps (高德地图)
The best map app for China. Accurate Chinese coordinates, English-language mode, subway exit numbers, walking and transit directions. Switch to English in Settings before you leave home. Amap is owned by Alibaba and uses the same data that Apple Maps relies on in China. Get the how-to in our Baidu Maps vs Amap comparison.
4. Apple Maps
Apple Maps uses Gaode (Amap) data inside China, so it has accurate coordinates unlike Google Maps. If you are an iPhone user already comfortable with Apple Maps, it is a usable backup. The main weakness: less detail on smaller streets and rural areas versus Amap natively.
Category 3: Transport
5. DiDi (滴滴出行)
China’s dominant ride-hailing app. English interface available. You can type destinations in English. Payment via WeChat Pay or Alipay — no cash needed. Cheaper than hotel taxis in most cities. Works in tier 1 and most tier 2 cities. Download the international version from your home country’s app store.
6. Trip.com (携程 / Ctrip)
The only English-friendly platform to book Chinese high-speed train tickets, domestic flights, hotels, and attraction entry tickets in one place. Accepts foreign credit cards. Has English customer service. Essential for planning your route. Note: train tickets also available on the official 12306 app, but Trip.com is far easier for foreigners to navigate.
7. MetroMan or China Metro
Offline subway maps for Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and other major cities. Shows line transfers, estimated journey time, and fares. Works without internet. Useful when you are underground and have no signal. Optional if you rely on Amap for transit directions, but a reliable fallback.
Category 4: Translation
8. Baidu Translate (百度翻译)
Works without a VPN. Camera translation mode points your phone at a Chinese menu, sign, or label and translates it in real time. Voice translation for conversations. Chinese-English dictionary included. Download the offline language pack before your trip so it works when you have no data signal.
9. Pleco
The best Chinese-English dictionary app, widely used by serious China travelers and language learners. Offline dictionary with handwriting input — you can draw a character you have seen and it will identify it. Camera lookup mode for text. More comprehensive than Baidu Translate for looking up individual words and understanding context.
Category 5: Internet Access
10. Your VPN (Must install before landing)
Required to access Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, and most Western services. The most reliable options in China are ExpressVPN and NordVPN with obfuscated servers. Critical rule: install and test before you fly. VPN app stores and websites are blocked inside China. Full comparison: Internet Survival in China guide.
Category 6: Food and Local Discovery
11. Dianping (大众点评)
China’s equivalent of Yelp and TripAdvisor, used by locals to find restaurants, cafes, and activities. Mostly in Chinese, but photo reviews and star ratings are universally readable. Search by location and filter by price range. The restaurants with 4.5+ stars on Dianping are where actual locals eat — which is generally far better than anything near a major tourist site.
12. Xiaohongshu / Little Red Book (小红书)
China’s Instagram-Pinterest hybrid. Chinese travelers document their trips, food discoveries, and local tips in photo posts. Useful for finding current, real recommendations for restaurants and cafes in a specific neighborhood. The interface is mostly in Chinese but the visual format makes it navigable. Optional but useful for food-focused travelers.
| App | Category | Works Without VPN? | Setup Before Landing? |
| Messaging + Payments | Yes | Required | |
| Alipay | Payments + Transit | Yes | Required |
| Amap | Navigation | Yes | Required |
| DiDi | Ride-hailing | Yes | Required |
| Trip.com | Bookings | Yes | Strongly recommended |
| Baidu Translate | Translation | Yes | Required |
| Pleco | Dictionary | Yes — offline | Download offline pack |
| VPN (ExpressVPN/NordVPN) | Internet access | N/A | Required before landing |
| MetroMan | Subway maps | Yes — offline | Recommended |
| Dianping | Restaurant discovery | Yes | Optional |
| Xiaohongshu | Local discovery | Yes | Optional |
| 12306 | Train tickets (official) | Yes | Optional |
Frequently Asked Questions
Once your apps are set up, your next step is making sure you have internet connectivity from the moment you land. See our complete internet guide for VPN and eSIM options. For a deeper dive on navigation, see Baidu Maps vs Amap. For translation help, see the best translation apps for China.