China Travel Tips

Most of the land is located in temperate and subtropical zones, with a wide span of about 50 degrees of latitude, which results in a large temperature difference between north and south in winter but in a small one in summer.

Because of the vast territory and diversified landforms, the climate differs from region to region. Most regions have four distinct seasons. But southern area is almost in a year-round summer; spring dominates Yunnan area; low temperature continues in Qinghai & Tibet region and Greater & Lesser Khingan Mountains. In summertime, the national average temperature is above 20 degree except Qinghai-Tibet plateau.

Due to the regional difference of Climate, there is no fixed best time to visit China. It depends on your destination. So if you want to learn about the detailed climate information to plan your China tour, you can phone or mail us.

If you enter China for touring, family visiting or other personal affairs, China Tourist Visa (L Visa) with a normal stay up to 30 days is necessary. Visa can be used for single-entry and double-entry tourist but not for multiple-entry. To apply for the visa, you need to prepare these documents:
1. Actual passport, signed, valid at least 6 month beyond stay with blank visa page
2. One visa application form per person, completely filled-out and signed
3. One recent passport-type photograph (color or black and white)
4. Visa processing fee, return postage and your mailing address

What’s more, if you want a Tibet tour, you need to apply for another permit - Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit (also called TTB permits or Tibet Entry Permit). Due to Tibet's unique features, it is prescribed that foreign tourists have to get a Tibet Permit to Tibet. Please keep in mind that there are 2 basic documents required for foreign tourists who want to travel in Tibet: Chinese Visa and Tibet Entry Permit. The permit is obtained through tour operators. When you take a flight or train to Lhasa, you will be asked to show it during the process of check-in. Furthermore, Tibet Entry Permit is also needed by groups traveling by Land Cruiser but this will be arranged by the travel agency organizing the trip.

Mainland China’s currency is called “yuan” or renminbi (RMB). Banks, international airports, top-end hotels and even some high-end shopping malls and department stores, provide a good range of banking services, ATMs and money exchange services. Many ATMs from bigger Chinese banks accept major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Cirrus, & AmEx).

Cash is must-take during China tour. Do not too rely on your credit cards. Airline tickets can be paid for with credit cards but train and bus tickets must be purchased in cash. And traveler’s checks are not accepted by many places outside of banks. It’s better to stock up on cash before visiting smaller towns and less developed interior provinces.

China time is eight hours ahead of UTC/GMT (London), which is China Standard Time used by all over the country. The land spans five time zones, so every place has local time. China does not utilize daylight saving time.

Full medical insurance is strongly advised. Medical facilities in China are good, but sometimes the unexpected leaves you whimpering in a hospital bed. And that’s where travel insurance rides in to save you from distress – or at least from the costs. You should make a comprehensive insurance plan before your tour to guarantee your safety. To declare any existing medical conditions you have to make clear which will cover you. The insurance should cover Medical expenses, loss or damage of personal possessions, and accident of adventure activities.

The voltage in China is generally 220V, 50HZ, AC (Hong Kong is 220V; Taiwan is 110V). If your appliance doesn’t accept such a supply then you will need to bring a voltage converter which can be bought in China for CNY100-200. Most of the hotels in China have both 110V and 220V electrical outlets in the bathrooms.

Power outlets in China almost always have two types of sockets. The first is the American and Japanese-style socket with two flat, parallel blades. The second type is a slight variation on the Australian socket, with two diagonal blades in a ‘V’ shape and a vertical grounding blade. However, the pins are 1mm longer. Australian plugs will usually work in Chinese sockets, but occasionally they don’t fit properly.

Clothing: You should bring your clothes in terms of your travel time. Since the temperature is quite different in diverse places of China in different time, you should make an inquiry and get well preparation for your China tour.

Medicine: You are suggested to bring extra medicines from home, like Aspirin, Cold-symptom relief tablets, antihistamine, cough drops, Ace bandage and so on in a small first aid kit. All of them should be packed in their original, clearly labeled containers.

Bring enough memory cards and batteries for of electric device.

Cash and important travel documents.