How to arrange your nights in China- some specific tips for accommodation in China

Last updated: September 2026 — hotel rules for foreign guests, accommodation registration outside hotels, private accommodation, and camping information have been updated.

China is a large country, one of the richest of geographical destinations in the world. Most of China is opened and easily accessed by travelers. You can purchase your air ticket to Beijing, Shanghai or another big city, preparing for exploring the country. Entry requirements now depend strongly on your nationality and purpose of travel, so check the current China entry rules before your trip. So you arrive in China, go out of the airport, and the first thing you do is to find your hotel. You arrive at the hotel’s reception, and they tell you that “foreigners are not allowed to sleep in this hotel”. Thus you face the first trouble in your trip to China, and although you like adventures, such trouble is definitely not “an exciting adventure”.

Accommodation registration and foreign guests in China

Since China is a highly touristy country, there are thousands and thousands of hotels, hostels, and guesthouses around the country. In the past, many hotels refused foreigners by saying that they did not have a special “foreign-related qualification”. However, since 2024, Chinese authorities have explicitly stated that accommodation providers should not refuse foreign guests simply on this ground. Hotels that receive foreign guests have to register their passport and accommodation information and submit it to the public security authorities.

Foreigners in China are required to register their accommodation. If you stay in a hotel, the hotel registers your accommodation and submits the information to the public security authorities. If you stay somewhere other than a hotel, you or the person accommodating you must complete the registration within 24 hours after arrival. Since September 21, 2026, this non-hotel registration can be completed nationwide through the National Immigration Administration online services, including the NIA 12367 App and its WeChat and Alipay mini programs; registration at the local police remains available too.

Hotels still have legal obligations to verify guests’ identification and correctly register foreign guests, but the issue today is the registration procedure itself rather than a separate “foreigner license”.

Not everywhere in China is the same

In practice, the experience can still vary from place to place, because some hotels—especially smaller local properties—may be less familiar with registering foreign passports. In some places the situation is serious, the police are very strict and the hotel’s owners are very careful about this problem. An example is Xiamen, a famous tourist city in Fujian province, visited by many foreigners. We had to wander around the city for a long time in the evening until we found a hotel, which can accept us. This describes our experience at that time; the national policy toward foreign guests has since changed significantly. Another place is Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where the political situation is a little tense, and checking people (not only foreigners but everybody) is everywhere.

In small non-touristy towns and villages, the practical problem can be different: hotel staff may rarely receive foreign guests and may not be familiar with foreign-passport registration. If a hotel hesitates, ask whether they can check the registration procedure or contact the local public security authorities; if they still refuse, it is safer to look for another property.

Hotels accepting foreigners

So, how can you know if your hotel, which you have already booked, can accept you? Yes, if you are a tourist, and come to China by a travel company, you would not worry about this problem, because they know how to arrange your accommodation (unless you travel by a fake or highly unprofessional company). But if you are an independent traveler, you have two options.

How to book a hotel in China from a website

You can book accommodation online through international platforms, while Trip.com is specifically mentioned in current official travel guidance for foreign visitors to China. However, for small or remote properties it is still useful to confirm in advance that the staff can process your foreign passport at check-in. If the second option doesn’t work, there is a third option…a bus terminal, a night club (maybe a little funnier if you are not tired), or a bench in a park…

But let’s look at the first option. Before you book your hotel from the website, read carefully all the provided details. You may still encounter properties or booking information indicating that foreign guests cannot be accommodated. Current national policy says that qualification requirements should not be used as a barrier to receiving foreign guests, but practical problems can still occur, so confirming directly with a small or unfamiliar hotel before payment remains a good idea.

Our earlier experience in Ya’an

We have faced such a case. During our first trip to Eastern Tibet, we had to spend the night in Ya’an, not far from Chengdu, Sichuan province. I found from Booking.com a cheap hotel there. I thought that since it is registered in Booking, most likely they would accept foreigners. But when we arrived at the hotel, they told us that they don’t have such a license. Anyway, because I was the only foreigner in our small group, they still accepted me, but just didn’t register my name, told me to be silent, to not walk too much around the hotel (since the police station was very near), and to leave the hotel on the next morning as early as possible. This happened under the older practice and should be read as historical field experience, not as a description of the current accommodation rules.

Check out the hotel in advance!

It is still a good idea to contact a small or remote hotel before booking, especially before making a non-refundable payment. Ask whether they can register a foreign passport at check-in; this is particularly useful in places that rarely receive international travelers.

Large and international hotels are usually familiar with foreign-passport registration, while small budget properties in remote places may have less experience with the procedure.

Check your China accommodation in Booking!

International hostels in China

International hostels in China are the best option for budget foreign travelers. They are specially designed for foreigners and are often richly decorated with a lot of art, and adventurous “attributes” (especially if they are in places like Tibet or other high mountain areas). You can really enjoy the explorer’s atmosphere and the local formed community of foreign travelers, sharing stories, experience and plans of their journeys, drinking beer and eating “western” food”.
International hostels are usually familiar with foreign travelers and foreign-passport registration, although it is still worth confirming this when booking a small property. In addition, they are cheap. So, unless you are a luxury tourist, spending a night in a hostel can be a really nice experience, just like everywhere in the world.

Guesthouses and private accommodation

Guesthouses vary: some operate like hotels and handle the accommodation registration for their guests, while a stay in a private home falls under the rules for non-hotel accommodation. We have been in a very nice Tibetan guesthouse in Tagong, Eastern Tibet (Western Sichuan), often visited by foreigners. Nobody required any registration outside of the guesthouse (the owner just wrote our passport data and that was all) and we spent a comfortable night there. This was our experience at that time, and we don’t know whether the owner completed any additional registration in the background.

For private accommodation, foreigners must register their stay within 24 hours after arrival. Since September 21, 2026, non-hotel accommodation registration can be completed online nationwide through the National Immigration Administration services, including the NIA 12367 App and its WeChat and Alipay mini programs. The traditional option of registering with the local public security authorities also remains available. This is also historical experience: Airbnb removed its mainland China domestic listings in July 2022 and shifted its China business toward outbound travel.

Camping in China

If you are more adventurous, camping is a really exciting option. Today, China has a growing network of formal public and commercial campsites, including self-driving and RV campgrounds, although their availability varies greatly between regions. Outside formal campsites, the rules depend on the specific land, park, scenic area or protected area, so wild camping should not be assumed to be permitted everywhere.

Is camping illegal in China?

There is no simple rule that makes wild camping legal everywhere in China. Local restrictions can apply in parks, scenic areas, protected land and other managed territories, so you should check the rules of the specific place. Foreigners also remain subject to accommodation-registration requirements when staying outside hotels.

For wild camping, avoid assuming that a remote place is automatically unrestricted. Check local signs and management rules, especially in parks, protected areas and other controlled locations, and be prepared to move if local authorities or land managers do not allow camping there.

Dangers of camping

Is it dangerous to camp everywhere? I have camped in various kinds of places- on the top of a mountain (with many other local hikers), near a village in a karst hills area, on the beach (both paid and free), in a national park, as well as just on the grassland in Eastern Tibet. With some exceptions, we were a group of campers, and nothing dangerous happened.

But it doesn’t mean that everything is safe. Formal campsites now exist in many parts of China, although remote trekking areas may still have few or no camping facilities. Dangers may come from bad people, wild animals, snakes, insects, or natural disasters. Talking about people- in general people in remote villages are pure, friendly and good. But nobody knows whether there is someone who looks to the foreigners as “prey” to steal or do other harm to them. Prevention? Be a larger group. Or if you are a solo traveler, it is better don’t be near a village, hide somewhere far from houses and roads for the night (and do it in advance, before the dark).

Natural dangers

Animals? Usually, the most dangerous animal (not only in China) is the dog. Wild animals are afraid of people. But the local village dogs can be hostile to strangers. Snakes, spiders or other insects? Yes, they can appear too. Don’t leave food outside your tent, and pack well your food inside.

Natural disasters? Yes, possible. If you are in the high Tibetan plateau, you may face a sudden blizzard or thunderstorm. Don’t camp close to a river, because a sudden rain can cause a flood. If you are in South China, you may also face heavy rain, even a typhoon. Again, don’t camp near the rivers, look for high and remote places.

And in general, bring good gear with you! If you plan to go to high mountains, or in winter, bring a 4-season tent, proper for cold weather. If you go to South China in the summer, bring a good waterproof tent, because the rains are often. You can see more information about tents here.

No matter how would you like to spend your nights during your journey in China, just have in mind all these peculiarities. As I said, the easiest way is just to make a trip by a travel company as a tourist. But for adventure travelers (as I am too), independence is very important and part of the exciting experience. And concerning accommodation (and transport) it has its specific Chinese features. Just learn them, plan accordingly and enjoy your trip to China.

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Krasen and Ying Ying

Hi, we are Krasen and Ying Ying. Krasen is from Bulgaria, and Ying Ying is from China. We are passionate about geography and history, and we believe that the best way to experience it is by exploring the Earth in reality, not in a school, and not virtually.

So, we created this blog Journey Beyond the Horizon, where we share geographical knowledge, travel guides and tips how to experience it when you explore our planet, and a lot of inspiration.

And we wish you a happy journey, not just virtually, but most of all- in reality.

Enjoy!

Krasen and Ying Ying

Hi, we are Krasen and Ying Ying. Krasen is from Bulgaria, and Ying Ying is from China. We are passionate about geography and history, and we believe that the best way to experience it is by exploring the Earth in reality, not in a school, and not virtually. So, we created this blog Journey Beyond the Horizon, where we share geographical knowledge, travel guides and tips how to experience it when you explore our planet, and a lot of inspiration. And we wish you a happy journey, not just virtually, but most of all- in reality. Enjoy!