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After living in China for just over two years, I have gotten a feeling for what to pack for China in winter. Like most large countries, the temperatures vary, with some parts receiving heavy snowfall, and others with none at all.
Hence what you’ll need to pack for winter in China depends heavily on what region you’re visiting. This China packing list for winter focuses on moderate winter, but if you’re visiting the north or an area where there’ll be snow the entire trip, I’ve added some extra items in for you below.
This packing list for best suit a 2-4 week trip with an emphasis on keeping your baggage weight down. Hotels can often arrange laundry for you if needed.
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What you’ll find in this Spring China packing list:
- Weather & Season (quick) information
- Advice on what to wear in China in Winter (and what else to pack)
- Safety and health tips
- Brief overview of sightseeing ideas and where to stay
What to Wear in China in Winter
- Pants x 2-3: Jeans or another type of warm pants will serve you well here. If you’re going to the far north invest in pants made for cold weather, especially if you plan to spend time in the snow.
- Leggings x 1-2: In the south you will be able to skate by with leggings under a dress if teamed with a coat. Otherwise they’re a good option to wear around the hotel room.
- Dress x 2: Pick dresses that keep the heat in. You should pair this with the leggings. If dresses aren’t your thing add an extra top.
- Tops x 4-5: If visiting the North make sure these are long sleeved and/or warm.
- Cardigan x 1-2: Layer it underneath your coat, or for slightly warmer days.
- Coat x 1: Pick a color that goes with everything you’ve bought – black is a personal favourite of mine. If you have the room bring a second however these do tend to take up a lot of space and a chunk of your weight limit.
- Scarf x 1-2: These are also easily bought in China if you need extras.
- Boots x 1: One pair should do, two if you have space left in your suitcase. Make sure they’re appropriate for snow if that’s likely at the time of your visit. Make sure they’re suitable for hiking if you plan to hike.
- Socks x 4: Or socklets basing on the temperatures expected.
- Underwear x 7 / bras x 5
- Gloves x 1-2: Also easily found in China but bring atleast one pair from home to get you started.
- Beenie (woolen hat / tuque) x 1-2: These are quite popular in China. I’d advise bringing atleast one from home and buy some cute ones while on your trip.
What to Pack for Winter in China
Make up & Toiletries
- Toothpaste and toothbrush: However nearly every hotel in China will give you a free set in your room.
- Normal makeup: Whatever you normally put on your face. Don’t forget a compact makeup bag like this one.
- Moisturizer: Keep your skin hydrated (if you have room).
- Tissues: You can buy these practically anywhere in China but grab a travel sized pack to start with for entry, especially if you’re going to a colder area or not used to winters (Australians take note).
- Tampons: While you’ll have no trouble finding pads in China, tampons can be hard to find.
- Cold & flu tablets: If you have room bring western cold and flu tablets, especially if you’re partial to getting sick in cold weather. You can get medicine at chemists in China (mime a sneeze) but you’ll get the Chinese version of the medicine which some feel isn’t as strong as western medicine.
- Chinese heat packs: You can find these in chemists in China and they’re quite cheap. They’re self heating adhesives that you can stick to your body on cold days. As a bonus they’re also used to put on sore muscles.
Technology
- Camera + 2-3 batteries + charger. I use the Sony a6500 + 19mm f/2.8 and would 100% recommend it. Remember the cold will make you go through your batteries faster, so bring more than normal especially if going somewhere with a temperature in the minuses.
- 2-3x 8 or 16gb memory cards: It’s better to spread your pictures out across memory cards incase one gets broken or lost.
- Phone + charger
- Portable battery charger / power bank. Incase you’re phone dies when you need it, having a portable charger is always handy and they’re pretty cheap. Note: if you fly internally, or when you leave China, customs will take these from you. I haven’t had any problems getting them into China though, it seems to just be a rule enforced by Chinese officials if you get onto a flight in China.
- Adapter for plugs so you can charge your electronics. I personally love this one – see price.
Everything Else
- Photocopies of important documents such as your passport. Leave one at home with friends or family and one with you (kept in a separate spot to your passport).
- 2+ bank cards. NEVER travel to a foreign country with only one bank card as there are times where it may get stolen, scanned (and then cancelled by your bank), overdrawn, not accepted or eaten by the machine. This has happened to me multiple times.
Recommended Luggage
- Backpacks: It’s always a little harder to pack with winter clothes, so if you’re over the airplane weight limit wear the coat and boots when you check in. You can take them off once you have your boarding pass and add them back into your carry on. I’d recommend a pack in the 65L–70L range (go the larger size if packing more than one pair of boots and / or jacket.
- Suitcase: Beware that China is notorious for it’s escalators not being turned on, so you will likely have to carry this up and down flights of stairs. You are unlikely to get assistance with this unless you’re on a tour. See some options for a suitcase here – keep your luggage weight under 10-15 kilos.
China Seasonal Packing Lists
In cities where the pollution is bad, skies can tend to take on a grey colour, while light winds and rain may occur. In other areas the crisp breeze is welcome and the skies still hold some appeal, such as in the southern areas where the winters are less fierce (Guilin).
In the far north such as Harbin, where snow is common, winter adds a white blanket to the city along with snow activities for adults and children alike.
Seasons in China
Incase you’re actually visiting China in a different season, I’ve linked packing lists for all four seasons below.
- What to wear in China in winter: Coats, scarfs and gloves will be your best friend regardless of where you travel.
- What to wear in China in Spring: Spring is a great time to visit China with a mild temperature throughout the country. Prepare yourself just incase for warmer or colder temperatures basing on what end of Spring you choose to visit. If visiting mid to north China in early spring bring a jacket or scarf just incase. If visiting in anywhere other than the north in late spring (entering summer), ditch the heavy jacket entirely. Click here to see the China spring packing list.
- What to wear in China in Summer: Bring lightweight fabrics and wear as little as possible. A light cardigan will be the only outerwear you need. See the China summer packing list here.
- What to wear in China in Autumn: Like Spring, Autumn is a great time to visit the country due to moderate temperatures. November can get very chilly though, so if you’re visiting in the tail end of Autumn bring a warm jacket. Click here to see the Autumn / Fall packing list.
Where to Stay in China
Beijing
- Budget: For a pretty cheap double or single room, I recommend the Kaidehua International Hotel which is close to the Temple of Heaven, and a short taxi ride away from the bus station to Jinshanling Great Wall.
- Midrange: For a midrange hotel the Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing is a decent choice with luxurious looking rooms with a hair salon, beauty centre and a few restaurants on site.
- Luxury: There are so many good luxury hotels to choose from in Beijing, but I’m going to recommend either the New World Beijing Hotel or the Wanda Vista Beijing. Both offer stylish rooms and swimming pools.
Shanghai
- Budget: Featuring some super cute dorm bed stairs, The Phoenix Hostel Shanghai-LaoShan is my choice for backpackers looking for a hostel.
- Midrange: Close to the popular shopping street Nanjing Road, Campanile Hotel Shanghai Natural History Museum (that’s a mouthful) is in the main part of the city. There seem to be two branches of this hotel in the city so make sure you get the address for your taxi driver!
- Luxury: With a super intriguing swimming pool (I’m not quite sure how to describe it) and excellent views of the surrounding city, Andaz Xintiandi Shanghai is a great choice if you can afford it.
Chengdu
- Budget: Dreams Travel International Youth Hotel is a decent option for backpackers looking for a dorm. It’s in the centre of the city and includes air conditioning (vital if you’re visiting in summer). Dorms beds start from $7 a night.
- Midrange: The Grand Dorsett Chengdu is a nice hotel which gives lots of value for the price. The hotel offers breakfast and a sauna.
- Luxury: For those with a bigger budget look towards The Temple House or Niccolo Chengdu. Both hotels have a fresh vibe to them and an indoor pool.
All other cities:
- Check out the Booking.com website for more options, and hotels in other cities.
Popular Day Tours
Incase you haven’t planned your exact route in China I’ve added a list of a few of my favourite things to do in China during winter.
Two things to note about traveling in China in winter:
- Yes it is possible to travel China independently without Chinese, but it is a little difficult. As I’ve learnt in my travels here that while English is heavily taught in China, it’s difficult to find someone who’s willing to speak it with you. Unless you are an experienced independent traveler you might want to try day tours to visit certain attractions.
- If you’re visiting sights in the snow be very careful, especially at places where you can fall like the Great Wall of China (notorious for slips in winter). Safety standards are not the same as they are in the West and locals can be reckless. Be sensible, don’t always copy what the locals do (unless they’re crossing a road), and be safe.
Now that that’s out of the way, I’ve picked a few day tours to give you ideas on what to see and do in the major cities.
- Shanghai:
- Ride a bike through Shanghai trying food and seeing sights as you go. For more information click here.
- Afternoon and evening highlights tour: If bike riding is not your thing this tour also takes you to the main sights and includes a cruise on the Bund and a Chinese dinner. This would be my pick as Shanghai, and especially the Bund, looks incredible at night. See prices here.
- Day trip to Suzhou and Zhouzhuang water towns. The water towns in China are gorgeous little towns that make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. These two are easily done as a day trip from Shanghai with this tour. See prices and more information here.
- Beijing:
- Hitting all the main sites in one go including Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. If you don’t want to deal with taxi drivers or the Beijing subway this is a great option. See more details and prices here.
- Hiking the Great Wall of China. If you’re looking for transport or a tour for the Great Wall you can find more details for Jinshanling (prices here), Badaling (prices here) and Mutianyu (prices here) sections of the wall. If there’s snow, I would think Jinshanling would be the best option for safety reasons, or Badaling.
- Chengdu:
- 1 day volunteering with Pandas: see more details here.
- Leshan buddha and panda visit day tour: see the latest prices here.
- Guilin:
- This is the tour I would have done if I knew about it when I was in Guilin, a 3 day sunrise photography tour of Longsheng rice terraces and the Li river. See prices here (and yes, Guilin is still beautiful in winter).
- Yangshuo cormorant fishing photo-op and Xingping ancient town tour. See more details and prices here.
- Yangshuo city tour and Li River raft ride: half day tour hitting the best sites of the area. For more information and prices click here.
Want To See What A Snowy Day In China Looks Like?
Want to see more videos of China? Check out the China travel playlist here.
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