Does the eSIM work out at the Great Wall?

Around the popular Mutianyu and Badaling sections you will usually have China Mobile or Unicom signal near the cable cars and car parks. It genuinely thins along the wilder, unrestored stretches, so download your walking route beforehand.

Can I pay with my phone if I only have an eSIM?

Data lets you set up WeChat Pay or Alipay, which now link foreign cards, and both power almost every payment in Beijing from taxis to street snacks. Keep your eSIM connected, as the QR codes need a live connection.

Beijing eSIM.

Name: Beijing travel eSIM
Brand: My Holiday SIM

From the Forbidden City's gates to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, stay connected across the capital.

from $2.59/day · unlimited dataAll of China →

Unlimited data5G where availableInstant QR by emailKeep your number

1 · How many days?

10 daysOther:days

2 · How much data?

3GBBest pricevalid 15 days$7.60$0.76/day

Cheapest plan covering your trip: 3GB, valid 15 days.

Travellers (one eSIM each)

1 × 3GB (valid 15 days) · 10-day trip$7.60

Good to know in Beijing

The Palace Museum (Forbidden City) sells only timed tickets booked online in advance with your passport, and it closes every Monday. Sort your slot on mobile data before you travel to avoid a wasted trip to the gate.

Two simple ways to buy

Beijing eSIM plans: unlimited, or by the GB.

Every Beijing eSIM from My Holiday SIM is one of two straightforward types. Pick whichever fits how you travel in Beijing — you can always top up or switch on your next trip.

Traveller streaming and browsing freely on an unlimited-data travel eSIM

Unlimited plans

High-speed data, nothing to count

Priced per day — the longer you stay, the better the daily rate. Ideal for streaming, hotspot and longer trips where you'd rather not watch a data meter. A fair-use policy keeps speeds fast for everyone; see each plan for the detail.

Best for streaming, video calls & hotspot
Great for longer or open-ended trips
One price per day — no GB anxiety

By-the-GB plans

3GB10GB20GB

A set bundle, brilliant value

A fixed data allowance (say 3 GB or 10 GB) valid for your travel days. The best-value pick for lighter trips built around maps, messaging and a bit of browsing. Running low? Top up in a couple of taps — nothing to reinstall.

Best value for lighter, shorter trips
Clear allowance — pay only for what you need
Top up any time from your phone

Compare plans →Not every destination has both types — the picker shows what's available where you're headed.

Plan your data

How much data do you need in Beijing?

A rough, honest guide to sizing your Beijing eSIM so you're not guessing. Most travellers in Beijing are comfortable on 3–5 GB a week — heavy streamers just go Unlimited.

Traveller checking maps and messages on her phone using a My Holiday SIM eSIM

Not sure? Start with a 5 GB plan — you can top up in seconds if you run low.

Light

~1 GB / week

Maps, messaging & email

Google Maps, WhatsApp, email and the odd search. Plenty for a city break where you mostly need directions.

Suits 1–3 GB plans

Balanced

3–5 GB / week

Everyday holiday use

Everything above plus social scrolling, music, cloud photo backups and a little video. Where most travellers land.

Suits 5–10 GB plans

Beijing eSIM: your local data guide.

Beijing sprawls across a maze of ring roads, hutong alleys and vast plazas, so you lean on data to hail a DiDi, decode a Mandarin menu or book timed entry to the Palace Museum. A Beijing eSIM has you online the moment you land at Capital Airport, ready to navigate from Tiananmen Square out to the Great Wall at Mutianyu.

One eSIM for Beijing and all of China. It's the national China eSIM — from $2.59/day with unlimited data, working the same in Beijing as it does the moment you leave it.

Landing at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)?

Install the QR at home, then switch the eSIM on as you taxi in — you're online before you reach the arrivals hall.

Beijing eSIM pricingbest-value plan · per day

Days

Per day

Total

Saving

3 days1GB

$0.67

$2.00

—

5 days1GB

$0.40

$2.00

−40%

7 days1GB

$0.29

$2.00

−57%

10 days3GBPopular

$0.76

$7.60

—

15 days3GB

$0.51

$7.60

−24%

30 days3GB

$0.35

$10.42

−48%

Each trip length shows the best-value plan that covers it. Total always shown before you pay.

eSIM vs the old ways in Beijing

eSIM

ROAMING

AIRPORT SIM

Data allowance

Unlimited

Usually capped

Rarely unlimited

Price known upfront

Prepaid

Billed after

Varies at the desk

Ready when you land

Instantly

After the queue

Keep WhatsApp number

SIM swapped

Beijing eSIM from $2.59/day — the whole bill, agreed before you fly.

On the ground

Where you'll lean on data in Beijing.

The Forbidden City & Tiananmen

You must reserve timed Palace Museum tickets online with your passport, so keep data live to book and show the QR at the gate.

Mutianyu Great Wall

Download your route before the drive out; signal holds around the cable cars but thins along the remoter watchtowers.

Hutongs of Houhai & Nanluoguxiang

Lean on maps to thread the grey-brick alleys and summon a DiDi when the lanes finally spit you out.

Sanlitun & 798 Art District

Strong city signal for sharing gallery photos, checking bar reviews and mobile-paying across the boutiques.

The practical bit

Getting around Beijing on your eSIM.

Apps you'll want online in Beijing

DiDi— China's dominant ride-hailing super-app; its English mode hails taxis and private cars across Beijing.
Beijing Subway (Yitongxing)— Generates the QR code you scan through the city's huge subway gates.
Alipay— Links a foreign card for near-universal QR payments, plus in-app taxi and metro tickets.
Amap (Gaode Maps)— The mapping app locals trust; more accurate than Western maps for Beijing streets and transit.

How long to stay in Beijing

Most first-timers spend three to four days in Beijing, covering the Forbidden City, Tiananmen, the Summer Palace, a hutong wander and a full day out at the Great Wall.

How much data for Beijing

A balanced 3-5 GB comfortably covers DiDi rides, live maps, translation and mobile payments over a few days; go Unlimited if you will stream, video-call home or hotspot a laptop each evening.

Coverage in Beijing

Beijing has dense China Mobile, Unicom and Telecom 5G across the centre, subway and airports; coverage only really weakens in deep hutong interiors and out along the wilder, unrestored Great Wall sections.

Where you're headed

Discover Beijing.

Beijing, China — skyline and landmarks · stay connected with a Beijing eSIM from My Holiday SIM

Beijing, China — streets and everyday scenes · stay connected with a Beijing eSIM from My Holiday SIM

Beijing, China — sights worth exploring · stay connected with a Beijing eSIM from My Holiday SIM

Beijing, China — a travel moment · stay connected with a Beijing eSIM from My Holiday SIM

How to activate your Beijing eSIM.

Full installation guide →

A traveller happily planning her next trip with a map and phone

Buy your plan

Choose your days — the QR code arrives by email in seconds.

A traveller installing her eSIM from the sofa in two minutes

Install at home

Scan the QR on Wi-Fi before you fly. About two minutes, no app needed.

Friends laughing together while packing for a holiday

Fly relaxed

Nothing counts down yet — your days start only at first connection.

A joyful family reunion at the airport arrivals hall

Switch on in Beijing

Turn the line on when you land. Connected before baggage claim.

New to eSIM in Beijing?

What is a Beijing eSIM?

A Beijing eSIM is a digital SIM that's already built into your phone. Scan one QR code and a local Beijing data plan installs alongside your home SIM — no plastic, no tray tool, no swap. Your number and WhatsApp stay exactly where they are.

✓ 2-minute install✓ Keep your number✓ Works on phones from 2018+

How eSIM works →Check my phone

A traveller with a backpack smiling at her phone — online abroad with My Holiday SIM

Connected · 5G

Home SIM · calls & WhatsAppHoliday eSIM · unlimited data

30-day refund promiseUnused, uninstalled eSIM? Full refund, no questions.

The price is the billPrepaid and final — roaming charges can't happen.

Days start when you landInstall early with zero pressure; counting begins at first connection.

Humans, 24/7Real people answer, before, during and after the trip.

Peace of mind

Your Beijing eSIM: data-only, zero bill shock.

Your Beijing eSIM handles the internet while you travel. Your home number stays exactly where it is — no surprise roaming charges in Beijing, no swapping your real SIM out.

Keep your number & WhatsApp

The eSIM is data-only and runs alongside your home SIM. Your number, iMessage and WhatsApp keep working exactly as they do at home.

No roaming bills, ever

Turn data roaming OFF on your home SIM and ON for the eSIM. You pay once, up front — no overage, no metered surprises, no bill waiting when you land home.

One thing worth knowing

Because it's data-only, the eSIM can't receive bank verification (OTP) text codes — those still go to your home number. Keep it reachable on Wi-Fi calling, or use app-based codes.

Traveller relaxed and connected on her phone, no roaming bill to worry about

Why travellers choose My Holiday SIM for Beijing.

Instant eSIM deliveryQR code in your inbox seconds after checkout — even at the departure gate.

No physical SIMNothing to collect, lose or poke out with a paperclip. Your home SIM stays put.

Keep your WhatsApp numberData flows through us; WhatsApp stays on your home number. Family always reaches you.

A traveller at the departure gate, eSIM ready on her phone

eSIM ready in ~2 minutes

No bill shock, everOne clear price before you fly. Roaming charges simply can't happen.

Secure paymentsCards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and Klarna — encrypted end to end.

Real human supportReal people — before, during and after your trip. Live chat and email, no bots. Easy top-ups too.

Coverage in China.

5G where available, fast 4G everywhere else

Connected · 5G

Your eSIM joins China's partner networks automatically — no settings to choose, no manual network hunting. If signal drops in a remote spot, toggling Airplane Mode for a few seconds forces a fresh connection.

China Mobile
China Unicom
China Telecom

Popular places covered

BeijingShanghaiXi'anChengduGuilinHangzhouGuangzhouShenzhen

Keep data roaming ON for the eSIM line only — that's the switch travel eSIMs use, and it never adds charges on our plans.

Trusted networks, honest numbers.

No invented star ratings behind your Beijing eSIM — just the numbers we actually stand behind.

Friendly globe with location pins — coverage on every continent

My Holiday SIMSTAY CONNECTED. ANYWHERE.

200+

destinations — every continent covered

regions covered by a single regional eSIM

~2 min

typical install — QR to connected

Live

chat & email support

Before you fly

Beijing eSIM questions, answered.

Many travel eSIMs roam on Chinese networks and route data internationally, so Google Maps, WhatsApp and Gmail often load without a VPN, unlike local Wi-Fi, which sits behind China's firewall. It is still wise to install a backup offline map before you fly.

Your Beijing eSIM glossary.

eSIMA SIM built into your phone's hardware. Plans install onto it digitally — no plastic card involved.

QR profileThe code we email you. Scanning it downloads your holiday plan onto the eSIM. One scan per device.

Data roaming (the switch)The toggle travel eSIMs use to join partner networks abroad. On our plans it never adds charges — keep it ON for the eSIM, OFF for your home SIM.

Hotspot / tetheringSharing your phone's data with laptops and tablets. Included on our plans wherever networks allow.

Top-upExtra days added to a live plan from your account. They append to the end — nothing overlaps.

First connectionThe moment your eSIM first joins a network at the destination — that's when your days start counting, not before.

Travelling wider in China?