Your first hour in China: the order that actually works

Almost everyone gets stuck the same way — in the wrong order. Withdraw cash before you buy a SIM, and buy the SIM before you install anything.

The trap in one line: phone shops do not take foreign credit cards, but you need mobile data to pay by phone. If you land with no cash and no SIM, you are standing in a shop that cannot take your money.

Step 1 · 20 minutes

Get cash at an ATM

Airport ATMs accept most foreign cards and dispense yuan. Take 300-500 yuan — enough for a SIM card, a taxi and a meal.

Use a machine attached to a bank branch, not a freestanding one in a corner.
Decline the ATM's own currency conversion and let your bank do it — the rate is normally better.
Keep small notes. A 100-yuan note is difficult to break for a 12-yuan taxi.

Step 2 · 30 minutes

Buy a SIM card at an official carrier counter

At the airport, look for China Unicom, China Mobile or China Telecom — the carrier's own counter, not a phone accessory stall.

Bring your passport original. Registration is in person and includes a face photo.
Ask for a tourist plan with data and SMS. Data alone is not enough — you need to receive verification codes.
Expect 50-150 yuan for a starter plan, 20-30 minutes to set up.
Pay cash. This is exactly why step 1 comes first.

Full walkthrough: buying a Chinese SIM card.

Step 3 · 40 minutes, do it sitting down

Install the apps that actually work here

Alipay — verify the passport and complete the face scan, then add your card. Do the verification before you need to pay for something.
WeChat — you can register with your home number; a Chinese number is not required.
Amap (高德地图) or Baidu Maps — Google Maps is unreliable for mainland streets.
Didi inside Alipay — ride-hailing that accepts foreign cards.
A VPN, if you want your usual services — install and test it before you fly. Chinese app stores may not carry one.

Step 4 · 5 minutes

Get to the hotel without relying on English

Screenshot the hotel's Chinese name and address. Show the screenshot; never read an address aloud.
Follow the official taxi queue, or hail through Didi. At the official rank you get a metered car.
Have the hotel phone number saved — a driver can call them.

What this order buys you

If you skip ahead	What happens
SIM before cash	The counter will not take your foreign card. You have no data yet. Stuck.
Apps before SIM	Verification codes never arrive. Half-registered accounts are worse than none.
Taxi before a Chinese address	Best case a long detour, worst case a driver who gives up on you.

Total realistic time

Roughly 90 minutes from the gate to a taxi with everything working — and that is with no queues. Add an hour if two wide-body jets landed at once.

Prices and processes checked against carrier counters and published guides in October 2026. Plan prices vary by city and airport.

Take this with you

The free cards cover each step with numbered Chinese you can show a counter, plus the English that tells you what you are actually saying.

See the cards