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Internet in Beijing: airports, metro, QR payments and the Wall
How to get online the minute you land at PEK or PKX, where coverage in Beijing is solid, what happens underground, on the Great Wall and on the high-speed trains.
Plan for your trip: China · 5 GB · 30 days — See plans →
The simplest way to get internet in Beijing is a travel eSIM: install it at home over Wi-Fi as a second line, and mobile data switches on when you land at Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX). Coverage in the city is usually solid, metro stations included; it drops in long metro tunnels and underpasses. The tricky part is which services open: that depends on current rules and on how you connect, with no guarantees, so check before you go.
Internet in Beijing for travelers: what coverage is like
Mobile data in Beijing works well almost everywhere visitors go, from downtown and the Guomao business district to the parks. A travel eSIM roams on China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom, and the plan description usually lists which. Dead spots are the usual ones — underpasses, covered markets, basement restaurants and long metro tunnels — where locals with Chinese SIMs lose signal too.
| Where you are | What to expect | What to do in advance |
|---|---|---|
| Capital (PEK), Airport Express | Usually from arrivals into town | Nothing special |
| Daxing (PKX), express metro line | Holds in the terminal and along the line | Check the schedule and terminal |
| Tiananmen, Forbidden City | Fine outdoors, dips inside the halls | Book entry, screenshot it |
| Beijing metro | Fine on platforms, drops in long tunnels | Open your route before going down |
| Great Wall: Badaling, Mutianyu | Data at ticket offices and cable cars, patchy on the Wall | Offline map, return or pickup time |
| High-speed trains | Usually holds, drops in tunnels | Screenshot the ticket |
Beijing airport internet: PEK, PKX and the ride into the city
Beijing’s two airports sit at opposite ends of the city. Capital (PEK), northeast of the center, is served by the Airport Express to Beixinqiao, which meets the metro at Sanyuanqiao, Dongzhimen and Beixinqiao. Daxing (PKX), in the far south, has its own express metro line with a transfer at Caoqiao, plus trains from Beijing West. Routes are as of October 2026, so check current maps and timetables before you fly.
Mobile data at Capital and Daxing usually kicks in before passport control, and that’s what to rely on. As of October 2026, free airport Wi-Fi in Beijing requires registration: at Capital by SMS code, at a passport-scanning kiosk or through WeChat; at Daxing, since December 2025, you can also photograph your passport page right on the login page.
Your first day in Beijing: how to connect and what to set up
Your first day in Beijing goes more smoothly if the eSIM profile is already installed: a QR install needs a stable connection, and the arrivals hall only offers Wi-Fi that makes you register. Step-by-step instructions for iPhone and Android are in our install guide.
- At home, run the compatibility check in @moresim_bot, buy a China plan and install it on home Wi-Fi.
- Download an offline map of Beijing with the suburbs, train stations and your departure airport.
- Save your hotel address in Chinese characters, and bookings and boarding passes as screenshots.
- Ask your bank how it confirms payments abroad, and make sure your home plan allows roaming for texts.
- After landing, turn off airplane mode, set the China line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it: most travel eSIMs run on the local network as roaming, and without it you won’t get data.
- Turn off mobile data on your home SIM so your data doesn’t go through your home carrier. Keep the line itself on if you’re expecting bank texts; that requires roaming to be available with your carrier.
The Beijing metro, the Yikatong card and paying by QR code
In the Beijing metro you need data for navigation more than for the fare: the Yikatong card is bought and topped up at stations offline. An app QR code is safer to open before you go underground, while you still have signal. Open your route and the station name in Chinese characters before heading down, since long tunnels lose signal; signs also use Latin script. Every entrance has a security check that adds time at rush hour.
Payment in Beijing has moved almost entirely onto the phone, from taxis to museum tickets. Under Chinese rules in force since February 1, 2026, businesses must accept cash yuan, so bills are still in use, but small ones are handier than large. Alipay and WeChat Pay only work online, and which card you can link depends on your card issuer, so sort out how you’ll pay before the trip.
SIM card in Beijing or a travel eSIM?
Local SIM cards in Beijing are sold at China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom stores at both airports and around the city, with your passport and real-name registration. Their big advantage is a Chinese number, which public Wi-Fi, trains and some local services ask for.
| How you connect in Beijing | What you get | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Local China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom SIM | A Chinese number for Wi-Fi, trains and local services | Store visit and passport; traffic runs through the Chinese network |
| Travel eSIM (roaming) | Data right after landing, your home SIM stays as a second line | No Chinese number: MoreSim plans are data-only |
| Hotel, cafe or train station Wi-Fi | Handy for heavy tasks on the spot | Often needs a local number; traffic runs through the Chinese network |
Which foreign services open in Beijing depends on current rules and on how you connect. Over a local SIM and hotel or cafe Wi-Fi, traffic runs through the Chinese network, where many foreign services are unavailable; over a roaming travel eSIM it usually goes out through the plan’s provider, but there are no guarantees there either. Our China internet guide covers what works and how to prepare.
MoreSim plans are data-only, with no phone number: you can call over messaging apps where they work on your connection, and bank texts keep arriving on your home SIM. Data amounts and validity for China are on the country’s catalog page. If you run out of data mid-trip, top up without a new eSIM with “Top up data” on the eSIM card in your account or in the bot’s app, if top-ups are available for that plan, and MoreSim support is available via /support in @moresim_bot, a ticket in your account and email.
Wi-Fi in Beijing hotels and cafes: why they ask for a local number
Public Wi-Fi in Beijing cafes, malls and stations often wants a Chinese number for an SMS code, and travelers report that a foreign number doesn’t reliably work. Hotel Wi-Fi only needs a password from the front desk, but its traffic runs through the Chinese network, so what opens over it may differ from what works over your eSIM.
Open banking apps and email over mobile data rather than an open cafe network. In China, push notifications on Android that rely on Google services may not arrive, especially over local Wi-Fi, so don’t make push your only way to confirm payments. Keep your home line on for codes by text, which requires roaming to be available with your carrier; our article on bank texts abroad has the details.
The Great Wall: Mutianyu, Badaling and coverage outside the city
A China plan works nationwide, so a day trip to the Great Wall needs no separate eSIM. Badaling is the easiest of the popular sections to reach: the high-speed train takes about 20 minutes from Qinghe and 30–40 minutes from Beijing North. Mutianyu lies farther northeast with no direct train, so you go by train to Huairou plus a taxi, by bus with a transfer or by private car.
Coverage on the Wall follows the terrain: you normally have data around ticket offices, parking lots and cable cars, while on the Wall itself it comes and goes. Wild, unrestored sections of the Wall are often closed to visitors and may have no network at all; stick to open sections such as Badaling and Mutianyu, and check the rules before you go. Agree on the pickup spot and time in advance, not “I’ll message you when I come down.” The Ming Tombs are similar: fine by the main roads, patchy off them.
The Forbidden City, museums and trains to other cities
The Forbidden City doesn’t sell tickets on the day of your visit: as of October 2026, you book online in advance with your passport number and show the same passport at the gate. Major Beijing museums usually work by advance booking too, another reason to have working data from day one. Booking rules and visitor caps change, so check them before your trip.
High-speed trains leave Beijing from several stations, including Beijing South, West and North. Along the lines the signal usually holds and drops in tunnels, and train Wi-Fi often wants a local number, so rely on mobile data. Boarding usually works with the passport your ticket is tied to, so screenshot the ticket. Moving on to Xi’an or Shanghai changes nothing in your settings, and our data guide helps you estimate how much such a route needs.
FAQ
How do I get internet in Beijing right after landing?
Install a travel eSIM for China at home on Wi-Fi; after landing, turn off airplane mode, pick the China line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. Data usually kicks in before passport control at both Capital (PEK) and Daxing (PKX). If not, toggle airplane mode or restart the phone.
Is there Wi-Fi at Beijing airport?
Yes, but as of October 2026 you have to register: at Capital (PEK) by SMS code, at a passport-scanning kiosk or through WeChat, and at Daxing (PKX) also by photographing your passport page on the login page. An SMS code to a roaming number can arrive late, so rely on mobile data first. Install your eSIM profile at home, since the QR install needs a stable connection.
Where can I buy a SIM card in Beijing?
China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom stores sell SIM cards at both airports and in the city, with your passport, real-name registration and a face check. A local card gives you a Chinese number, but its traffic runs through the Chinese network, where many foreign services are unavailable. If you only need data, a travel eSIM installed before you fly is easier.
Does mobile data work in the Beijing metro?
On platforms, usually yes, but in the long stretches between stations the signal dips or drops out. Open your route and the station name in Chinese characters before you head down, and allow time for the security check at every station entrance.
Is there signal on the Great Wall?
At Badaling and Mutianyu you normally have data around ticket offices, parking lots and cable cars, while on the Wall itself it comes and goes. Wild unrestored stretches are often closed to visitors and may have no signal at all, so stick to open sections and check the visiting rules before you go. Save an offline map and agree on a pickup time and spot with your driver.
Do I need internet to pay for things in Beijing?
Pretty much: almost everything in Beijing is paid by QR code in an app, and paying by QR code without a connection is unreliable. Under rules in force since February 1, 2026, businesses must accept cash yuan, so carry small bills as a backup. Which card you can link to Alipay or WeChat Pay depends on your card issuer, so check before you go.
Does mobile data work on high-speed trains from Beijing?
Along the high-speed lines out of Beijing, mobile data usually holds, then drops in tunnels and on some stretches. Train Wi-Fi often requires a local number, so mobile data is more reliable. A China plan works nationwide, so moving on to Xi’an or Shanghai needs no changes on your phone.