I recently returned from an extremely enjoyable 3-week trip around China, and I wanted to share my full experience because I know many people preparing for a trip to China have similar questions and concerns. My route was: Beijing → Shijiazhuang (for a friend’s wedding) → Xi’an → Chengdu → Kunming → Xiamen → Shanghai → back to Beijing. I had read a lot of posts before leaving, and many were very helpful, so I hope my experience can help others planning a trip to China, travel to China, or join China tours in the future.

Before leaving, I set up both WeChat Pay and Alipay. I’m glad I did, because within 48 hours my WeChat account was blocked. This apparently happens quite often to travelers. The notification said I was blocked for “sending repeated greetings,” which made no sense, and although there is an option to unblock, two of my Chinese friends tried to verify me and still couldn’t unblock the account. Fortunately, Alipay worked flawlessly throughout my entire trip. I linked it to my Wise Visa card and had no problems scanning or being scanned. I also linked other cards, but since Wise worked consistently and felt safer as a prepaid top-up card, I used it for everything.

At hotels, my Wise Visa was accepted without any issue. Some places took deposit holds, but those were straightforward. As for cash, I know many people claim cash is dead in China, but that wasn’t my experience at all. I used cash at small shops, restaurants, tourist attractions, and taxis. Sometimes staff were surprised because it’s rare these days, but nobody refused it, and I always received change without difficulty. To be fair, I stayed mostly on the main tourist trail, which probably helped.

For transportation, I used trip.com for all my train bookings, and it was excellent. The app stores your passport details, and once your passport number is registered for one booking, it links automatically for all future bookings. At stations, just go to the manned desk, let them scan your passport, and you’re through. Chinese high-speed trains are fast, reliable, comfortable, and efficient. The atmosphere can be lively, but overall, the experience was great.

Metro systems in every city were easy to navigate. Everything is clearly labeled in both English and Chinese, and ticket machines accept both cash and QR payments. Interchanges are well marked, and the whole system is impressively intuitive. For buses, I only took a couple in Xiamen and paid by putting a one-yuan coin into the slot—simple and straightforward.

Taxis were easy to find and reliable, but I recommend using designated taxi stands, especially at stations, because I did see a few suspicious-looking touts. I always screenshot the hotel name and address in Chinese, which made communication simple. I paid in cash most of the time, and drivers always gave change. Many taxis accept QR payments, though more often WeChat Pay than Alipay. Since my WeChat was blocked, I avoided that option. As for Didi, which is China’s equivalent of Uber, my friend booked rides for me because my WeChat wasn’t working, but the service itself was cheap and dependable.

For mobile data, my friend lent me a Chinese SIM card, but I actually ended up using my AirAlo eSIM most of the time because it seemed to have an automatic VPN built in. It occasionally dropped for a few minutes, so I kept the Chinese SIM active as backup when making Alipay payments. Still, overall the eSIM was convenient for accessing Google services, Facebook, and other blocked apps. I tried using my actual VPN (Surfshark) once with hotel Wi-Fi, but it didn’t connect well, so I relied mostly on the eSIM.

For navigation, I used Apple Maps on my iPhone and found it surprisingly accurate, including public transport directions. For offline backup, I downloaded maps.me, which works once you manually download each city map—slightly inconvenient, but it does the job.

I booked only one official tour, a Great Wall trip through Klook, and it was extremely well run. However, booking attractions independently can be tricky. Many places require reservations in advance, often through WeChat mini-programs or QR code registration pages. My Chinese friend helped with this by submitting my name and passport number. Everything in China is linked to your passport, so keep it accessible and safe—it is your lifeline.

Public toilets in China are everywhere and free, which is a blessing, but many are squat toilets and don’t provide toilet paper. Always bring tissues or wet wipes. After a few days of spicy food in Chengdu, you’ll be glad you did. Crowds are constant—if you dislike large crowds or chaotic queuing, prepare yourself. The best strategy is to visit major attractions right when they open. I reached Mutianyu Great Wall at opening time and enjoyed the first 20 minutes nearly alone, which was an unforgettable experience.

As for how people treated me, aside from one bored policeman in Beijing asking to examine every stamp in my passport, I encountered nothing negative. Quite the opposite—many families smiled, took interest in me, asked for photos, or practiced a bit of English. Customer service staff were patient and helpful despite the language gap. I felt far more welcomed than in some European countries. Even the immigration officer in Beijing was friendlier than the one I met at JFK.

A memorable moment happened on my last day. I miscalculated how much cash I needed for the taxi to the airport. When I arrived, I was short about 50 RMB, and Alipay suddenly decided not to work. The police approached, and I feared it might become a serious problem, but instead, the officer took out his own WeChat Pay and covered the difference. I later withdrew cash, found him, repaid him, and he simply shook my hand and wished me a safe flight. It was an unexpectedly warm experience. For context, I am a 39-year-old white British man, so others may have different experiences, but mine was overwhelmingly positive.

Overall, the trip far exceeded my expectations. China was much easier to navigate than I anticipated, incredibly modern, full of kind people, and endlessly fascinating. My biggest advice: absolutely set up both WeChat Pay and Alipay, and make sure Alipay works with your foreign card before arriving. Beyond that, relax and enjoy—it’s absolutely worth it, and I’m already planning my next visit.