Getting around

Can foreigners use DiDi in China?

Q: Can foreigners use DiDi in China?

Yes. DiDi — China's main ride-hailing app — has an English interface and lets foreigners pay through Alipay or WeChat with a linked foreign card, so you need no cash and no Chinese. Set up Alipay or WeChat with a card first, then use DiDi (including the DiDi mini-program inside Alipay). Fares and wait times vary, so treat any estimate as a guide, not a quote.

Last updated 2026-06-02

How foreigners use DiDi

Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card first — that's how DiDi charges you.
Use the DiDi app in English mode, or open the DiDi mini-program inside Alipay (no separate signup).
Type your destination in English or drop a pin; save your hotel as a saved address in Chinese.
You pay automatically through the app afterward — no cash changes hands.

DiDi vs. an official taxi

DiDi is usually easiest for first-timers: no language, no cash, and a clear pickup point. Official metered taxis are fine too — use the marked rank, make sure the meter is on, and show your destination in Chinese.

At the airport

Use the official taxi queue or the signed DiDi pickup area. Ignore anyone who approaches you inside the terminal offering a ride — those touts overcharge heavily and sometimes won't take you to your actual hotel.

Fares, surge pricing, and wait times vary with traffic and demand — any in-app estimate is a guide, not a guarantee.

Your next step

Next: plan your airport-to-hotel route

Tell the PVG → Hotel Planner your arrival time, luggage, and hotel area and get a route, the taxi/DiDi/metro tradeoffs, and the address reminder. Save it to your Arrival Plan.

Open the PVG → Hotel Planner

Keep reading

Build your China Arrival Plan.

Start with your first city, then save payment, internet, arrival, and final-check recommendations into one return link.

Build my Arrival Plan

Payment-app support, visa rules, and connectivity change. Verify time-sensitive items with official sources before departure.