What to Pack for China Trip: The Complete 2026 Guide

I remember standing in the Beijing airport baggage claim at 2 AM, jet-lagged and sweating through my jeans, watching a Chinese family unbox a brand-new rice cooker from their suitcase. The woman next to me at the carousel had three suitcases wrapped in neon plastic. The man to my left was pulling a duffel bag with a live chicken painted on the side. I had one backpack and a rolling carry-on, and I was already regretting half of what was inside it.

That was seven years ago. I’ve since flown into China forty-something times, taken trains through twenty provinces, and learned the hard way what you actually need versus what the internet tells you to bring. This isn’t a list from someone who spent a weekend in Shanghai and wrote a blog post. This is the stuff I’ve learned watching my own packing mistakes pile up like dumpling wrappers.

Here’s what you actually need for a trip to China in 2026, and what you can leave at home.

The Short Version

Bring a VPN that works. Bring a power bank. Bring toilet paper and hand sanitizer because public bathrooms are a gamble. Bring a mask for pollution days and crowded subways. Don’t bring cash—you’ll use WeChat Pay or Alipay for everything. Don’t bring more than one pair of walking shoes because you’ll buy better ones here. And for the love of all that is holy, bring a jacket with zippable pockets for your phone. Pickpockets are real in tourist spots, and your phone is your lifeline.

How I Picked These

I started keeping a packing journal three years ago—just notes in my phone after each trip about what I used, what I wished I’d brought, and what sat untouched. I also asked about forty Chinese friends and fellow expats what they always pack when traveling domestically. Then I tested everything on a three-week trip through Yunnan, Sichuan, and Beijing last fall. Some things on this list surprised me. Some things I’d been packing for years turned out to be useless. This is the edited version—the stuff that survived real travel, not just a hotel room.

Comparison Table

Category	Item	Best For	Approx Cost (USD)	Why It Matters	Where to Get It
Tech	VPN Subscription	Accessing Google, WhatsApp, Instagram	$30-60/year	Without it, your phone is a brick for Western services	Buy before you leave
Tech	Power Bank (20,000mAh+)	Long train rides, all-day sightseeing	$20-40	Outlets on trains are unreliable	Amazon or local electronics store
Documents	Passport + Visa Copies	Police registration, hotel check-in, emergencies	Free	You’ll need to show ID constantly	Print 3-4 copies before leaving
Health	N95/KN95 Masks	Pollution days, crowded subways, hospitals	$10-20 for 20	Smog is real in winter; also good for dust	Pack from home (better quality)
Toiletries	Toilet Paper + Wet Wipes	Public bathrooms (many don’t have TP)	$5	This is non-negotiable. Just bring it.	Pack a roll in your day bag
Clothing	Walking Shoes (broken in)	All sightseeing	$80-150	You’ll walk 15,000+ steps daily	Wear on the plane
Tech	WeChat/Alipay Setup	Paying for everything	Free	Cash is dying. You need this.	Set up before you arrive
Health	Basic Medicine Kit	Stomach issues, colds, headaches	$15-25	China has pharmacies but finding English is hard	Pack Imodium, ibuprofen, cold meds
Accessories	Reusable Water Bottle	Staying hydrated (tap water not drinkable)	$10-20	Buy bottled water and refill	Any brand
Documents	Printed Hotel + Flight Confirmations	Visa application, hotel check-in, immigration	Free	Hotels need to register you with police	Print before leaving

Ten Things You Actually Need to Pack

1. VPN — The Thing You’ll Regret Not Having

I watched a German tourist cry in a Shanghai Starbucks because she couldn’t call her mom on WhatsApp. Her face was red, the barista was confused, and I was the one who had to explain that yes, China blocks Facebook, Instagram, Google, and WhatsApp, and no, there’s no way around it without a VPN.

You need a VPN. Not a nice-to-have. A need-to-have. Without it, your phone becomes a glorified camera. You won’t get Gmail. You won’t get Google Maps. You won’t get Instagram, WhatsApp, or Facebook. Chinese alternatives exist—WeChat for messaging, Baidu Maps for navigation—but if you’re not already using them, learning on the fly is a nightmare.

Set up your VPN before you leave. Test it at home. Write down the server addresses on paper because if something goes wrong, you’ll need them. I use Astrill and ExpressVPN, but check recent reviews because the Chinese government blocks VPNs regularly and the good ones update constantly. Budget $30-60 for a year subscription.

2. A Power Bank That Could Jump-Start a Car

The train from Chengdu to Xi’an is five hours. The high-speed rail has outlets, but they’re between the seats and your charging cable is never long enough. The bus from Lijiang to Shangri-La is six hours. The subway in Beijing will drain 20% of your battery just navigating the transfer stations.

I carry a 20,000mAh Anker power bank. It charges my phone four times. It’s the size of a thick paperback. I’ve lent it to strangers on trains, in hostels, and once to a woman whose phone died mid-WeChat Pay at a dumpling shop. She bought me lunch.

Don’t buy a power bank in China unless you’re desperate. The cheap ones on Taobao explode. The good ones cost the same as at home. Bring one you trust. And bring a short charging cable—long cables are annoying in crowded spaces.

3. Toilet Paper and Wet Wipes — Seriously, Just Do It

The first time I used a public bathroom in China, I reached for the toilet paper dispenser and found an empty plastic cylinder. The second time, there was no dispenser at all. The third time, there was a roll on the floor that had clearly been there for days.

Public bathrooms in China are not like public bathrooms in the West. Some are clean. Some are not. Many don’t have toilet paper. Some don’t have soap. Some don’t have doors. You learn to carry your own.

I pack a small roll of toilet paper and a pack of wet wipes in my day bag every single day. The wet wipes are for when the TP runs out, or when the squat toilet situation requires more than paper can handle. It sounds dramatic until you’re in a rest stop outside Guilin and the only option is a hole in the ground with no toilet paper and a line of people waiting behind you.

4. The Right Shoes — Not the Ones You Think

I wore leather boots to China once. Once. By day three, my feet were blistered, my socks were wet, and I was buying cheap sneakers from a market stall in Kunming that lasted exactly two weeks before the sole separated from the shoe.

You will walk more in China than you expect. Temples have stairs. The Great Wall has stairs. The Forbidden City is a mile of stone courtyards. Shanghai’s Bund is a mile of waterfront. Even the subway involves walking through long tunnels and up flights of stairs because escalators are often broken.

Bring walking shoes that are broken in. Not new. Broken in. I wear Hoka Cliftons now—ugly as sin, comfortable as clouds. If you’re coming in summer, bring breathable shoes. If winter, bring waterproof ones. And bring one pair of nicer shoes for dinners or clubs, but that’s optional. Your feet will thank you.

5. A Jacket With Zippable Pockets

I was in a Beijing subway car during rush hour, packed like sardines, when I felt a hand slide into my jacket pocket. I turned and a man was already moving away. My phone was still there because my pocket had a zipper. He moved on to the next tourist.

Pickpocketing is real in China, especially in tourist-heavy areas like Beijing’s Wangfujing, Shanghai’s Nanjing Road, and Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter. It’s not violent—just opportunistic. A zippable pocket is your first defense. A money belt under your clothes is your second. A bag worn across your body, not just on one shoulder, is your third.

I use a Uniqlo jacket with two zippable side pockets. My phone goes in one, my wallet in the other. I never put anything valuable in my back pockets. Ever.

6. A Reusable Water Bottle (and a Plan for Water)

You cannot drink tap water in China. This is not negotiable. Even locals boil their water or buy bottled. The mineral content varies wildly by region, and your stomach will not be happy if you drink from the tap.

I bring a 500ml reusable bottle and fill it with bottled water I buy from convenience stores. A 1.5-liter bottle costs about $0.50 (3-4 yuan). I go through two or three a day, depending on the weather. The reusable bottle means I’m not buying ten plastic bottles a day, and I can refill from larger bottles at my hotel.

Some hotels provide bottled water for free. Some have water dispensers in the hall. Some don’t. Always have a backup plan.

7. A Basic Medicine Kit (With Imodium)

I ate street food in Xi’an and spent the next 12 hours in a hotel bathroom wondering if I’d made a terrible mistake. It was food poisoning. It passed. But I didn’t have Imodium, and the pharmacy down the street had a pharmacist who spoke zero English. I ended up buying something with a picture of a stomach on the box and hoping for the best.

Bring Imodium. Bring ibuprofen. Bring cold medicine. Bring antihistamines if you have allergies. Bring a small first-aid kit with bandages and antiseptic wipes. China has pharmacies everywhere, but finding someone who speaks English is hit or miss, and the medicine names will be in Chinese characters you can’t read.

Also bring rehydration salts. They’re light, they pack small, and if you get traveler’s diarrhea, they’ll save you from the worst of it.

8. A Printed Copy of Everything

The hotel in Chengdu asked for my passport at check-in. I handed it over. They made a copy, handed it back, and asked for my flight confirmation, my hotel booking for the next city, and my visa page. I had all of it on my phone. They wanted paper.

Hotels in China are required by law to register foreign guests with the local police station. This means they need your passport, your visa, and sometimes your travel itinerary. Having printed copies of everything—passport, visa, flight confirmations, hotel bookings—saves time and stress. I keep them in a plastic folder in my day bag.

Also bring two extra passport photos. They’re occasionally needed for SIM cards or train tickets, though this is becoming less common in 2026.

9. A SIM Card or eSIM (and a VPN on Top)

International roaming from your home carrier is expensive and slow. A local SIM card is cheap and fast. China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom all offer tourist SIMs at the airport. You’ll need your passport to buy one. Expect to pay $20-30 for 30 days with 10-20GB of data.

But here’s the catch: even with a Chinese SIM, you still need a VPN to access Western services. The Chinese SIM doesn’t bypass the Great Firewall. So you need both: a local SIM for fast data, and a VPN to use it for Google Maps, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

I use an eSIM from Airalo for the data and Astrill for the VPN. It works. It’s not perfect—sometimes the VPN drops and I lose Google Maps mid-navigation—but it’s the best option I’ve found.

10. A Sense of Humor About WeChat Pay

I watched a French tourist try to buy a bottle of water at a 7-Eleven with a $100 bill. The cashier shook her head. The tourist tried a credit card. Another shake. He pulled out a smaller bill. Still no. Finally, he gave up and left.

China is a cashless society in 2026. WeChat Pay and Alipay are used for everything—from buying a street-side jianbing for $1 to paying for a hotel room. Cash is accepted in some places, but you’ll get strange looks and sometimes a “sorry, no change” response.

Set up WeChat Pay or Alipay before you leave. You’ll need to link a foreign credit card (Visa or Mastercard). It’s not the smoothest process—you might need to verify with your passport—but once it’s set up, you’ll use it for everything. I haven’t carried cash in China in three years.

FAQ

Do I really need a VPN? Yes. Without a VPN, you cannot access Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or most Western news sites. Chinese alternatives exist (WeChat for messaging, Baidu for search), but if you rely on Google Maps or WhatsApp, you need a VPN. Set it up before you arrive—many VPNs are blocked once you’re inside China.

Can I use my credit card everywhere? No. Most small shops, street food stalls, and local restaurants only accept WeChat Pay or Alipay. Hotels and large international chains accept credit cards. Bring a credit card as backup, but plan to use mobile payment for daily expenses.

What about cash? Should I bring any? Bring $100-200 (700-1,400 yuan) in cash for emergencies, like if your phone dies and you need to pay for a taxi. Exchange it at the airport or a bank. You won’t use it much, but it’s good to have. Don’t bring more than $500—you’ll just be carrying dead weight.

Do I need to worry about smog? In winter (November to February), northern cities like Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang can have serious air pollution. Check the air quality index (AQI) before you go. Bring N95 or KN95 masks if you’re sensitive. Southern cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Kunming have better air quality year-round.

Can I drink the tap water? No. Don’t drink tap water. Don’t brush your teeth with tap water if you have a sensitive stomach. Buy bottled water from convenience stores—it’s cheap and everywhere. Some hotels provide bottled water for free.

Will I need a translation app? Yes, unless you speak Mandarin. English is not widely spoken outside of major tourist areas and international hotels. Download Google Translate (with the Chinese language pack for offline use) or Pleco, a Chinese-English dictionary app. Both work with a VPN.

What’s the deal with squat toilets? Many public bathrooms in China have squat toilets instead of Western-style toilets. Some are clean. Some are not. Always carry your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer. If you have mobility issues, plan ahead—some attractions have accessible toilets, but not all.

The Honest Wrap-up

This list is for first-timers who want to avoid the mistakes I made. If you’re a seasoned China traveler, you already know most of this. If you’re coming for a week in Shanghai and staying in a nice hotel, you can get away with less. But if you’re planning to take trains, eat street food, and see the real China, pack for the chaos.

The one thing I’d tell a friend before they book the flight: don’t overpack. You can buy almost anything in China—clothes, toiletries, electronics—for the same price or cheaper than at home. What you can’t buy is a VPN that works, comfortable shoes that are already broken in, and the peace of mind that comes from having toilet paper in your pocket when you need it most.

Pack light. Pack smart. And for God’s sake, set up WeChat Pay before you get on the plane.