Tunnelz

China trip guide

Do you need a VPN for China?

Yes. Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and YouTube are blocked in mainland China, and many VPN websites and apps can’t be reached once you’re there, so set one up before you fly. A roaming eSIM usually covers your phone’s mobile data, but not hotel Wi-Fi or a laptop.

Updated

Your connectionWhat you get Phone on a roaming eSIMmobile dataPhone on hotel Wi-Fia Chinese networkLaptop on hotel Wi-Fia Chinese network routed outside mainland China blocks on Chinese networks Usually coveredNeeds a VPNNeeds a VPNYour connection Phone on a roaming eSIMmobile data Usually covered Phone on hotel Wi-Fia Chinese network Needs a VPN Laptop on hotel Wi-Fia Chinese network Needs a VPN
Fig. 01
What each connection needs. A roaming eSIM covers your phone’s mobile data if your plan routes it outside mainland China. Simplified.

What stops working

These are blocked in mainland China:

Google

  • Search
  • Gmail
  • Maps
  • Docs
  • Drive

Messaging

  • WhatsApp
  • Signal
  • Telegram

Social

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • X

Video

  • YouTube

Reading

  • Wikipedia
  • Reddit

AI tools

  • ChatGPT
  • Gemini
Fig. 02
Other sites can be blocked at times, and access can get tighter around key political events and dates. AI tools have a second limit: OpenAI doesn’t offer ChatGPT in mainland China and says accounts used from places it doesn’t support may be blocked or suspended, and Google lists Gemini there for Workspace accounts only.

Set it up before you land

Many VPN websites can’t be reached from mainland China, and hundreds of VPN apps are missing from Apple’s App Store there. So do it at home:

  1. 1. Get it at home. Download Tunnelz for Mac. It sets up a private server in your own Vultr account, in about 10 minutes, once. On a Trip Pass, buy it the day before you fly so its 10 days cover the trip.

  2. 2. Test it before you leave. Turn on the switch and check that it connects.

  3. 3. Land and switch on. On hotel Wi-Fi, sign in to the Wi-Fi first. The app shows a card for the hotel’s login page (how it looks).

Fig. 03
Do the first two steps before you fly. Many VPN websites and apps can’t be reached once you’re there.

Why your own server

Tunnelz gives you your own server, not shared with thousands. If one is ever blocked, Replace Server can set up a new one in minutes, as long as the app can reach Vultr. In China that may take eSIM data or another network (how).

The Smart route sends Chinese sites direct, so they stay fast, and everything else through your server.

  • Chinese sites

    Go direct, so they stay fast.

  • Everything else

    Goes through your server, not shared with thousands. If it’s ever blocked, Replace Server can set up a new one in minutes, if the app can reach Vultr.

Fig. 04
The Smart route, simplified. No route is promised to stay open.

Only have a phone?

A roaming eSIM usually covers most of this today. Tunnelz runs on an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later, and the iPhone and iPad app is coming to the App Store.

Questions

Is it legal to use a VPN in China?
China has rules on this. They say VPN services need a government licence. Separately, China’s Cybersecurity Law was amended, and the changes have been in force since 1 January 2026. We’re not lawyers and this isn’t legal advice, so check current official guidance, such as your own government’s travel advice, before you go.
Can I download a VPN after I arrive in China?
It’s much harder. Many VPN websites can’t be reached from mainland China, and hundreds of VPN apps are missing from Apple’s App Store there. Set up your VPN at home and check that it connects before you fly.
Do I still need a VPN if I have a roaming eSIM?
Not for your phone’s mobile data, if your plan routes it outside mainland China. Hotel Wi-Fi is a Chinese network, so the blocks apply there, and on a laptop using that Wi-Fi.
Does Tunnelz work on iPhone?
Not yet. Tunnelz runs on an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later today, and the iPhone and iPad app is coming to the App Store. Only have a phone? A roaming eSIM usually covers most of this today.
What does Tunnelz cost for one trip?
The Trip Pass is $29.99 + tax for 10 days: one payment, nothing to cancel. You also pay Vultr about $5 a month for your server. Tunnelz deletes the server it built 24 hours after the pass ends, after a reminder, so Vultr stops billing too. Every plan covers 2 devices and has a 30-day refund.

Sources