Quick answer
Amap (高德地图, international name "Amap") is China's strongest navigation app and it runs in English: install it before you fly (search "Amap" on the App Store or Google Play), switch language in 设置→Settings→语言/Language, and you get turn-by-turn driving, walking, and transit directions with English place names in the big cities. It is free; taxi hailing inside the app pays through Alipay or WeChat. Last verified October 11, 2026.
Why this matters in 2026
Google Maps navigation does not work in mainland China — the map data is offset and routing is dead, which strands first-time visitors on day one. Apple Maps carries licensed Chinese data and works, but its transit and driving layer is thinner than the local champions. Amap (owned by Alibaba) is the default for Chinese drivers and pedestrians, and since 2023 the international "Amap" build ships with an English interface aimed at visitors: address search in English or Chinese, POI cards with photos and ratings, and the same real-time traffic layer locals use. For a traveler, one app then covers every mode: walk, metro, bus, taxi, intercity coach terminals.
Key facts at a glance
- Install: "Amap" on international App Store/Google Play, or 高德地图 inside China; free, ~300 MB
- Language: full English UI via Settings → Language; place names stay bilingual in most tier-1 cities
- Account: usable without registration; a phone number (Chinese or international) unlocks saved places and ride history
- Core modes: driving, walking, cycling, bus/metro (with live arrival), taxi-hail aggregator (DiDi and rivals), offline maps
- Data reality: search works best in Chinese — paste Chinese addresses from your hotel booking, or use the app's built-in translation entry
Step-by-step walkthrough
Step 1: Install before you fly
Search "Amap" in your home-country app store — the international build ships in English and downloads fine outside China. In-country app stores carry 高德地图 with Chinese-first defaults. Both are the same engine.
Step 2: Flip the language and register lightly
设置 → 语言 → English. Registration is optional for maps; adding your number lets you save favorites and keep ride receipts. Skip the payment setup here — pay for rides through Alipay/WeChat as usual.
Step 3: Search like a local
Chinese text beats English for small places: copy the Chinese address block from your hotel confirmation (酒店名+路名+号), paste it, and Amap resolves it instantly. English names work for landmarks ("West Lake", "Forbidden City") and most metro stations. Save every hotel as a favorite (收藏) the day you arrive — offline rescue for taxi rides home.
Step 4: Route by mode
Choose 公交/Bus for metro-and-walk itineraries: Amap lists 2–3 options with price (CNY 2–9), live departure boards, and which exit to climb at destination. Walking routes respect China's pedestrian bridges and underpasses. Driving routes integrate live traffic and automatically reroute.
Step 5: Hail a taxi in-app
The 打车 tab aggregates several ride services: enter destination, see the price band (e.g., Bund → Hongqiao CNY 60–90), pick a car type (taxi vs. express), and pay when you land via Alipay/WeChat. English support is partial — the interface is bilingual but driver chat is not; pin the pickup point on the map instead of phoning.
Step 6: Use the extras that matter
Offline maps (离线地图) for your cities — a safety net in basement malls and metro transfers. Real-time bus crowding icons. EV charging and gas stations for road trips. And the "周边" (nearby) tab for restaurants, which layers Dianping-style ratings onto the map.
Common scenarios and use cases
1. Day-one airport arrival
Open Amap at the arrivals curb, tap 公交, input your hotel (paste Chinese), and it prints the exact metro line, transfer, fare, and exit — for Shanghai Pudong to the Bund: Maglev + Line 2, about 45 minutes, CNY 60 with Maglev or CNY 8 metro-only.
2. Getting a taxi driver to a hidden guesthouse
Chinese-only address? Show the driver the Amap destination card — the pinned point navigates their own app. The "share destination" function sends it to your own phone as backup.
3. Cross-city trip planning
Type a destination outside the city: Amap returns HSR-plus-metro options and drive times with tolls (e.g., Shanghai–Hangzhou: 2.5–3 h drive, CNY 100+ tolls; or 45–60 min by HSR from Hongqiao).
4. Losing data signal
Switch to the downloaded offline map: positioning, pins, and saved favorites all keep working; live traffic and ride-hailing pause until signal returns.
Costs and pricing breakdown
- App itself: free; no ads inside navigation
- Metro/bus fares shown in routing: CNY 2–9 typical city rides
- In-app taxi (economy): city rides CNY 12–40; airport runs CNY 60–150
- Ride types: express (cheapest), taxi (metered), premium (1.5–2×)
- Offline map packs: free, 200–500 MB per province
- Data usage live: ~30–60 MB per active day
Pitfalls to avoid
- Relying on Google Maps for navigation: offset pins, dead routing, no transit data. Keep it for saved lists; navigate in Amap.
- Searching only in English: small restaurants and guesthouses often lack English entries. Paste the Chinese address — it is on every booking confirmation.
- Ignoring the pickup pin in ride-hail: at stations, Amap's suggested pickup points are the legal ones; wandering curbside gets waved off by drivers.
- Skipping offline maps before a long metro day: signal dies between lines; cached routes keep walking.
- Trusting drive times at rush hour without re-check: the 08:30–09:30 and 17:30–19:00 windows can double estimates; the app does recalculate, but leave earlier.
Alternatives and trade-offs
- Baidu Maps: equally powerful, Chinese-first, better in second-tier cities for some POIs; English is thinner.
- Apple Maps: zero setup, good enough for walking; transit times lag Amap by minutes and taxi-hail is absent.
- Metro Man / Subway apps: cleaner metro-only routing with English; pair with Amap for the street layer.
- Dianping's map layer: better restaurant detail; worse navigation. Use both, they link.
Local context and customs
Amap is infrastructure in China the way Google Maps is elsewhere: delivery riders, cab drivers, and your Chinese friends all live inside it. The Chinese name 高德 (gāodé) doubles as a pun on "high virtue", which taxi drivers will happily explain. Two etiquette notes from local road culture: drivers use hazard lights ("double flashes") as a thank-you in traffic, and the app's lane-level guidance exists because Chinese interchanges genuinely have six-lane forks — trust the lane arrows. For pedestrians, note that crossing entries are calibrated to local signal timing; where it says 8 minutes, the Chinese aunties are walking it in 6.
Verifying current information
App versions change quarterly; features migrate between tabs. Last verified October 11, 2026. Reconfirm through:
- The app's own 更新日志 (release notes): where new features surface first
- Amap's official WeChat account: feature announcements and outage notices
- Your hotel concierge: will confirm the local ride-hail quirks for your city
- Reddit/forums for China travel: real-world reports on the English build's latest behavior
Putting it all together
Install Amap before boarding, flip it to English, and save your hotel in Chinese characters on day one. Paste Chinese addresses for everything else, use the 公交 tab for every metro move, hail taxis through the app and pay by Alipay. With offline packs for your provinces downloaded, one free app replaces the entire stack of maps, transit guides, and taxi stands — and the English interface means the whole country's navigation is finally legible.
FAQ
Is Amap free?
Yes — maps, navigation, transit routing, and offline packs are free. You only pay for the taxis and buses you take.
Does it work outside mainland China?
Limited: coverage exists in some neighboring regions but is not competitive with local apps abroad. Treat it as a China tool.
Can I type English addresses?
Landmarks and metro stations resolve in English; small shops may not. The reliable method is pasting the Chinese address from your booking.
Does the taxi tab cost more than street taxis?
No — hailed taxis run on the meter; "express" cars quote upfront and often undercut. The aggregator takes no markup from riders.
Will it work without a Chinese phone number?
Yes for everything except a couple of account features. Ride-hailing works once you can pay via Alipay/WeChat.
How current is the traffic data?
Live, minute-level, and excellent in big cities — it is the same feed 300 million Chinese drivers navigate with daily.
Can I use it for hiking or cycling?
Cycling routing is solid; hiking is basic. For serious trails, use dedicated outdoor apps with offline GPX tracks.
Is my location data an issue?
It is a consumer app under Chinese jurisdiction; standard advice applies — keep only what you need (no always-on location), and use app-level permissions sensibly.