Travel in China: your questions answered

It depends on your passport. Ordinary passports from 50 countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and most of Europe, can currently enter visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism. If your passport isn’t on that list, you may still qualify for 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit, which covers 57 countries including the United States, as long as you fly on to a third country. Use the passport checker, and we’ll confirm your options after you book.

China has renewed this policy every year so far, but no extension had been announced when we last checked. If you book a 2027 trip, we’ll tell you as soon as the rules are confirmed. If you need a visa, we’ll send an invitation letter and itinerary, and our free 48-hour cancellation still applies.

Not for a round trip. US citizens are not on the 30-day visa-free list, so you have two options. With 240-hour visa-free transit you can stay up to 10 days if you arrive from one country and fly on to a different third country (for example, US → Beijing → Tokyo), but you must stay within the permitted regions of your entry port. For most of our journeys, especially the Northwest road trips, a tourist (L) visa is the simpler choice: once you book, we send the invitation letter and full itinerary you need for the application.

Foreign visitors need a Tibet Travel Permit, which can only be arranged by a licensed agency, and must travel with a licensed guide. We can arrange this as a private trip. Ask us for details.

Mobile payment is everywhere. Download Alipay (or WeChat) before you fly, verify your passport and link your Visa or Mastercard. On our trips your hotels, transport, tickets and listed meals are prepaid, so you only pay for extras.

Yes. Departing visitors can claim VAT refunds on eligible purchases from tax-refund stores, from as little as ¥200 per store per day. Many stores in big cities now offer instant refunds at the till. Ask for the refund form when you pay, and keep your passport handy.

Online, through a secure checkout: PayPal, or a debit or credit card (PayPal accepts cards without an account). Pay a deposit to reserve, and the balance 45 days before departure. We never ask for bank transfers to personal accounts.

Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and many Western apps are blocked on mainland Chinese networks. An international eSIM or your home roaming plan usually keeps them working. We send recommendations after you book.

Install Alipay or WeChat for payments, a translation app with offline Chinese, and WhatsApp to reach your road leader. Apple Maps works well for navigation in China, while Google Maps is often out of date.

The special license hotels once needed to host foreigners was scrapped in 2024, but some small and budget hotels still turn foreign passports away at the desk, even when booking sites say otherwise. That’s why we check every hotel on our trips in advance.

Both use real-name tickets linked to your passport, and both sell out. The Palace Museum (Forbidden City) sells tickets online only, in advance, with no same-day tickets at the gate. At the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang you can only enter the caves with a guide, and the main tickets go fast in summer. We book these as soon as you reserve.

Tickets are linked to your passport and can sell out around holidays. We book them for you, and you just show your passport at the gate.

Some Northwest days include 4–6 hours on the road, broken up with stops to walk, eat and take photos. We plan clean toilet stops along the way, since rural toilets can be basic, and the leader carries water, snacks and tissues. The exact drive times are in each day of the itinerary.

Domestic travel peaks over Chinese New Year (late January to February), the May Day holiday (1–5 May) and Golden Week (1–7 October). Sights are crowded and prices rise, so we plan around these dates.

China has low rates of violent crime and is generally very safe to walk around, including at night in cities. Normal precautions apply, and your road leader is with you every day.

Yes. Many of our travelers come solo. We arrange same-gender room sharing and every trip has a road leader.

Your road leader will take you to an international clinic or a hospital with English-speaking staff. You must have travel insurance that covers medical treatment.

Groups are 8–10 guests at most, and road trips carry no more than 4 guests per vehicle, so everyone gets a window seat. You will never be moved onto a big coach. Many departures are smaller.

Really. Many budget China tours are paid for by commissions from jade, silk, tea and medicine shops, and guides pressure guests to buy. We don’t do that: there are no commission stops on any Road Commune journey. It’s in our booking terms, and if it ever happens, we refund that day’s cost.

We’ll tell you at least 21 days before departure. You can choose a full refund or a free change of date.

Yes. Any journey can run privately on your dates, and we can combine destinations. Tell us your plans.