What To Pack For China (Carry-On Only!)

So, you’re heading to China on an adventure and aren’t sure what to pack? You aren’t alone!

As a typical type A personality and self confessed overpacker, the thought of packing for China’s massive geography PLUS cultural nuances left me stressed!

Luckily, I had all I needed for our 14-day adventure across China packed neatly in my carry-on luggage.

In this blog post, I’ll cover a complete packing list of all the things you need for a China trip, from clothing to tech accessories.

🤫 I’ll even sneak in some packing tips and tricks that help me pack in carry on only!

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Beijing China Mini Guide

How to travel Beijing, China in bite-sized form to help you plan less and travel more!
Want to watch not read? Check out the China Vlogs here.

Temple of Heaven Beijing China JORDAN AND EMILY TRAVEL COUPLE

Best time to visit

Peak Tourist Season (July to August)
Best Time to Travel (Spring or Autumn)

Where to stay

TOP ATTRACTIONS

More on china

*prices shown are accurate at the time of writing and, unless otherwise stated are in USD.

China’s Climate & How It Affects Your Packing

Okay, understanding the weather across China’s regions is going to help us decide what to pack because let’s be real – it’s a massive country with diverse climates!

So, what you pack is going to largely depend on when and where you are visiting! To help, let’s break it down by region and season to make sure you can pack smart!

🌸 Spring (March – May)

Definitely one of the best times to visit China, with mild temperatures and blooming flowers. However, the weather can be unpredictable, with changing temperatures.

With that in mind, you should consider light layers and a rain jacket!

🍂 Autumn (September – November)

This is when we visited and it was a dream come true, crisp air, blue skies and colourful foliage!

With the mixed weather, we did need layers, a rain jacket and beanie!

☀️ Summer (June – August)

Summers in China can be brutally hot, especially in the big cities. BUT, if you’re heading to southern China, expect heavy rainfall due to the monsoon season.

So, you’ll want breathable lightweight clothing and maybe even a portable fan to stay cool!

❄️ Winter (December – February)

Winters in northern China, including Beijing and Harbin, can be freezing. Southern China (like Guangzhou), however, remains relatively mild.

Make sure to bring a heavy coat/down jacket, thermal layers and insulated boots!

Must-Have Travel Documents & Essentials for China

Before we get into the fun fashion things, let’s firstly go over the boring adult stuff that we need to take care of.

You’ll need to check your passport and visa requirements, to do this, we use SherpaTravel.com. Not only is this up to date and easy to use, but it will also show insight into any required health declarations, customs forms and more! Can you tell we love this service? 😂

Next, let’s talk about travel insurance, before your eyes glaze over, I promise to make this quick! Travel insurance is one of those unsexy things that, if you’re anything like me, you always wonder if you actually need it. Well, it only took one trip to the hospital for us to completely and fully understand the importance of having travel insurance.

We have been travelling full time for three years, across 6 continents and over 50 countries. Through it all, SafetyWing has had us covered!

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Okay, now that’s out of the way, let’s get to the packing list!

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China Packing List

Now, everyone has different priorities when they are packing.

Given I am providing you with my recommended packing list, I thought it would be helpful to know what kind of packer I am! For me, when I travel, I want to feel comfortable and ensure I have respectful attire for Cultural Sites. Given we also spend most of our time walking, suitable footwear is key!

And, all of this needs to fit into a cute carry-on luggage, please and thank you!

Clothing Packing List

Of course, your packing list will vary depending on a couple of factors, like:

🤔 how long your trip is
🗺️ where you are heading
🧳 how big your bag is!

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Tops, Shirts & More!

1x lightweight long-sleeve shirt (for layering, sun protection, or chilly evenings)
1x warmer layer (sweater, hoodie, or fleece) (for cool mornings/evenings)
4x breathable tops (T-shirts/tank tops/blouses) (quick-dry if possible)
1x linen long sleeve button up (great if you need to cover shoulders for cultural sites)
1x casual dress

Bottoms

1x comfortable travel pants (like linen wide leg pants, lightweight, quick-dry)
1x jeans
1x shorts (for warmer days)
1x skirt (for warmer days)
3x comfy leggings or joggers (for flights, train rides, or lounging)

Footwear

1x comfortable sneakers or walking shoes (for all-day exploring)
1x sandals/slides (if visiting warmer areas)

Underwear

6x undies
2x bras
6x pairs of socks

Extras

1x workout outfit (Pre-trip Emily always thinks she will do a workout mid-vacation! 💪)
1x hat (for sun protection)
1x sunglasses 😎
1x rain jacket (better safe than sorry!)
1x swimwear

Other Items to Pack

Now we’ve covered all of the clothing, it’s time to fill up the rest of your bag with all the extras.

Health and Hygiene Essentials

Now, you never know what is going to happen when you are on vacation. Being prepared is key, so I always bring a small pouch filled with a basic First Aid Kit.

For us, this includes:
💊 Painkillers
🩹 Bandaids
➕ Personal Medications
🖐️ Hand Sanitizer
👻 Small Packet of Tissues
🧴 Sunscreen
💩 Diarrhea Relief
🐛 Insect Repellent

For your liquid bits and pieces, I highly recommend the silicone travel bottles. This way, you can decant just enough for your trip and not waste space!

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Hygiene Essentials

Of course, you are also going to need your hygiene essentials:

🦷 Toothpaste
🪥 Toothbrushes
💇 Hair Brush
🧖 Skincare (basics for me is oil cleanser, second cleanser and moisturiser)
🧴 Travel Size Toiletries* (deodorant)

*Note, we never bring shampoo, conditioner, soap or body moisturiser. We just hope for the best that the accommodations will have us stocked!

Tech and Communications

If I’m honest, this is one of the categories that Jordan takes full control of! I am in full passenger princess mode when it comes to all things tech.

With that being said, there are a few things I always double check we have packed for any vacation.

The correct outlet adapter is key – nothing worse than needing to run around on your first day in a country trying to find an adapter to use! Save yourself the stress and order it before you leave.

Next is a portable charger! When we are out adventuring for the day, we are using our phones all the time, taking photos, using maps, looking up where to eat, ordering Ubers! With all this use it is no surprise that my battery can get very low (much to Jordan’s disgust) ! 🪫

Another sneaky tech necessity is a sim card tray removal tool, we have found the joy of eSims so no longer need these BUT we always have one tucked away in Jordan’s phone case just in case!

In summary, for tech make sure you bring these three things:

⚡ Outlet Adapter
🔋 Portable Charger
📲 Sim Car Tray Remover

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Misc Must-Haves

These are nice to have but not super necessary.

💦 Water Bottle
🎒 Day Pack

If you are big on hiking or often find yourself short on water on a day out, picking up a reusable water bottle is a good idea.

To up your game even more, check out these that use UV rays to clean the water for you!

And finally a daypack, something you can put in your hat, glasses and phone while you wander around!

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Packing Tips & Tricks

I am team packing cubes all the way! I genuinely think that if you don’t like them you either haven’t used them (correctly) yet. The fact I can have my shirts in one section, pants in another and shoes all wrapped up makes me very happy.

If I can’t get you into them just on organisation alone, picture this! You are going through security and they ask you to open your bag so they can inspect it, you oblige and out falls your underwear for everyone to see. NO THANK YOU!

Now, let’s talk rolling vs folding, unlike the packing cubes, this is not the hill I will die on. I roll what’s flexible/small and fold the big bulky items, but you do you!

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