What to pack for a trip to Pekin?
Most visitors to Beijing are caught off guard not by the scale of the imperial palace or the steepness of the Great Wall — they expected that — but by two things nobody warned them about: they cannot pay for anything, and they cannot use their phone.
In short, what catches you out here
- Beijing's economy runs almost entirely on WeChat Pay and Alipay; foreign credit and debit cards are refused in most restaurants, shops, street stalls and even some tourist sites, leaving unprepared visitors unable to pay for anything.
- Outside luxury hotels, almost no taxi driver, metro ticket officer or restaurant staff speaks English; menus and street signs are often Chinese-only, making even basic navigation frustrating.
- Google Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram and most Western apps are unavailable due to the Great Firewall; visitors who rely on them find themselves digitally stranded on arrival.
Why this list?
WeChat Pay has replaced cash and cards so thoroughly that a day without it means skipping meals and market stalls. At the same time, Google Maps, WhatsApp and Instagram become inaccessible the instant you land. Both problems are completely solvable before you leave home, and fixing them takes perhaps an hour — but only if you know to act. Add 30°C heat across vast stone-flagged courtyards with almost no shade, air quality that can swing from fine to hazardous overnight, and toilet facilities that routinely have no paper or soap, and you have a city that rewards preparation and punishes assumptions. This list focuses on what first-time visitors consistently wish they had known.
✔To do before you leave
Your countdown: every action at the right time, from furthest ahead to departure day.
- Beijing's main imperial site has a strict daily visitor quota and tickets sell out several days in advance on the official platform; arriving without one means being turned away at the gate.
- Cash and foreign cards are rarely accepted in Beijing; WeChat Pay now accepts international Visa/Mastercard — but the account must be created and verified before you arrive.
- Most Western navigation and messaging tools become inaccessible the moment you land; a VPN must be installed and tested while you still have unrestricted internet access at home.
- Taxi drivers almost universally do not read Latin script; showing a card with your destination written in Chinese characters avoids the confusion and detours that visibly frustrate first-time visitors.
- Google Maps is inaccessible in China and even a working VPN can be unreliable on mobile data; an offline map downloaded before departure is your fallback for navigation on foot and in taxis.
- Air quality in Beijing changes overnight; checking an AQI app (IQAir works with a VPN) each morning lets you decide whether to wear a mask outdoors and helps you choose indoor vs outdoor sites for the day.
- Although WeChat Pay covers most transactions, a small cash reserve covers the rare vendor, temple entrance top-up or rural Great Wall taxi driver who does not accept digital payment.
✔The essentials
Without these, the trip is compromised. Don't forget them.
- Public toilets at hutong neighbourhoods and secondary tourist sites frequently have no toilet paper; carrying your own is not a luxury, it is a practical necessity.
- China uses Type A and Type I sockets; UK three-pin plugs do not fit without an adapter, and hotel rooms rarely have enough sockets for multiple devices.
- A valid passport is required to check into any accommodation and may be requested at certain site entrances; keeping a separate printed copy in your bag is also prudent.
✔Nice-to-haves
Not vital, but noticeably more comfortable with them.
- Beijing's AQI can spike to unhealthy levels without warning during summer heat; a proper filtering mask — not a surgical one — makes an unexpected bad-air day manageable rather than ruinous.
- Stone-flagged imperial sites transmit impact directly to feet and knees; even good trainers feel inadequate after 15 km on granite, and most visitors do not realise the problem until the evening of day one.
- Tap water is not safe to drink untreated and buying single-use bottles all day is expensive and wasteful; a filter bottle lets you refill from any tap or fountain without risk.
- The Great Wall's uneven, steep stone steps — including the supposedly easy Mutianyu section — demand shoes with lateral support and grip; visitors in flat-soled trainers or sandals are visibly struggling on the descent.
- Running a VPN, WeChat Pay, an offline map and an AQI monitoring app simultaneously drains a phone battery well before the end of a long sightseeing day; a large power bank removes that anxiety entirely.
- Soap and hand-drying facilities are absent in many public toilets near tourist sites; hand gel bridges the gap between washing opportunities during a full day of sightseeing.
✔Weather & season
Adjust to the time of year and forecast for your trip.
- The stone esplanades of Beijing's major imperial sites offer almost no shade; a compact UV-blocking umbrella is the single item that makes a 30°C queue bearable — and locals use them universally.
- Walking 15-20 km on stone-flagged courtyards in 30°C heat causes heavy sweating; electrolyte sachets dissolved in bottled water prevent the fatigue and headaches that cut many visits short by mid-afternoon.
- Metro carriages and indoor museum spaces are aggressively air-conditioned to counter the outdoor heat; moving between 30°C courtyards and 18°C interiors all day causes fatigue without a thin layer to put on and take off.
✔ My own items
Create an account to save your lists and find them on all your devices.
- Every checklist you generate, kept and available anytime
- On your phone as well as your computer
- Your ticks picked up right where you left them
✔ Good to know
- Check your visa situation well before booking: citizens of around 50 countries can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days (for tourism, business or transit), but eligibility varies by passport and the list is regularly updated — verify your status on the official Chinese embassy website or a current source before departure. source
- Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before — or very shortly after — you land: both apps now support linking international Visa, Mastercard and Amex cards, and most Beijing vendors, markets and transit counters rely on QR-code payments. Having a payment app ready will spare you a lot of friction. source
- Carry some RMB cash as a backup (500–1 000 RMB in small denominations is a practical cushion): digital payment is the norm, but a handful of street-food stalls or older shops may not accept cards or payment apps. source
- Download and configure a VPN on your devices before you arrive: Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube and most Western news sites are blocked by China's Great Firewall, and VPN apps from foreign stores may not be installable once you are on Chinese networks. source
- Stick to bottled or boiled water for drinking and teeth-brushing throughout your stay — the official Beijing tourism FAQ advises that tap water should be boiled before consumption, and bottled water is widely available and inexpensive. source
- Pack a universal travel adapter: Beijing sockets use Type A (two flat parallel pins) and Type I (three flat angled pins) at 220 V / 50 Hz — a voltage and plug combination that differs from the US, UK and many European standards, so check your devices are dual-voltage (100–240 V) before plugging them in. source
- Drone — Consider leaving your drone at home: flying over central Beijing typically requires advance permits, and inner-city airspace around major landmarks is tightly controlled — it could be seized at security checkpoints.
- Selfie stick — A selfie stick may spend most of its time in your bag: major Beijing attractions such as the Palace Museum ask visitors to put them away inside exhibition areas, so a compact camera or phone grip tends to be more practical.
- Single-voltage hair dryer or shaver (110 V only) — Beijing runs on 220 V, so appliances rated only for 110 V can be damaged or pose a safety risk — a travel-sized dual-voltage model or a hotel-provided dryer is a safer choice.
✔ Frequently asked questions
Is tap water safe to drink in Beijing?
Tap water in Beijing is not considered safe to drink untreated; most hotels provide bottled water in rooms, but this runs out quickly on hot days. A filter bottle lets you refill from any tap and is far more economical and sustainable than buying single-use bottles throughout the day. Boiling tap water is also effective if your accommodation has a kettle, which most do.
How do I get around Beijing without speaking Chinese?
The metro is the most reliable option: it is extensive, affordable, air-conditioned and has bilingual (Chinese/English) signage and announcements. For taxis and ride-hailing, DiDi (China's ride-hailing app) works with a foreign phone number and displays your destination in Chinese to the driver automatically — far easier than hailing a street taxi. Prévois de downloading DiDi and your offline map before arriving, as access to app stores may require workarounds once inside China.
What should I pack for Beijing in hot, sunny weather?
The priority is sun protection for long exposed queues: a UV-blocking umbrella (universally used by locals), high-SPF sunscreen and a lightweight long-sleeve layer for aggressive indoor air conditioning. Comfortable, cushioned shoes are essential given the 15-20 km of hard stone-flagged walking typical of a full sightseeing day. Electrolyte sachets and a large water bottle help manage heat fatigue across the afternoon hours.
How do I use my phone in Beijing if Google Maps and WhatsApp are unavailable?
Plan to install and test a VPN on your phone and laptop before you leave home — once in China, VPN provider websites are themselves inaccessible, making installation on arrival very difficult. Download an offline map (Maps.me or the China-specific Baidu Maps) as a backup in case the VPN connection is slow. Apple Maps and HERE Maps retain some offline functionality without a VPN and are worth downloading as a secondary option.
Do I need to book the imperial palace ticket in advance?
The site's official guidance mentions that timed-entry tickets are sold through the online booking platform only, and walk-up purchases at the gate are generally not available. Tickets tend to sell out several days ahead, particularly on weekends and public holidays, so plan to book as soon as your travel dates are confirmed. Have your passport number to hand, as it is typically required during the online booking process.