Best Maps for China Travel: Amap vs. Apple Maps, Baidu Maps & Google Maps (2026 Guide)

If you’re visiting mainland China for the first time, Amap (高德地图, also called Gaode Maps) is my top recommendation. It offers English-language navigation, public transport routes, walking directions, and detailed listings for restaurants and attractions. If you have an iPhone, Apple Maps is another convenient choice. Baidu Maps makes a useful backup, while I wouldn’t rely on Google Maps as my main navigation app in mainland China.

As someone familiar with everyday life in China, I’d say choosing the right map matters more than many international travelers expect. You’re not just using it to find the Forbidden City or the Terracotta Army. You’ll also be checking subway exits, locating neighborhood noodle shops, comparing train and bus routes, and possibly arranging a ride.

Plenty of visitors arrive expecting Google Maps to work exactly as it does at home, only to discover missing business listings, inaccurate place markers, or a map that doesn’t load on their connection. This guide explains what each app does well, how to search Chinese addresses, and how to avoid the most common navigation mistakes.

1. Which Map App Is Best for Traveling in China?

If you download only one app, choose Amap. If you have an iPhone, keep Apple Maps installed as a second option.

Map app	English support	Main strengths	My recommendation
Amap (高德地图)	English and multiple other languages	Local places, metro and bus routes, walking directions, ride-hailing services	Best overall
Apple Maps	Familiar English interface	Built into iPhone; straightforward navigation	Excellent for iPhone users
Baidu Maps (百度地图)	Consumer interface remains largely Chinese	Detailed local listings and routes	Useful backup
Google Maps	English	General geographical research before departure	Not dependable as your main mainland China map

Why do I favor local maps? Major Chinese cities change quickly. Subway systems keep expanding, stations may have numerous exits, and plenty of small restaurants use only Chinese names. A service built around China’s local roads and businesses is more likely to help you find the right entrance, not just the right neighborhood.

2. How to Use Amap in English (Gaode Maps)

Amap is the first app I’d install before visiting China. Known locally as Gaode Ditu (高德地图), it provides walking, driving, public transport, and cycling directions, along with place searches and other local services.

If you come across an older travel blog claiming Amap is Chinese-only, that information is outdated. Amap launched an English-language experience for international visitors in January 2025 and expanded its multilingual support in July 2025. Availability and individual features can still vary by app version and region.

How to download Amap

1. Open the Apple App Store or Google Play before your trip.
2. Search for Amap, Amap Global, or 高德地图, and choose the official app.
3. Allow location access while you’re using the app.
4. If the interface isn’t already in English, look for a Language option in your profile or settings and select English, if offered in your version.

The exact menu labels can change. I recommend installing and exploring the app at home rather than trying to learn it while standing in an airport arrival hall.

How to find attractions and hotels

Let’s say you’re visiting Xi’an and want to see the Terracotta Army. Search for Terracotta Army, or paste its Chinese name:

秦始皇兵马俑博物馆

Select the correct result, tap Directions, and choose walking, transit, or driving. The app can show routes, estimated travel times, subway changes, and the walking distance after your final stop.

My local tip: English searches are often fine for famous attractions; use Chinese characters for smaller restaurants, hotels, and less well-known places. It’s the easiest way to reduce confusion between similarly named businesses.

If you’re planning to visit Xi’an, my Terracotta Army visitor guide explains the correct museum destination, passport ticketing, and transport from the city center.

Can you book a ride through Amap?

Amap offers ride-hailing features, with English-language services available to international users. However, whether you can actually book depends on your account, the city, driver availability, and payment setup.

At large airports and railway stations, finding the car’s designated pickup point is just as important as entering the destination. Ride-hailing cars may have to meet passengers in a specific parking area rather than at the entrance where you’re standing.

Set up a supported payment method before you need a car. And when you’re at a busy transport hub, follow the pickup instructions in the app rather than walking randomly toward an approaching vehicle.

3. Is Apple Maps Good in China?

Yes. For iPhone users, Apple Maps is one of the easiest ways to get around mainland China.

Here’s a detail that surprises many visitors: Apple says its Maps service in mainland China uses mapping services from Amap. It isn’t simply showing the same foreign map database you would use elsewhere.

You can search for destinations, look up walking routes, and plan public transport journeys without creating a separate Chinese map account. If your iPhone is set to English, the familiar interface is a real advantage.

For example, after arriving at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, you can search for your hotel and compare metro and walking directions without learning the interface of another app.

What does Apple Maps do well?

• Familiar controls if you already use an iPhone.
• Useful walking and public transit directions in supported areas.
• English navigation and no requirement to register a new Chinese account for basic maps.

Where might Amap be better?

Amap may offer more detailed listings and local-service features for small businesses, obscure eateries, transport connections, or ride-hailing. Some neighborhood restaurants don’t have an easily searchable English name on Apple Maps.

When that happens, paste the restaurant’s Chinese name into Apple Maps. If the result remains unclear, check it in Amap.

My recommendation for iPhone travelers: Apple Maps for everyday navigation, Amap for more detailed local searches and complicated journeys.

4. Is Baidu Maps Worth Downloading?

Baidu Maps (百度地图) is another major Chinese mapping service, with extensive local roads, points of interest, restaurants, and public transport information.

But if you don’t speak Chinese, it wouldn’t be my first choice. Its consumer app and a large share of local business information remain Chinese-focused.

Baidu’s business-facing or developer products may offer English-language features, but that doesn’t mean every feature in the ordinary Baidu Maps app has a complete English interface.

If you can read some Chinese, or don’t mind using a screen-translation feature, it’s a useful backup. You could paste the Chinese name of a restaurant into Baidu Maps if Amap doesn’t return the place you’re looking for.

For a short 7–10-day visit, however, you probably don’t need to master three separate Chinese map applications.

5. Why I Wouldn’t Rely on Google Maps in Mainland China

Google Maps is not a dependable primary navigation tool on ordinary mainland Chinese mobile data or hotel Wi-Fi. Google services are generally restricted on those connections, so the app may fail to load or function normally even when your phone has a working internet connection.

On some international roaming plans or travel eSIMs that route traffic internationally, Google Maps may open. But that doesn’t make its local listings or directions as useful as a Chinese map app. Business records may be incomplete or out of date, and locations or displayed map layers can sometimes be misaligned.

For instance, a recently opened local restaurant might not appear in Google Maps at all. Amap or Baidu Maps may have its Chinese name, address, and more recent information.

Google Maps can still help you get a broad idea of where China’s cities are before you leave home. Once you’re in mainland China, use Amap or Apple Maps to check the actual route, entrance, and transport connections.

Before your trip, also read our guide to getting internet in China, which compares travel eSIMs, local SIM cards, international roaming, and Wi-Fi. Your mobile connection affects which navigation apps you’ll be able to use.

6. How to Search Chinese Addresses Without Speaking Chinese

This is the most useful habit I can teach a first-time traveler: save the Chinese names of important places, not just their English translations.

Many hotels, local restaurants, and small businesses are registered under Chinese names. A hotel booking may have a beautiful English name, but a driver or navigation app may recognize its Chinese listing more reliably.

Here are some useful examples:

English name	Chinese name to copy into your map
Terracotta Army Museum	秦始皇兵马俑博物馆
Xi’an Bell Tower	西安钟楼
Xi’an North Railway Station	西安北站
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda	大雁塔
Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station	上海虹桥站
Beijing South Railway Station	北京南站

Railway station names are particularly important. Xi’an Railway Station (西安站) and Xi’an North (西安北站) are two different places. The same goes for Beijing West and Beijing South. Going to the wrong station can cost you your train.

If you’re planning an intercity journey, our first-timer’s guide to Chinese high-speed trains explains tickets, station entry, passports, boarding gates, and finding your carriage.

My three-check method for avoiding the wrong destination

1. Match the Chinese name. Compare the map result against your hotel reservation, train ticket, or the attraction’s official website.

2. Check the district or neighborhood. The Terracotta Army Museum should appear in Lintong District, Xi’an, not as a similarly named shop in downtown Xi’an.

3. Check the actual entrance. Huge stations, shopping malls, and archaeological sites may have several entrances. A map pin at the center of a building doesn’t necessarily mark the entrance you’ll need.

This quick three-part check can prevent some of the most frustrating travel mistakes.

7. How to Use Maps for the Metro in China

Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Xi’an have extensive metro systems. For tourists, the metro is often a practical way to avoid road traffic.

Suppose you’re staying near Xi’an’s Bell Tower and want to visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda:

1. Open Amap and search for 钟楼站 (Zhonglou Station).
2. Enter 大雁塔 (Giant Wild Goose Pagoda) as your destination.
3. Choose Public Transport / Transit.
4. Compare the suggested routes and note the metro line, transfer station, and final walking directions.

Pay attention to the exit letter or number

Some large metro stations have exits A, B, C, D, and more, all leading to different sides of a major road. Taking the wrong exit can mean a long detour through an underpass or around a large block.

Before leaving the station, check which exit your map recommends. If it suggests Exit C, try to follow the station signs to that exit.

Of course, exits can occasionally close for construction or crowd management, so follow on-site signs if they differ from the app.

One more distinction: navigation is not the same as paying for the metro. You’ll still need a single-journey ticket, local transport card, or a supported ride code, depending on the city.

8. Finding Authentic Local Restaurants with Amap

This is one of the reasons I especially recommend a Chinese map app.

Some of the best local restaurants have little presence on English-language travel platforms. Search in Chinese and you’ll often find a wider range of neighborhood food.

For example, in Xi’an, try these search terms:

• 肉夹馍 — roujiamo, a meat-filled flatbread.
• Biangbiang面 — famous extra-wide Shaanxi noodles.
• 凉皮 — cold noodles with a tangy dressing.

In Chengdu, you might search for 钟水饺, a well-known local dumpling specialty.

Amap can help you compare a restaurant’s location, opening hours, photos, and customer reviews. But I wouldn’t judge a place only by its star rating. A heavily promoted tourist restaurant may have thousands of reviews, while a smaller neighborhood shop might be less visible online.

Look at recent reviews, menu pictures, prices, and whether the location fits your route. Opening hours on maps can also be wrong, particularly for breakfast shops that close when the day’s food sells out.

If you’re exploring Xi’an, our guide to 12 must-try local foods gives you the Chinese names of dishes and practical places to look for them.

9. Can You Use Maps Offline in China?

Some mapping apps offer offline features, but don’t assume you can download a full map of every Chinese city. Availability depends on the app, version, and region.

Apple Maps supports offline maps in selected areas on compatible iPhones, but Apple explicitly says the feature is not available everywhere. Open Maps before your journey and check whether a Download option is actually available for the Chinese area you need.

Some versions of Amap may also provide offline map data or downloadable resources. Check your specific app version before relying on them.

Even when you have a downloaded map, you may not get live metro schedules, real-time traffic, updated business information, or ride-hailing functions while offline.

Three things I’d save before leaving home

1. Your hotel’s Chinese name, full address, and phone number.
2. Screenshots of the important routes: airport to hotel, hotel to railway station, and any attraction with a complicated entrance.
3. A working data plan: travel eSIM, local SIM, or international roaming.

Phone positioning can also be imprecise inside large railway stations, underground malls, or dense urban spaces. If your blue location dot seems wrong, follow visible station signs until you reach a clearly labeled entrance or landmark, then check again.

10. Five Navigation Mistakes to Avoid in China

Mistake 1: Relying only on Google Maps. Install at least one map that normally works on mainland Chinese networks before your flight.

Mistake 2: Saving only your hotel’s English name. Save the Chinese name and address too, so you can show it to a driver or search it locally.

Mistake 3: Confusing railway stations. Check the full station name printed on your ticket, not just the city.

Mistake 4: Looking only at straight-line distance. A place 500 meters away on the map might require a longer walk because of an underpass, station entrance, road barrier, or wall. Follow the actual walking route.

Mistake 5: Trusting every opening-hour listing. Museums, attractions, and small food shops can change their hours. A place being marked “open” doesn’t guarantee admission, especially when passport reservations or timed tickets are required.

11. Which Maps Should You Install Before Your First China Trip?

If you use an iPhone: Keep Apple Maps for familiar everyday navigation and install Amap for more detailed local searches and transport options.

If you use Android: Install the English-capable version of Amap first. Consider Baidu Maps as a backup if you’re comfortable copying Chinese names into a Chinese interface.

If you’re spending two weeks or longer in China: Spend a little time learning Amap’s saved places, walking directions, public transport navigation, and ride-hailing tools. You’ll use them repeatedly as you travel from city to city.

If you don’t speak any Chinese: Don’t worry—you don’t need to learn dozens of words to use a map. Stick to Amap or Apple Maps, save your key destinations in Chinese, and use your phone’s translation tools when necessary.

Final Thoughts: The Best Map for China Is the One That Gets You to the Right Entrance

China’s major cities can feel enormous at first, with busy roads, extensive metro systems, and commercial districts that aren’t always easy to understand from an English-language map.

But with a little preparation, navigating them becomes much easier.

My final recommendation: use Amap as your primary map in mainland China, pair it with Apple Maps if you have an iPhone, keep Baidu Maps as an optional backup, and don’t depend entirely on Google Maps.

Save Chinese addresses, check the right metro exit, and confirm the complete railway station name before setting out.

Whether you’re finding a small restaurant in a Beijing hutong, visiting the Terracotta Army from Xi’an, or changing metro lines in Shanghai, those simple habits will help you explore China with much more confidence.

Updated October 2026. App languages, menus, offline coverage, transport data, and in-app services can change. Check the version installed on your phone and follow current station and attraction signs when they differ from an app.