Practical, up-to-date guidance for inbound travelers — the parts of China travel that are hardest to research from abroad.
Passport holders from Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore enjoy 30-day visa-free entry to mainland China. Many other nationalities qualify for the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit. We confirm the exact rule for your passport before you book.
Alipay and WeChat Pay now accept foreign cards via Tour Pass / linked international cards. Carry some cash for rural stalls. Your driver-guide can assist with on-the-spot payments.
Gaode (Amap) and Baidu Maps work best in China; Google Maps is unreliable. We share offline maps, and your driver handles all routing.
Keep your passport for hotel check-in and some ticket pickups. We pre-book tickets and hotels for you — no on-site queuing.
Guiyang is the hub (high-speed rail + domestic flights). Within Guizhou we use private cars with driver-guides; no self-driving required.