China Packing List Generator

Select your season and activities to get a customized packing checklist.

By Guilin & Yangshuo Travel Guide · Published · Updated

Tell us when you're coming and what you plan to do — we'll generate a packing checklist with all the essentials plus activity-specific items. Check items off as you pack.

When are you going?

What will you do?

Your Packing List

Essentials (always pack these):

  • Passport (valid 6+ months, 2+ blank pages)
  • Printed visa (if not using TWOV)
  • Travel insurance documents
  • Cash (at least 500 RMB in small bills)
  • Power bank (20,000 mAh max for flights)
  • Universal power adapter (China uses Type A/C/I)
  • VPN installed and tested on all devices
  • Offline maps downloaded
  • Translation app with Chinese downloaded offline
  • Photocopies of passport and visa
  • Basic first aid: plasters, painkillers, antihistamine
  • Hand sanitizer and wet wipes

Activity & season-specific:

  • Sturdy walking shoes
  • Daypack
  • Water bottle
  • Sun hat
  • Comfortable shorts/leggings
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen SPF 50+
  • Small backpack
  • Light rain jacket
  • Lightweight scarf
  • Layers for evenings

How the Generator Works

Your Season Decides the Layers

Guilin weather swings from 40°C humid summers to cold, damp winters. The list adapts: rain shell and dry bags in spring, sun protection in summer, layers for December.

Activity Modules

Pick what you'll actually do — cycling, climbing, rafting, photography — and the list adds the specific gear. Each item can be checked off as it goes in the bag.

Two Things People Always Forget

Toilet paper and a power bank. Rural public toilets rarely provide the first, and a dead phone in a village with no English signage is the second's specialty. Everything else is covered below.