China Golden Week 2026 Travel Checklist: Dates, Trains, eSIM and Payments
China's Golden Week runs 1 to 7 October 2026, right after the Mid-Autumn holiday. If you are travelling in China that week, here is what to book, set up and expect before you fly.
Quick answer: China's National Day Golden Week 2026 runs from Thursday 1 October to Wednesday 7 October, with Saturday 10 October and Sunday 20 September as make-up working days. The Mid-Autumn Festival holiday comes first, on 25-27 September. If you travel in China that week, book trains the moment tickets open, reserve major sights in advance with your passport, set up Alipay with a foreign card and install your China eSIM at home before arrival.
Key takeaways
- Golden Week 2026: 1-7 October. Mid-Autumn Festival holiday: 25-27 September. Make-up workdays: 20 September and 10 October.
- Train tickets on China Railway's 12306 platform open about 15 days before travel, and Golden Week trains can sell out very quickly.
- Many headline sights, including the Palace Museum in Beijing, need real-name reservations with your passport.
- Foreigners complete China's arrival card online within 3 days before arrival on the official NIA platform.
Which network you get, and what it really costs
In China the Fizen eSIM roams on China Mobile (3G/4G/5G). This is a China-only plan. At 128 kbps you can still send messages and load map tiles, but not hold a video call.
| Plan | Days | Price | Per day | Per GB | After the high-speed data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | 3 | US$11.93 | US$3.98 | n/a | no throttle stated |
| Unlimited | 5 | US$19.29 | US$3.86 | n/a | no throttle stated |
| Unlimited | 7 | US$27.38 | US$3.91 | n/a | no throttle stated |
| Unlimited | 10 | US$35.52 | US$3.55 | n/a | no throttle stated |
| Unlimited | 15 | US$49.75 | US$3.32 | n/a | no throttle stated |
| Unlimited | 30 | US$70.44 | US$2.35 | n/a | no throttle stated |
| 1 GB | 3 | US$7.33 | US$2.44 | US$7.33 | slows to 384 kbps |
| 3 GB | 3 | US$9.59 | US$3.20 | US$3.20 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 3 GB | 7 | US$10.09 | US$1.44 | US$3.36 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 5 GB | 7 | US$14.63 | US$2.09 | US$2.93 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 5 GB | 15 | US$15.14 | US$1.01 | US$3.03 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 5 GB | 30 | US$15.64 | US$0.52 | US$3.13 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 10 GB | 7 | US$24.67 | US$3.52 | US$2.47 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 10 GB | 15 | US$25.69 | US$1.71 | US$2.57 | slows to 128 kbps |
Prices and carrier read from the Fizen catalogue on 23 September 2026. Data only, no calls or SMS.
Prices are before the welcome credit. A new user who opens the eSIM tab in the Fizen app for the first time gets US$10 of eSIM credit automatically, with no code, valid for 12 months. The app shows how much of it comes off your order. Paying by card on the web works too, but the credit only applies in the app.
Picture the platform at a big Chinese railway station on 1 October: a sea of wheeled suitcases, every train listed as full, and you standing there refreshing a booking app that will not load because your roaming data gave up an hour ago. Golden Week is one of the largest travel peaks on the planet, and it rewards people who prepare.
When is Golden Week in China in 2026?
The official 2026 public holiday schedule from China's State Council puts the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day close together this year, which stretches the travel peak across two weekends.
| Date (2026) | What happens | What it means for travellers |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday 20 September | Make-up working day | Normal weekday traffic on a Sunday |
| Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September | Mid-Autumn Festival holiday | First wave of trips, busy trains and family gatherings |
| Thursday 1 to Wednesday 7 October | National Day Golden Week | Peak domestic travel, crowded sights, higher hotel prices |
| Saturday 10 October | Make-up working day | Offices open, return travel mostly finished |
| From 15 October | Canton Fair Phase 1 in Guangzhou | Business travel into Guangzhou picks up |
Golden Week pre-flight checklist
- Entry documents. Check whether your passport needs a visa or qualifies for a visa-free or transit visa-free policy. Rules differ by nationality and change, so confirm with the National Immigration Administration or your Chinese embassy.
- Online arrival card completed on the official NIA platform within 3 days before arrival. Avoid lookalike sites that charge a fee.
- Phone eSIM-capable and carrier-unlocked.
- China eSIM installed and tested at home on Wi-Fi. Keep your home SIM on for bank codes.
- Alipay set up with passport verification and a linked Visa or Mastercard. Add WeChat Pay too if you can.
- 12306 or a trusted agency account created and passport-verified before tickets open.
- Attraction reservations made in advance for big-name sights, using the same passport you will carry.
- Offline copies. Hotel names and addresses in Chinese characters, train tickets and reservation confirmations as screenshots.
- Power bank in your carry-on within airline limits. Queues, QR codes and maps will drain your phone.
Why your own data matters so much in China during Golden Week
In most countries you can get by on café Wi-Fi. In China during a holiday peak, your phone is your ticket, your wallet and your map at the same time, and public Wi-Fi often needs a local phone number to log in.
- Payments. Alipay and WeChat Pay need data for most scans, from breakfast buns to metro rides.
- Tickets. Train tickets, attraction reservations and museum QR codes live on your phone, and schedules change.
- Messaging home. WhatsApp, Gmail, Google Maps and Instagram are blocked on local Chinese networks and most Wi-Fi.
- Navigation. Local map apps and ride-hailing need live location, especially when crowds reroute you.
- Translation. Camera translation for menus and signs in smaller cities.
How do foreigners book trains in China for Golden Week?
China's high-speed rail network is the best way to move between cities, and the official China Railway 12306 website and app have an English version for foreign passport holders. You need to create an account, complete identity verification with your passport, and then book.
- Create a 12306 account and complete passport verification a week or more before you travel.
- Note the sale time: tickets usually open about 15 days before the travel date, at a set morning time Beijing time.
- Book the moment tickets open for 30 September, 1 October and the return days around 6-7 October.
- Pay with an international card or China UnionPay as offered at checkout.
- On travel day, arrive early: security and passport checks at big stations take longer during the holiday.
If you cannot get seats, look at earlier or later trains, second-tier stations in the same city, or split the journey. Trusted booking agencies can also submit requests before sale time, but availability is never certain on peak days.
How to pay in China as a tourist
| Situation | What usually works | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants, snacks, small shops | Alipay or WeChat Pay with a linked foreign card | Fees can apply above a certain amount, check the app |
| Metro in major cities | Alipay ride codes, and in some cities foreign contactless cards at gates | Look for card logos on the gates before tapping |
| Trains | 12306 or agencies with international cards | Keep your passport handy, it is your ticket at the gate |
| Hotels | International cards, Alipay | Expect a deposit hold at check-in |
| Rural stalls and temples | Local QR payments, sometimes cash | Carry some yuan cash as a backup |
Alipay supports international cards from major networks, including Visa and Mastercard, once your passport is verified. Set it up at home, make one small test payment on arrival, and keep a modest amount of cash for the occasional place that will not take a foreign-linked wallet.
Terms and conditions
- Information only. This checklist is general travel information, not legal, immigration, financial or investment advice.
- For readers in the United States. This article provides information only. It is not an offer, solicitation or sale of any product or service, and it is not financial, investment, legal or tax advice. Fizen is not offered to US Persons.
- Event details can change. Dates, venues, phases and schedules are set by the organisers and can change. Check the official website before you book flights or hotels.
- Entry rules are official-source only. Visa, travel-authorisation and arrival-card rules are set by the destination's government, differ by passport and can change. Confirm them on the official sites linked here before you fly.
- Plans vary. eSIM prices, data allowances, hotspot support and validity depend on the plan and are shown on the checkout page, which takes precedence over this article. Your phone must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked. Travel eSIMs are data-only, with no calls or SMS.
- No affiliation. Fizen is not affiliated with China Railway, the Palace Museum, Alipay, WeChat Pay or any carrier, attraction or app named here.
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Sources
- State Council 2026 public holiday arrangements (English, Beijing Haidian government)
- China Railway 12306 English FAQ
- Chinese Embassy: China launches online arrival card
- The Palace Museum official ticket booking
Information checked in September 2026. Holiday dates, ticketing rules and entry requirements can change: confirm on the official sources before you travel.
