Navigation Apps in China

Maps and navigation for getting around, curated for travelers visiting China.

Last updated: August 20264 sources

1 app1 essential

What to know about Navigation in China

AMap Global, also called Gaode Maps, is the most practical standalone map for a visitor.

Best Navigation apps in China (2026)

AMap GlobalEssential

Multilingual mainland maps for walking, driving, cycling, public transport and local place search.

Pro tip: Paste the Chinese name or address when English search misses a hotel, restaurant or gate. Some planning features work better after the phone is physically in mainland China.

App Store Play Store Website

The current international interface supports English and other languages and provides walking, driving, cycling and public transport routes with mainland map and place data. Google Maps is a poor primary map in mainland China because its local place data can be incomplete or stale and its service access is restricted on local networks. Baidu Maps has deep coverage but remains designed mainly for Chinese readers, so it is not a useful extra install for most short visits. Search quality is AMap's main limitation: translated attraction names often work, but small hotels, restaurants and entrances may only resolve from Chinese characters.

Copy the Chinese name and address from your booking, Dianping or the venue's official account. Recent travelers also report that some route and place features behave differently while the phone is outside mainland China, so build and test critical routes after arrival and save screenshots. Apple Maps can be a workable built-in fallback on iPhone, but it is not an additional app recommendation. For taxi pickups, station entrances and large attractions, verify the exact gate or numbered meeting point rather than navigating only to the site's general pin.