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Essentials: the questions I answer before every trip

Practical answers about travelling in China and on the plateau — permits and visas, driving, money, water and toilets, photography, altitude and medicine. Written from what I deal with on the road, and from nothing else.

By TK Chang Western Sichuan, Qinghai & Yunnan
Start here

Most of what actually goes wrong on a trip to this part of China is administrative rather than physical: whether you are allowed to drive, whether you need a permit, how you pay for anything, how you get in. These pages answer those questions directly, and they say plainly when the answer depends on your passport.

Before you book

Entry
Do I need a visa for China?
Thirty days without a visa for about 50 countries, and a 240-hour transit route if yours is not on the list.
Permits
Do I need a permit for Western Sichuan?
No — and that is the single biggest advantage this region has. What the word “Tibet” does and does not require.
Driving
Can I drive in China myself?
Not on your own licence, and not on an International Driving Permit. Why the bar is so much higher here.
Timing
When should I come?
Two windows a year to avoid — and why they are about crowds rather than weather.

Getting there and around

Getting there
How do you get out of Chengdu?
Driver, bus, your own car or a flight — and what each one costs you in freedom.
On the road
How long are the drives?
Two to four hours between townships, mostly on asphalt — and why “only 150 km” is still a morning.

Money and daily life

Money
How do you pay for things?
Two apps, set up before you fly — and which plastic card actually works if you insist.
Paying
How do I set it up, step by step?
The order to do things in before you fly — and the app to try when a card refuses to link.
Costs
What does everyday life cost?
Noodles ¥10–20, a dish ¥15–30, dinner for two ¥60–120. Plus the one figure I won't give you.
Tipping
Do I need to tip?
No. There is no tipping culture here, and not leaving one is the normal thing.
Water
Can I drink the tap water?
Not straight from the tap — bottled, or boiled and drunk hot, is what everyone here does.
Toilets
What are the toilets like?
Mostly squat, and wildly uneven — but free ones are easy to find. Carry your own tissue.
Getting online
SIM, eSIM or roaming?
A physical SIM is the safest bet — what breaks is not data, it's the text message.

People, culture and safety

Language
Does anyone speak English here?
Mandarin reaches almost everywhere; English mostly does not. What that means for your trip.
Safety
Is China safe to travel in?
Yes, generally — with two qualifications, and one part of it that is yours to carry.
Travelling alone
Is it safe for a woman alone?
Yes — and the things that actually need care on this trip are somewhere else entirely.
Photography
Can I photograph people and monasteries?
Ask first, and most people say yes. What the signs inside a monastery mean.
Festivals
Which festivals can I see?
The one page here with no list on it — and the honest reason why.

Health and gear

Altitude
Will altitude sickness be a problem?
For most people, no. What I actually see, and the three steps if it turns.
If you get ill
What if I get ill out here?
A health centre in every township, pharmacies in the small towns, and 120 for an ambulance.
Insurance
Do I need travel insurance?
Yes — and one specific question to ask your insurer before you buy.
Drones
Can I bring a drone to China?
No. The one answer on this site that has no workaround — and what to bring instead.

Apps and getting things done

Ten pages on the practical machinery of being here: the apps that run trains, taxis, food, hotels and maps — and how to use them when you do not read Chinese.

Start here
Which apps do I actually need?
Two of them matter more than all the rest. The full list, and the order to install it in.
Trains
How do I ride a high-speed train?
Your passport is the ticket — and check which station, because the cities have several.
City transport
How do I use the metro and buses?
One QR code in Alipay covers both. No more standing at the ticket machine.
Taxis
How do I call a taxi?
DiDi in English, paid in the app — and you never have to say a word to the driver.
Delivery
How does food delivery work?
Meituan, thirty minutes to your hotel door, through a translation button.
Restaurants
How do I find a good restaurant?
Dianping and Meituan, and the three numbers that let you choose without reading a word.
Things to do
How do I find what's worth seeing?
Xiaohongshu to decide, Meituan to book — and book early, because the famous ones sell out.
Hotels
How do I book a hotel?
Trip.com, plus the foreign-guest rule that can turn you away at the desk.
Shopping
How do I shop online?
Electronics from JD, everything else from Taobao — and the one habit that avoids fakes.
Maps
Which map app should I use?
Amap — because it carries the Chinese names that are written on the signs.

Where these answers come from

From driving these roads and dealing with the consequences, not from a guidebook. The counts are mine — how many guests have had altitude trouble, what I have seen at rental counters in Chengdu. Where a figure comes from somewhere else, it says so on the page.

The one thing you should never take as settled is entry policy: visa-free lists and permit rules in this part of China have changed several times in the past two years, and they will change again. Each page says what to check and where.

These pages are published in the site's languages as each one is translated — use the language menu at the top to switch. None of these answers involves a price, because I don't publish prices here.

Where this comes up

Trips where this actually matters. Each one is a route I have driven.

Route
A five-day Sichuan loop from Chengdu: Siguniang, Danba, Tagong & Leshan — TK's Travel Book
Route
Chengdu to Yushu: fourteen days across Kham — Danba, Tagong, Litang, Derge & the road into Qinghai
Route
Xining to Chengdu the long way: three days over Qinghai Lake, Anemaqen and the road home
Route
Yushu to Chengdu in winter: seven days down the Kham corridor — TK's Travel Book
Route
Chengdu day trip: Shangli Old Town in the morning, bobo chicken and the Grand Buddha in Leshan — TK's Travel Book

See all five routes