What to Pack for Travel in China
After months of expectation and preparation, you are about to embark on a tour to China. Excited, anticipating, perturbed, overwhelmed? In order to have a better experience during your China travel, we have specially prepared the essential packing list based on the season and different regions of China, to help you get ready for your China tour in all senses.
Basic Necessities for China Travel
1. Suitcase and Bag
According to your travel days, please prepare suitcases ranging from 20 inches to 32 inches: a 20 inches suitcase normally for 2-4 days' short trip, 24 inches suitcase for 4-7 days trip; 28 inches suitcase for 7-10 days tour, and for travelers who plan to travel China over 2 weeks, it's better to take a 32 inches suitcase. In addition, it's essential to prepare a carry-on backpack or one-shoulder bag, to put important and valuable things.
2. Passport/Visa/other valid documents
The passport must be the most important thing, and we strongly recommend travelers to carry around and do not leave it in the hotel. China Visa is generally affixed to the passport. In addition, it is best to print out several copies for easy checking of reservations for airplanes, trains, hotels, attractions tickets, etc., and keep it separately from your original passport. For some other related documents to the trip like the Tibet permit, please do check with the travel agency in advance to make sure it’s ready prior to departure.
3. Bank Cards/Cash
Foreign travelers can only carry a maximum of 20,000 RMB in cash or equivalent foreign currency to enter China. Money exchange services are generally available at the airports and banks, where you enter. Honestly speaking, it's not advisable to exchange money at banks because it requires a long time to queue. There are many ATMs accepting foreign cards (Visa, Master, American Express, Cirrus, and Plus international card) in the airport, the streets near the hotel, even some scenic spots. International credit cards can be taken at some 5-star hotels and upscale shops.
4. Medicine
Please bring cold medicine, gastrointestinal (stomach) medicine, anti-inflammatory medicine, anti-fever medicine, motion sickness medicine, band-aid, and your personal medicine. Please note that most common medicine can be bought in the pharmacy of China. If you will travel to Tibet or other high-altitude areas, you'd better take some to relieve altitude sickness a week before departure.
5. Digital products
Mobile phone (open international roaming in advance if you do not plan to buy a Chinese Sim-card), mobile phone charger, power bank, plug converter (220V for China), camera, camera charger and battery, headset, etc.
6. Clothing
Choose the appropriate clothes and pants according to your travel time, period, and destination. We have listed more details below according to the four seasons and different regions of China for reference. Please wire comfortable shoes: sports shoes or low-heeled shoes are your best bet. In addition, you could prepare a pair of plastic slippers that can be worn in the hotel, though most hotels will provide.
7. Daily Necessities
Toiletries, skincare products, personal hygiene products, tissues, towels, etc. Please note that, basically, the hotel will provide toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, shower gel, soap.
8. Insurance
When traveling to a foreign country, it's always wise and necessary to purchase international travel insurance prior to departure, to cover unexpected expenses like a flight delay or luggage loss. For travelers who book with a China travel agency, travel insurance shall only cover the basic accident travel insurance in China.
9. VPN
China’s firewall is totally different. Many sites including Google, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Yahoo, WhatsApp are not available in China. However, you can download a VPN app on your mobile phone to access all those sites before your departure. Astrill VPN or ExpressVPN can be a good choice.
10. Others
Sunglasses, sunscreen, nail clippers, water bottle/kettle, umbrella or raincoat, etc.
China Season and Region Partition
In China, spring is generally from March to May, summer is from June to August, autumn is from September to November, and winter is from December to February. However, there is a difference in temperature in the four seasons between northern China and southern China. In addition, in high-altitude areas such as the Tibet Autonomous Region and some Tibetan areas, the climate is very different from many inland or coastal cities in the four seasons.
Northern China:
Representative cities are Beijing, Xi’an, Datong, Pingyao, Luoyang, etc.
Southern China:
Representative cities are Shanghai, Chengdu, Guilin and Yangshuo, Zhangjiajie, Hong Kong, etc.
Plateau Area of China:
Representative regions are Tibet Autonomous Region, Western Sichuan, North Yunnan Shangri-La, and Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures in Qinghai Province and Gansu Province, etc.
China Travel Packing List for Spring
Northern China
Early spring in northern China is still relatively cold, especially if you are traveling in March and April. Winter clothes are required, but spring clothes should also be prepared. From late April to May, a shirt and a pair of jeans can be worn during the day, however, due to the large temperature difference between day and night, a thin coat is needed for the night or early morning. In addition, the wind is still strong in spring, and there may even be sandstorms in some areas. It is recommended to bring a scarf and hat.
- A warm coat or down jacket
- Coats or jackets (depending on the length of your trip)
- Pants (depending on your travel periods)
- Shirts/T-shirts (depending on the length of your trip)
- Underwears and socks (depending on the length of your trip)
- 1-2 pairs of comfortable shoes
- A pair of plastic slippers
- A scarf and a hat
- And the basic necessities mentioned above
Southern China
Compared with the northern part of China, the southern part of China is much warmer, with little temperature difference. In many places, it's warm in April and you can wear a short-sleeved T-shirt. April and May are the best travel seasons in most parts of southern China. The weather is neither cold nor hot, and there are not as many tourists as the peak season, and the hotel prices are also moderate. However, spring rainfalls can be common in southern China (little), so it's better to prepare a raincoat or umbrella in advance.
- Coats or jackets (depending on the length of your trip)
- Pants (depending on your travel periods)
- Shirts/T-shirts (depending on the length of your trip)
- Underwears and socks (depending on the length of your trip)
- 1-2 pairs of comfortable shoes
- A pair of plastic slippers
- Umbrella or raincoat
- Sunglasses, sun hat, sunscreen
- And the basic necessities mentioned above
Plateau Area of China
Spring in high-altitude areas generally starts at the end of April, and it will snow even in May. March to early April is not a very good travel time unless you fancy the snow. In the plateau area, ultraviolet rays are strong, the air is thin, the temperature difference between morning and evening is large, and the climate changes frequently.
- Cold-proof clothes (warm coat or down jacket)
- Coat or jacket (depending on the length of your trip)
- Woolen Sweaters (depending on your travel periods)
- Windproof Pants (depending on your travel periods)
- Shirts/T-shirts (depending on the length of your trip)
- Underwears and socks (depending on the length of your trip)
- 1-2 pairs of comfortable shoes that are waterproof and non-slip
- Windproof and warm scarf, hat, waterproof and warm gloves
- Strong sunblock, lip balm, toothbrush/paste, and toilet paper (conditions can be simple)
- Diamox, prevent altitude sickness (Please consult your doctor in advance)
- And the basic necessities mentioned above
China Travel Packing List for Summer
Northern China
June is one of the best times to visit northern China. In early summer, the northern area is sunny, the weather is not too hot, and there is a hint of cool breeze, and the peak season is not yet at this time. The weather is hot in July and August, but due to the summer vacation, there are many tourists in various scenic spots.
- A thin jacket (the temperature on the trains, airplanes, private cars is much lower than outside)
- Lightweight, sweat-absorbing pants (depending on your travel periods)
- T-shirts/skirts (depending on the length of your trip)
- Underwears and socks (depending on the length of your trip)
- 1-2 pairs of comfortable shoes
- A pair of plastic slippers
- Sunglasses, sun hat, sunscreen
- And the basic necessities mentioned above
Southern China
June is the rainy season in Shanghai, Guilin, and other southern regions. July and August are hot and crowded at all attractions. In addition, many places in the south will have heavy rains or showers in summer.
- A thin jacket (the temperature on the trains, airplanes, private cars is much lower than outside)
- Lightweight, sweat-absorbing pants (depending on your travel periods)
- T-shirts/skirts (depending on the length of your trip)
- Underwears and socks (depending on the length of your trip)
- 1-2 pairs of comfortable shoes that are waterproof and non-slip
- A pair of plastic slippers
- Umbrella/Raincoat
- Strong sunblock, sunglasses, sun hat
- And the basic necessities mentioned above
Plateau Area of China
In summer, the daytime temperature can reach 29°C, but the temperature drops to 0°C to -5 °C at midnight. Summer is also the rainy season at high altitude areas but usually falls at night, with occasional showers during the day.
- Cold-proof clothes (down jacket + woolen sweater)
- A thin jacket
- Lightweight, sweat-absorbing pants (depending on your travel periods)
- T-shirts/skirts (depending on the length of your trip)
- Underwears and socks (depending on the length of your trip)
- 1-2 pairs of comfortable shoes that are waterproof and non-slip
- Umbrella/Raincoat
- Strong sunblock, lip balm, toothbrush/paste, and toilet paper (conditions can be simple)
- Diamox, prevent altitude sickness (Please consult your doctor in advance)
- And the basic necessities mentioned above
China Travel Packing List for Autumn
Northern China
September to mid-October is one of the best seasons to travel to northern China. In addition to not cold or hot weather, there is also charming scenery. The weather will gradually cool down in late October, and some cities will start to supply heating in November. In some areas of Xinjiang and Northeast China, it will even snow by end-October.
- Cold-proof clothes (a down jacket + woolen sweaters + a thin jacket)
- Pants (depending on your travel periods)
- Shirts/T-shirts (depending on the length of your trip)
- Underwears and socks (depending on the length of your trip)
- 1-2 pairs of comfortable shoes
- A pair of plastic slippers
- Windproof and warm scarf and hat + a sun hat
- And the basic necessities mentioned above
Southern China
In many southern regions, it's still hot in September, and people are used to wearing summer clothes. The weather gradually turns cooler from October, which becomes the most comfortable time. Basically, the leaves will start to turn yellow and fall by end-November.
- Coats or jackets (depending on the length of your trip)
- Sweaters (depending on the length of your trip)
- Pants (depending on your travel periods)
- Shirts/T-shirts (depending on the length of your trip)
- Underwears and socks (depending on the length of your trip)
- 1-2 pairs of comfortable shoes
- A pair of plastic slippers
- Sunglasses, sun hat, sunscreen
- And the basic necessities mentioned above
Plateau Area of China
September is the best month to visit high-altitude areas, with high visibility and a mild climate. It started snowing in many places in October, and it will be very cold in November.
- Cold-proof clothes (warm coat or down jacket)
- Woolen Sweaters (depending on your travel periods)
- Windproof Pants (depending on your travel periods)
- Shirts/T-shirts (depending on the length of your trip)
- Underwears and socks (depending on the length of your trip)
- 1-2 pairs of comfortable shoes that are waterproof and non-slip
- Windproof and warm scarf, hat, waterproof and warm gloves
- Strong sunblock, lip balm, toothbrush/paste, toilet paper (conditions can be simple)
- Minus 15°C Sleeping bag (heating can be limited in some hotels)
- Diamox, prevent altitude sickness (Please consult your doctor in advance)
- And the basic necessities mentioned above
China Travel Packing List for Winter
Northern China
It is very cold in the north of China in winter, however, heating is equipped indoors, and you can even wear summer clothes when inside. The temperature outside can be as low as minus 20 to 30 degrees Celsius, and the wind is biting.
- Cold-proof clothes (warm coat or down jacket that can withstand temperatures above minus 10°C at least)
- Woolen Sweaters (depending on your travel periods)
- Windproof and Cold-proof Pants (depending on your travel periods)
- Shirts/T-shirts (depending on the length of your trip)
- Underwears and socks (depending on the length of your trip)
- 1-2 pairs of comfortable shoes
- Windproof and warm scarf, hat, waterproof and warm gloves
- And the basic necessities mentioned above
Southern China
Although the winter temperature in southern China is not as cold as that in the north, it basically does not drop to zero degrees. However, because the government does not have centralized heating, common people in China often joke "People in the north don't realize the cold of winter until they get to the south”. The temperature difference between indoor and outdoor in the south is small, but shopping malls, restaurants, and hotels will use the heating or air conditioning in winter.
- Cold-proof clothes (warm coat or down jacket)
- Woolen Sweaters (depending on your travel periods)
- Cold-proof Pants (depending on your travel periods)
- Shirts/T-shirts (depending on the length of your trip)
- Underwears and socks (depending on the length of your trip)
- 1-2 pairs of comfortable shoes
- A scarf and a hat
- And the basic necessities mentioned above
Plateau Area of China
Except for Lhasa and its surroundings, as well as several places to see glaciers in western Sichuan, we do not recommend visiting the other plateau areas in winter. Many roads will be inaccessible due to heavy snowfalls.
- Cold-proof clothes (minus 10°C warm coat or down jacket)
- Woolen Sweaters (depending on your travel periods)
- Windproof Pants (depending on your travel periods)
- Shirts/T-shirts (depending on the length of your trip)
- Underwears and socks (depending on the length of your trip)
- 1-2 pairs of comfortable and warm shoes that are waterproof and non-slip
- Windproof and warm scarf, hat, waterproof and warm gloves
- Strong sunblock, lip balm, toothbrush/paste, toilet paper (conditions can be simple)
- Minus 15°C Sleeping bag (heating can be limited in some hotels)
- Diamox, prevent altitude sickness (Please consult your doctor in advance)
- And the basic necessities mentioned above
Lastly, please note that if you plan to visit Sanya, Kunming, Hong Kong, Guangdong Province, etc, even in winter, you only need to take an ordinary jacket, winter clothes are not necessary. China has a vast territory that spans 5 time zones, this article is to share the packing list for the most representative places and popular travel destinations by season. If your travel city is not listed on the above, please do not hesitate to leave your comment or email us directly!
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