China has excellent mobile networks — faster and cheaper than most of Europe. The problem is not coverage, it’s what you can reach. Every foreign app you rely on is blocked by default, and the workarounds have to be installed before you arrive.

Step 1: Understand What Breaks

On a normal Chinese mobile or hotel connection, these do not load: Google (Search, Maps, Gmail, Drive), WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, and most Western news sites.

These work fine: WeChat, Alipay, Amap, Didi, Trip.com, Apple Maps, and anything hosted inside China. Banking apps usually still send SMS codes.

The one exception worth knowing

Roaming eSIMs sold by Airalo, Holafly, Nomad and similar brands usually route your traffic through Hong Kong or Singapore, so Google and WhatsApp keep working without a VPN. That single detail is why we recommend starting with an eSIM instead of buying a local SIM at the airport. Check the plan page before you pay: a “local China” plan behaves like a Chinese SIM, while a “China” or “Asia” roaming plan normally does not.

Step 2: Pick the Right eSIM

  • Roaming eSIM (recommended): a travel eSIM such as Airalo, Holafly or Nomad connects through Hong Kong or Singapore. Data only, no Chinese phone number, but Google/WhatsApp usually work out of the box. Compare a few providers: the big names are reliable, and smaller resellers are often cheaper for the same routing.
  • Local Chinese SIM: cheapest per GB and gives you a +86 number for deliveries and restaurant bookings — but you need your passport at a China Unicom / Mobile / Telecom shop, and everything blocked stays blocked without a VPN.
  • Home-carrier roaming: the easiest and the most expensive. Fine for a 3-day trip, painful for two weeks.

Which brand should you buy?

Three names come up again and again in every “China eSIM” search — Airalo, Holafly and Nomad — and all three resell roaming data from the same handful of carriers. The brand matters less than the plan details, but here is the honest shorthand:

  • Airalo China eSIM: the widest choice of small bundles (roughly 1–20 GB), so it is the easiest place to compare price per GB. Best if you mainly use maps, messaging and Alipay rather than video.
  • Holafly China: unlimited-data plans priced by number of days, which suits heavy users and two-week trips. Check hotspot support on the exact plan before you buy, because it is not included everywhere.
  • Nomad eSIM China / Asia: a middle ground, and often good value on 10–30 day regional plans if you are adding Hong Kong, Japan or Southeast Asia to the same trip.

Ignore anyone who claims one brand is “the fastest” in China. On the ground they attach to the same China Unicom or China Mobile towers; what really varies is the routing (Hong Kong or Singapore is what keeps Google alive), the daily high-speed cap, and whether tethering is allowed. Promotions and plan names change monthly, so verify the current terms on the provider’s own page before paying.

Whichever you pick, buy before you fly. Airport Wi-Fi requires an SMS code to a number you may not be able to receive, and the queues are long when you are tired.

Step 3: Install and Test at Home

  1. Buy the plan and check the validity window — most start on first connection, not on purchase.
  2. Scan the QR code in Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM while on home Wi-Fi.
  3. Label it clearly (e.g. “China data”) so you don’t confuse it with your home line.
  4. Leave it switched off until you land. Some plans start billing the moment they attach to a network.
  5. Turn on Data Roaming for that eSIM only. This trips people up constantly.

Keep your home SIM active

Bank OTPs and 2FA codes still arrive by SMS. Run the eSIM for data and your physical SIM for calls/SMS — and make sure your phone supports dual SIM (eSIM + physical, or two eSIMs).

Step 4: The VPN Question

If your roaming eSIM already routes traffic outside China, you may not need a VPN for a short trip. If you are staying longer, using a local SIM, or relying on hotel Wi-Fi, install one before you land — VPN provider websites are themselves blocked inside China.

  • Download the app, sign in, and switch a server on at home so the profile is cached.
  • Save two or three backup servers; individual nodes get blocked during sensitive dates.
  • Expect hotel Wi-Fi to be the slowest and most filtered connection of your trip.

If you do need a VPN

We keep a short list of tested VPN options in the eSIM & Gear area of the homepage, right next to the eSIM recommendations. Buy and test it at home: a VPN you install at the airport is a VPN you do not have.

Step 5: Backups for When the Internet Dies

  • Offline maps downloaded in Amap or Apple Maps before you leave Wi-Fi.
  • Screenshots of your hotel address in Chinese characters, plus the booking number.
  • A second way to pay — Alipay and WeChat both need data, so carry ¥200–500 in cash.
  • Your hotel’s phone number saved offline. Reception can call a taxi for you.

⚠ Crucial Tips

  • Do not buy at the airport unless you have no choice — the markup is 2–3×.
  • Check hotspot support if you plan to tether a laptop or a second phone.
  • Data-only plans have no phone number, which some restaurant queues and delivery apps require.
  • Power bank rule: any power bank you carry must have its mAh printed on it, or it gets confiscated at security.

Sort payments next

Data without a payment method still leaves you stuck at the till. Set up Alipay with a foreign card before you fly, then read maps & Didi for getting around.