Journey To ChinaLast updated
Booking a ride
App-based ride-hailing is an everyday way to travel in mainland Chinese cities and works much like Uber. The map suggests a pickup point from the phone's location; enter the name of a hotel, attraction, airport or railway station, choose a car category and let the platform search for a nearby driver.
Check the exact road, building entrance or designated ride-hailing pickup area before confirming. Hotels, malls and stations can have several branches or gates, so matching the Chinese name and street address is useful. The booking screen then shows the available car categories, an estimated pickup time and a fare estimate. Aggregators such as AMap may compare several operators on the same screen.
After a driver accepts, the order shows the car's position, model, registration plate and contact options. Pay through the WeChat Pay, Alipay or bank card attached to that order when the journey ends.
Button names vary by app and release, but the same order connects the pickup, destination, vehicle and payment.
Use our Alipay guide and WeChat guide for account and card setup. AMap and other useful travel tools are covered in the essential apps guide.
AMap, DiDi, WeChat and Alipay
If the destination is already open in AMap, enter its ride-hailing section without typing the address again. Its aggregator can compare arrival times, car categories and prices across several providers. AMap Global also offers a multilingual route for international visitors using overseas phone numbers, with Alipay or WeChat payment connections.
DiDi is one of China's main ride-hailing platforms. It has a standalone app and can also be opened inside WeChat or Alipay. The app keeps the booking, live vehicle position, driver messages and journey history together and supports an English interface. In-order message translation can help when confirming a pickup point.
In WeChat, look under Me → Services → Mobility Services/Ride Hailing, or search for the DiDi Mini Program. In Alipay, use Transport → Ride Hailing, or search for DiDi. Each route follows the same basic process: locate the pickup, enter the destination, select a car, wait for a driver and pay from the completed order.
The image helps identify common app entry points; the live interface depends on the app version and account language.
Robotaxis
A Robotaxi is an autonomous taxi booked by phone. The map and order resemble ordinary ride-hailing, but the vehicle operates inside an approved area and uses pickup and drop-off points defined by the platform. It can be both a practical journey and a chance to experience autonomous driving on real city streets.
As of September 2026, public-facing Robotaxi services operate in approved parts of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Chongqing. Coverage, operating hours and providers differ by city. A city appearing on the service list does not mean that any two addresses are available; the current app map is the final check.
- Beijing: services concentrate in approved areas such as Yizhuang, with some links to Beijing South railway station or Daxing airport.
- Shanghai: Apollo Go and Pony.ai publish passenger services, with the current area shown in their apps.
- Guangzhou: Apollo Go, Pony.ai and WeRide operate services; WeRide also appears inside Tencent Mobility Services in WeChat.
- Shenzhen: Apollo Go and Pony.ai operate inside approved districts.
- Wuhan: Apollo Go runs a large public Robotaxi network.
- Chongqing: Apollo Go serves open areas including Yongchuan.
Apollo Go is available through its app, WeChat Mini Program or Baidu Maps. Pony.ai uses the PonyPilot app, while WeRide offers an app and WeChat Mini Program. Follow the platform's current instructions for selecting stops, identity checks, unlocking and payment.
Pickup points, vehicle choices, identity checks and door controls depend on the operator and city.
