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Essential Apps for Travelling to China | Must‑Have Apps for Foreign Visitors

When you travel in China, your phone becomes your wallet, map, translator and food-ordering tool all in one. Cash is rarely used, and many small shops only accept QR-code payments. The smartest move is to install, register and link an international card to the four essential apps below before you fly — you will thank yourself the moment you land.

1. Alipay

The one app you cannot skip. Scan a QR code to pay in shops, ride the bus or metro, and book tickets and hotels — it lets you leave cash behind entirely. It also includes a built-in translator and a mini-program platform that unlocks countless everyday services without downloading extra apps. Best of all for visitors, it accepts international credit cards.

2. DiDi

The mainstream way to get a cab in China. Simply set your pickup point and destination, and a car usually arrives within minutes. The app offers an English interface and accepts international cards, removing the two biggest headaches for first-time users: language and payment. Options range from economy cars to taxis across most Chinese cities.

3. Meituan

Best known for food delivery — an enormous range of restaurant meals brought to your door — but it goes far beyond that. Use it to book cinema tickets, reserve a table, order flowers and discover highly rated local businesses. Whenever you wonder where the locals actually eat, Meituan has the answer.

4. Wentrip

Designed specifically for independent travellers in China, Wentrip works like a smart itinerary planner. It helps you map out detailed routes while offering scan-and-translate tools and practical travel tips aimed squarely at the problems visitors run into. For travellers exploring China on their own, it is a thoughtful and reliable companion.

Tips before you go

● Install everything, complete verification and link an international card in advance — this step needs a stable connection and usually takes a few minutes.

● Search the English names — Alipay, DiDi, Meituan, Wentrip — in your app store.

● Most of the apps offer an English interface; switch it on in Settings the first time you open them.

● Free Wi-Fi at airports, shopping centres, metro stations and hotels is a useful fallback.

● Carry a little cash and a physical bank card in case your phone dies or a payment fails.

In short: Alipay handles “how do I pay”, DiDi handles “how do I get there”, Meituan handles “what shall I eat”, and Wentrip handles “what should I do today”.