Ni Hao to China! Nihao Travel App: Will Travellers Use It?

We’ve been covering China a lot lately on BudgetBro. If you missed it, you can catch up on our latest article Why Travel to China in 2026, covering the most recent travel updates.

China is one of the most app-dependent countries in the world. Payments, transport, food, hotels, even museum entry often rely on QR codes and local platforms. Looking to take on Alipay and WeChat, Nihao is a new app aimed specifically at foreigners, promising to simplify travel in China. Offering built-in visa processing, travel planning and tax refunds along with simplified payment processing.

Do Travellers Need Another App?

Most travellers already arrive in China with multiple payment apps such as Alipay, WeChat etc, a VPN, translation tools and maps, as featured in our Essential Apps for Travelling to China, however, while not perfect in design or accessibility; apps like Alipay and WeChat are already relatively tourist-friendly and include built-in translation features.

Nihao’s success will depend on how useful before and after arrival, whether it integrates smoothly and if it's recommended.

The biggest challenge isn’t functionality, it’s convincing travellers that it’s worth installing before or on arrival in addition the other apps that are out there. That’s a tough ask, but not an impossible one.

BudgetBro is testing the app and we'll report back with a full review.

Would you download another app for your travels to China?

Download links:
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.unionpay.intl
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/nihao-china/id1187814659