China Travel Guide 2025 for Russians: visa, money, transport, safety
Up-to-date information for traveling to China after the changes of 2024-2025. Personal experience of a guide living in Shanghai for 8 years + practical instructions.
✍️ Personal experience
My name is Alexander, I've been living in Shanghai for 8 years and have been conducting tours for Russian tourists since 2017. This guide contains only up-to-date information verified by myself and our guests in 2024-2025. I answer questions on Telegram.
🏙️ This guide is relevant for travelers from Russia to Chinese cities:
For tourists from Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok and other Russian cities planning a trip to China in 2025.
A Russian-speaking guide in China will help you avoid language barriers and advise current prices in yuan and rubles for budget planning.
📑 Guide contents:
📋 Trip preparation: documents, money, communication (2025)
1. Visa to China for Russians in 2025
Status: Visa is required. Visa-free regime has not been introduced (as of March 2025).
Application process (valid for 2025):
- Where to apply: Chinese consulates in Moscow (6 Druzhby St.), Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Khabarovsk
- Processing time: 5-7 business days (regular), 3-4 days (urgent), 1-2 days (express)
- Cost: 4500 rub (regular), 6500 rub (urgent), 9000 rub (express)
- Documents: Passport (valid for 6+ months), application form, photo 3.5x4.5 cm, hotel and flight bookings
❓ Need help with your visa? We assist our tourists with document preparation and consultation. Write on Telegram →
2. Communication and internet in China 2025
Working VPNs in 2025 (personally tested):
- Astrill VPN - most reliable, but expensive ($10-15/month)
- ExpressVPN - works intermittently, often blocked
- LetsVPN - Chinese VPN, cheap ($3/month), but mobile only
📱 SIM card: At Shanghai (PVG/SHA) and Beijing (PEK) airports, there are China Mobile/China Unicom counters. For tourists: 30 days, 20 GB - 150 yuan (≈1500 rub). Passport required.
💳 Payment in China: what works in 2025
The most common question from tourists in 2025. The situation is changing; here is the current information as of March 2025:
Comparison of payment methods in China (March 2025)
| Payment method | Where it works | Commission | Our rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash yuan (CNY) | Everywhere (hotels, taxis, markets, street food) | 0% | |
| UnionPay card (Gazprombank) | 95% of places: supermarkets, restaurants, hotels | ||
| Alipay with foreign card | |||
| Visa/Mastercard from Russian banks | |||
| MIR card |
💰 Recommendation for 2025:
Take with you:
- Cash dollars/euros to exchange for yuan (1 USD ≈ 7.2 CNY, 1 EUR ≈ 7.8 CNY)
- UnionPay card (issued at Gazprombank in 3 business days)
- Alipay TourCard - virtual card for tourists (top-up with any card)
Currency exchange: at airports the rate is worse. Exchange at Bank of China or ICBC banks in the city.
🔧 Detailed instructions for setting up payment systems: Alipay for tourists and WeChat Pay in China.
💰 Travel budget for China in 2025
Based on the experience of our tourists (January-February 2025):
🏨 Accommodation
Budget option: Hostels, guest houses - 80-150 yuan/night (≈800-1500 rub)
Mid-range: 3* hotels - 200-350 yuan/night (≈2000-3500 rub)
Comfort: 4* hotels - 400-600 yuan/night (≈4000-6000 rub)
🍜 Food
Street food: 15-30 yuan/portion (≈150-300 rub)
Cafes/restaurants: 40-80 yuan/person (≈400-800 rub)
Mid-range restaurants: 80-150 yuan/person (≈800-1500 rub)
Water 1.5L: 3-5 yuan (≈30-50 rub)
🚗 Transport
Metro: 3-7 yuan/ride (≈30-70 rub)
Taxi: Start 14 yuan, then 2.5 yuan/km (≈140+25/km rub)
Train Beijing-Shanghai: 550-1750 yuan (≈5500-17500 rub)
Flight Moscow-Beijing: from 45,000 rub round-trip
📊 Final budget for 10 days (per person):
- Economy: 85,000 - 100,000 rub (no excursions, hostels, street food)
- Standard: 120,000 - 150,000 rub (3* hotel, restaurants, 2-3 excursions)
- Comfort: 180,000 - 250,000 rub (4* hotel, good restaurants, guided tours)
Prices valid as of March 2025. Exchange rate: 1 yuan ≈ 10 rub.
🚆 Transport in China for tourists 2025
✈️ How to get to China from Russia (2025)
From Moscow to Beijing
Airlines: Aeroflot, China Southern, Hainan Airlines
Price: from 45,000 rub round-trip (low season)
Time: 7-8 hours direct flight
Airports: Sheremetyevo (SVO) → Beijing (PEK)
From Saint Petersburg to Shanghai
Airlines: China Eastern (via Moscow)
Price: from 52,000 rub with transfer
Tip: Often cheaper to fly via Moscow
Airports: Pulkovo (LED) → Shanghai (PVG)
From Vladivostok to Beijing
Airlines: Aurora, China Eastern
Price: from 25,000 rub round-trip
Time: 2.5 hours direct flight
Advantage: Close and inexpensive
For tourists from Russia it is especially important to book tickets in advance (2-3 months) for the best prices. Direct flights are available from Moscow to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou.
🚄 High-speed trains (GAO TIE) 2025
🚄 Current prices and schedule (2025):
Beijing - Shanghai: 4.5 hours, 550-1750 yuan (≈5500-17500 rub)
Shanghai - Hangzhou: 1 hour, 75-150 yuan (≈750-1500 rub)
Shanghai - Suzhou: 25 minutes, 35-80 yuan (≈350-800 rub)
How to buy: Via Trip.com (without VPN) or at station ticket offices. Passport required!
🚖 Airport transfer 2025
🎯 The most convenient option:
Book a transfer on Trip.com - the driver meets you with a sign, fixed price, inexpensive. Ideal for those who are not good at navigating or arrive late.
🚕 Taxi from the airport
Official city taxis are available at airports (follow the "Taxi" signs):
- Operating: 24/7
- Payment: Cash yuan or Alipay (支付宝) by meter
- Price to city center: 200-300 yuan by meter (daytime), at night - night rate (20-30% more expensive)
- Important: Make sure the driver turns on the meter and follows the navigator!
🚇 Metro in Chinese cities 2025
Operating hours from airport to city: from 6:00 to 23:20 (check at the specific airport)
💳 Metro payment:
- Cash yuan - at service windows (change given)
- Alipay - "Transport" section → "Metro code" (most convenient)
- UnionPay card - at service windows
- Transport cards (Shanghai Public Transportation Card) - deposit 20 yuan, top-up from 50 yuan
📱 Useful apps for metro:
- MetroMan - best option for tourists, available in English, shows routes and times
- Apple Maps (on iPhone) - built-in metro map with route calculation
- Baidu Maps/Amap - Chinese alternatives, but only in Chinese
Need to pay for two people on the metro with one phone? Go to the glass service counter in the metro and ask them to set up the code for two people. Staff will help (show this phrase in Chinese: 请帮我设置地铁码可以两个人用).
🚌 Buses and night transport 2025
Night buses from the airport: Available at major airports (Shanghai PVG, Beijing PEK). Operate from 23:00 to 6:00. Routes and schedules are available at information stands.
City buses: Difficult for tourists - all announcements are in Chinese, exact change required. Not recommended for beginner tourists.
🚗 Taxi in the city 2025
DiDi (Chinese Uber) - works through Alipay (支付宝) with foreign cards.
Street taxi: Hail on the street. Green/blue/yellow cars are official taxis.
✅ Taxi safety rules:
- Immediately check that the meter is on
- Have a map app to monitor the route
- Save your hotel address in Chinese characters on your phone
- If something is wrong - call 110 (police)
1. From the airport - transfer on Trip.com or official taxi
2. Around the city - metro (Alipay) + DiDi for taxis
3. Between cities - high-speed trains via Trip.com
4. Always have cash yuan for emergencies!
🚗 Need a transfer or help with transport? I can help book train tickets, order a transfer, or figure out local transport. Write on Telegram →
🏯 Main attractions of China 2025
🏯 Great Wall of China
📍 Beijing: Badaling (crowded) or Mutianyu (less crowded)
💰 Entry: 45-60 yuan (≈450-600 rub)
🚌 How to get: Tour from Beijing - 300-500 yuan/person with transfer
⏱️ Time: 6-8 hours including travel
👑 Forbidden City (Gugong)
📍 Beijing: City center
💰 Entry: 60 yuan (≈600 rub), audio guide - 40 yuan
🎫 Booking: Via WeChat (微信) (VPN required) or on site
⏱️ Time: 3-5 hours
🌃 The Bund (Waitan)
📍 Shanghai: Huangpu District
💰 Entry: Free
🚇 Metro: East Nanjing Road station (line 2,10)
🌟 Best time: 19:00-22:00 (skyscraper lighting)
⛰️ Huangshan Mountains
📍 Anhui Province: 4 hours by train from Shanghai
💰 Entry: 230 yuan (≈2300 rub) in season
🏨 Accommodation: Hotels on the summit - from 800 yuan/night
⏱️ Time: 2-3 days
🎯 Want to see all the most interesting places? I conduct private tours of Shanghai and its surroundings. Check out our Shanghai tours and tours to water towns.
🛡️ Safety and health in China 2025
👮 Safety
China is one of the safest countries. Crime rate is low.
Risks:
- Pickpocketing in tourist areas
- Taxi scams (make sure the meter is on!)
- Counterfeit goods at markets
Emergency numbers: 110 - police, 120 - ambulance
🏥 Health
Medicine: High quality but expensive for foreigners.
Insurance: Mandatory! Better with $50,000+ coverage.
Pharmacies: Look for the sign 药店. Many medicines are prescription-only.
What to bring: Personal medications, stomach remedies, band-aids.
🍽️ Food safety
Safe: Street food in popular spots, fruits (wash them!), bottled water
Be cautious: Raw meat/fish, unpasteurized dairy products
Water: Do not drink tap water! Buy bottled (农夫山泉, 怡宝)
Restaurants: Look for places with locals (where there's a queue).
❓ Frequently asked questions about traveling to China (2025)
Worst time: July-August (heat, humidity, crowds), January-February (cold, Chinese New Year - everything closed).
Special periods: October 1-7 (National Day) - avoid, everything is overcrowded.
- Lunch in a cafe: 40-80¥
- Taxi 10 km: 40-50¥
- Museum ticket: 30-100¥
- Bottle of water: 3-5¥
- Beer at a bar: 20-40¥
In general, a day without excursions will cost 300-500¥ per person.
💡 Top tips and lifehacks for traveling to China 2025
📱 Digital lifehacks
- Install a VPN BEFORE arrival (Astrill, ExpressVPN)
- Download: Alipay (支付宝) (payment), DiDi (taxi), WeChat (微信) (communication), Pleco (translator)
- Buy an eSIM if your phone supports it (cheaper than local SIM)
- Bring a power bank - outlets are not everywhere
💰 Financial lifehacks
- Exchange money at banks, not at the airport
- Take a UnionPay card (Gazprombank) + cash
- Keep receipts - they may be checked at customs
- Bargain at markets - reduce the price by 50-70%
🚶 Tourist lifehacks
- Bring tissues - there is no paper in toilets
- Walking shoes - lots of walking tours
- Hotel address in Chinese - show to taxi drivers
- Avoid holidays - Chinese New Year, October 1-7
🎯 Conclusion
Traveling to China in 2025 is an amazing experience that requires preparation. Main changes compared to 2019:
- Payment: MIR cards do not work, Visa/Mastercard - with limitations
- Communication: VPN is mandatory, install BEFORE your trip
- Prices: Increased by 15-20% since 2019
- Transport: Train tickets now only online (via Trip.com)