WeChat Download: (AppStore | Google Play)

Alipay Download: (AppStore | Google Play)

For any non-Chinese travellers, WeChat and Alipay are absolutely essential apps to download before going to China. These “Super Apps” form the backbone of daily life in China, making them also critical for seamless travel and interaction across the country.

WeChat is more prevalent in China, especially in rural places, but we recommend having both installed for maximum flexibility and convenience. Expect each app to take up around 1GB on your phone.

You will be using these Super Apps for 2 crucial functions – Cashless Payments and Mini-Programs.

Digital & Cashless Payment in China

While technically possible to use cash, everywhere in China overwhelmingly operates on cashless payments through WeChat Pay and Alipay.

It is critical that you download the apps, register your account, authenticate with your passport and link your international credit card (Visa, Mastercard, etc.).

Authentication on the app may take a couple of days, so do this a few days before your trip to China.

Payment Guide for WeChat

Payment Guide for Alipay

Mini Programs in WeChat and Alipay



“Mini Programs” are lightweight applications that run seamlessly within the WeChat or Alipay ecosystem. Think of them as apps-within-an-app, making them indispensable for essential apps to have when travelling to China, including payments for public transportation like metro/subway and buses.



With Mini Programs, you eliminate the need to install individual apps cluttering your phone and take up valuable storage space. All transactions within these Mini Programs automatically connect to your linked WeChat Pay or Alipay account, ensuring a hassle-free checkout. F&B places use Mini Programs for their menu, order and payments.



Simply search for (or scan the QR codes you find at the shop) and open the mini-program directly from within WeChat or Alipay, no separate downloads or logins. In WeChat, Mini Programs can be found in “Discover” and saved (3 dots at the top right).



In Alipay, make sure your location is set at the right city (top left-hand corner) before you search. You can also add the Mini Programs as favourites for quick access.

Once your payments are sorted, let’s get to know how to get around China efficiently. Forget relying on Google Maps, it simply does not work well in China. Some people even suggest Apple Maps, but we couldn’t use it reliably to find attractions, restaurants and directions. Instead, we use local apps that truly understand China’s streets.



The best replacement for Google Maps is Amap (Gaode). Their recent update includes English support. While you can search in Amap using English, we find it best to copy and paste the Chinese names of places than using English names. Taking note of local addresses in Chinese helps make sure we select the correct place for pick-up and drop-off when using Didi.



While Amap has public transport options and navigation options, sometimes it is easier to navigate the subway with a subway map. Every city subway has a mini-program for payment and may include their subway maps 地铁路线图 in English. It is notoriously hard to access Official sources when not in China. We compiled a list of major Chinese city metro maps in English from official sources you can download.

Didi Chuxing

12306 App

The 12306 app is the official platform for booking China’s high-speed train tickets, offering ticket purchases up to 15 days in advance. Once you have registered and used it once it is so easy to input your details after this. Your Chinese train tickets will appear on the app so you don’t need a physical ticket as everything is linked to your passport.

You may also use the 12306 official website to check the timetable & book your tickets: https://www.12306.cn/en/index.html

Trip.com

You can book any transportation & accommodation you need via the Trip.com app and it keeps it all in one place. It is super convenient as it keeps track of your itinerary and you earn Trip coins whenever you book which saves you money on future purchases. Whether it’s flights, trains, hotels, or even tours, this app has you covered. This app is also available to use & download in other areas around the world, so you can book your trips in advanced before you travel to China.

You may also visit Trip.com for their services.

Alipay for Public Transport

You can also use Alipay for public transport like the subway or buses.

• Open Alipay and tap the Transport option on the home page
• Select your city (for example, Shanghai)
• Activate the transport card and link your credit or debit card
• Use the QR code at subway gates or bus scanners when entering and exiting.

If you’re serious about eating like a local, Da Zhong Dian Ping is hands down the best app to have on your phone. Think of it as China’s version of Yelp, but way more detailed — with tons of reviews, real customer photos, and rankings for everything from restaurants and cafes to bubble tea and street snacks.

Although the app is mostly in Chinese, it’s pretty easy to navigate with some basic translation tools or built-in auto-translate functions. And trust me, the effort is worth it — thanks to Dianping, I found some incredible local spots in Shanghai and Beijing that I would’ve totally missed otherwise. Locals leave reviews on Dianping, while tourists leave reviews on Google!

Another great feature is that you can also make reservations directly through the app, which is perfect for popular restaurants that tend to get crowded. Note that some restaurants require a local number for reservations.