The best eSIM for China, and why your maps will not work without one

Google Maps, WhatsApp and Gmail are blocked on Chinese networks. A travel eSIM that routes through Hong Kong or Singapore fixes all of it.

Chinese mobile networks block Google services, WhatsApp, Instagram and most Western news sites. A travel eSIM from a non-Chinese provider routes your data through Hong Kong, Singapore or Japan, so everything you use at home keeps working, including WhatsApp to your guide. Buy it before you fly, install it at home, and turn it on when you land.

What to look for. Coverage on China Unicom or China Mobile, a plan of at least 1 GB a day (maps and translation eat data), and the words "no VPN required" in the description. Most of the well-known travel eSIM brands have a China plan; prices are around US$1–2 per day.

Maps. Even with the eSIM, Google Maps data for China is offset by up to a few hundred metres and often out of date. Use Apple Maps (which uses local map data in China) or Amap's English version. Every stop on our tours comes with the Chinese name and a link that opens in both.

Hotel wifi. Is Chinese, so blocked. Keep the eSIM on, or use your phone as a hotspot for your laptop.