Sights in China

Visiting China's great sights runs on your passport and your phone: tickets for the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and most big sites are real-name bookings tied to your passport number, often sold online only, and day-to-day payment is by Alipay or WeChat Pay. Book ahead with the exact passport you will carry, set up a payment app before you fly, and keep away from the national holiday weeks if you can.

Checked 6 October 2026

Our sight guides for China

Visiting sights in China

Tickets and real-name booking

There is no national sights pass; each site sells its own ticket, and the big ones are real-name: you enter your passport number when booking and show the original passport at the gate. The Palace Museum (Forbidden City) sells no tickets on the day, caps visitors at 40,000 a day and requires foreign visitors' passport numbers online; entry is CN¥60 from April to October and CN¥40 from November to March (October 2026). The ticketed Great Wall sections work the same way. Platforms such as Trip.com and Klook will make real-name bookings in English for a mark-up, which is worth it mainly if you cannot pay with a Chinese payment app.

Free entry and discounts

Each site sets its own discounts, and free or reduced entry for children, students and over-60s is often written for Chinese ID holders, so check whether a reduction extends to foreign passports before you count on it (the Great Wall page has the details for Mutianyu and Badaling). The saving that applies to everyone is the off-season price: the Forbidden City costs CN¥40 from November to March instead of CN¥60, and its Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks are CN¥10 each on top (October 2026). Combined tickets at scenic areas often add up to the sum of their parts, so compare before buying a bundle.

Getting between the sights

High-speed trains link the main sights: Beijing West to Xi'an North (for the Terracotta Army) takes from about 4 hours 17 minutes, and Shanghai to Xi'an from 5 hours 40. Book on 12306.cn, China Railway's official site, which now has an English version, or through Trip.com, which adds about CN¥30 per ticket but takes foreign cards. Tickets open 15 days ahead and sell out over holidays. Travel is ticketless: you scan your passport at the gates, and you need the passport of every passenger to book. Google Maps does not work in China and its data is patchy even with a VPN; local apps such as Amap or Baidu Maps are what drivers and stations use.

Payments, ID and practical rules

Alipay and WeChat Pay are accepted almost everywhere, and both let foreigners link a Visa or Mastercard; set them up before you travel. Cards work at major venues but less and less at small restaurants and stalls, and merchants must accept cash in yuan, though they may lack change for big notes. Carry your passport at all times: the police do random checks and do not accept copies, and you need it for every real-name ticket and train. Google, Facebook, YouTube and X are blocked, and VPNs must be licensed under Chinese law. Drones are strictly regulated. The Forbidden City closes on Mondays, except on national holidays, so check weekly closing days before you plan.

Seasons, holidays and crowds

The National Day 'Golden Week' (1–7 October 2026) and the May Day holiday (1–5 May 2026) are the busiest times at every major sight, with sell-outs and long queues; the Spring Festival holiday (15–23 February in 2026) brings the year's biggest travel rush. Lunar New Year 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February; the official holiday dates for 2027 are usually announced in November. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons in the north, which has intensely hot summers and bitterly cold winters. Typhoons bring torrential rain to the eastern and southern coasts in summer and autumn. Weekdays outside the holidays are noticeably quieter at the big sites.

Scams and problems to know about

The UK FCDO's main scam warning is the 'tea tasting' or 'massage' trap: friendly, English-speaking strangers in tourist areas invite you to a tea house, bar or massage, and the bill is enormous, sometimes followed by threats or card fraud. You have the right to ask for an official receipt (fapiao), which scammers refuse to give. Ignore touts offering illegal taxis at airports and stations; use the official rank or the Didi app. Beware of QR codes stuck over genuine ones and of counterfeit 100-yuan notes, including from ATMs. A 'ticket' sold without taking your passport number cannot be a real-name ticket. Avoid demonstrations and don't photograph military sites.

Also worth the trip

Not on Sightsale yet, but worth knowing about.

  • Li River and Yangshuo

    The karst-peak landscape between Guilin and Yangshuo, best seen from a river boat or a bamboo raft. Spring and autumn are the best months.

  • Zhangjiajie

    Sandstone pillars rising out of forest in Hunan, reached by cable cars and glass walkways. Very crowded in the holiday weeks.

  • The Bund and Yu Garden, Shanghai

    Shanghai's riverside of 1920s banks and trading houses facing the Pudong skyline, and a classical Ming garden in the old town.

Questions people ask about visiting China

Do I need a visa to visit China in 2026?

Many nationalities do not, for stays of up to 30 days until 31 December 2026: these include most EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, and the UK and Canada since 17 February 2026. Nationals of 57 countries, including the US, can also use 240-hour visa-free transit when travelling on to a third country, entering through one of 65 ports. Check the current rules with your nearest Chinese embassy before booking.

How do foreigners pay in China?

Mainly with Alipay or WeChat Pay, both of which accept a foreign Visa or Mastercard; set them up before you travel. Larger venues take cards and every merchant must accept cash in yuan, but many small shops and stalls work only with the apps.

Do I need my passport to buy tickets in China?

Yes. Major sights such as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall sell real-name tickets tied to your passport number, and you show the original passport at the gate. Train tickets work the same way: you scan your passport at the ticket gates.

When is the worst time to visit China's sights?

During the national holidays: the Spring Festival (15–23 February 2026; Lunar New Year 2027 is on 6 February), May Day (1–5 May 2026) and National Day Golden Week (1–7 October 2026). Sights sell out and queues are long, so book early or travel on either side.

Does Google Maps work in China?

No. Google services are blocked, and Google Maps has patchy data even through a VPN, while VPNs must be licensed under Chinese law. Download a local map app such as Amap before you go, and save your hotel's address in Chinese characters.

Sources for this page (12)
  1. Palace Museum: visit, opening hours and tickets (accessed 6 October 2026)
  2. National Immigration Administration: Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam added to 240-hour visa-free transit (20 August 2026) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  3. National Immigration Administration: visa-free transit policies (list of 57 countries) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  4. Chinese Consulate-General in Adelaide: notice on the extension of the unilateral visa-free policy (4 November 2025) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: spokesperson's remarks on including Canada and the UK in the visa-free programme (15 February 2026) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  6. State Council General Office: 2026 public holiday arrangements (Xinhua, 4 November 2025) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  7. Beijing Municipal Government: payment services for foreigners (accessed 6 October 2026)
  8. UK FCDO travel advice: China, entry requirements (accessed 6 October 2026)
  9. UK FCDO travel advice: China, safety and security (accessed 6 October 2026)
  10. The Man in Seat 61: train travel in China (accessed 6 October 2026)
  11. Wikivoyage: China (accessed 6 October 2026)
  12. Wikipedia: Chinese New Year (dates) (accessed 6 October 2026)