Plan your China trip · 24 September 2026
Visiting China: A First-Time Pre-Trip Checklist
Plan a first trip to China in this order: confirm entry rules for your passport, choose a route, verify transport and attraction bookings, set up at least two payment options, prepare connectivity and translation, and keep offline backups. Download the printable checklist and close each row only when it has evidence or a successful test.
Download the printable planning table
HTML worksheet · save and open offline · print to fill in
Confirm entry rules before anything else
China Discovery's footer states a 30-day visa-free policy now applies to passports such as the UK and Canada, with 10-day transit for 50-plus countries.
Explore Worldwide notes Australia, Ireland and Italy can enjoy visa-free entry for up to 30 days, and covers first-timer questions.
Record the passport used, the official authority checked and the exact check date before you book anything.
Treat any dated visa description as a reason to verify current official rules, not as permission to travel.
Keep entry eligibility above non-refundable transport because one wrong assumption can void later bookings.
Build the route after entry is clear
Rough Guides places China's longest river, the Yangzi, at 6,275 km and Everest at 8,850 m, useful for judging travel scale.
Explore Worldwide warns winters in the north can drop to -12°C or lower while the south stays milder but humid.
Build the route only after the entry and transit assumptions are clear.
For every intercity move, record the departure point, arrival point and the time needed on both sides.
A route is ready only when every transfer has a verified option and a fallback.
Set up payments and connectivity
Travel Canada warns some areas sit above 3,000 metres where altitude illness can be fatal, so plan acclimatisation for high routes.
Conde Nast Traveler's unwritten rules are steps about behaviour, payments and daily life rather than bookable items.
Set up a primary payment method and a genuinely independent backup before the day you need them.
Test each method with the exact name and passport details you will use while travelling.
Prepare a translation method and a connectivity option that still work when mobile data is unavailable.
Bookings and final checks
Tripadvisor notes some attractions charge extra while seniors over 60 get in free, so verify age-based rules per site.
Intrepid's FAQ covers visas, insurance, tipping and packing for a China trip from the US.
Use the checklist to audit every booking for identity consistency and realistic transfer time.
Store a backup plan for a missed train, failed payment, lost connection and closed attraction.
On the last review, close only rows supported by a booking, an official source or a completed test.
Use the printable master checklist
Download the worksheet and create one row per task with an owner and a deadline.
Give each row a verification source and an offline backup location.
Use a waiting status when a task depends on an unanswered question, and never mark it complete merely because you started it.
Keep volatile rules separate from stable preferences so you know which rows need a fresh check.
Sources checked on 24 September 2026
- Travel Canada: China destination
- Explore Worldwide: First-timer guide to China
- China Discovery: China tourist attractions
- Conde Nast Traveler: 23 unwritten rules
- Rough Guides: China
- Intrepid Travel: China
The worksheet and decision rules are our editorial planning tools.