Trip planning
We arrange the dental side. The travel side is yours — but this is the checklist we hand to people so nobody ends up flying home the morning after surgery with a crown that needs one more adjustment.
Countdown checklist
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 8+ weeks before | Send your case, get the clinic match and the itemised quote. Check visa requirements for your passport and start any visa process. |
| 4 weeks before | Book flights and hotel. Confirm appointment dates in writing. Buy travel insurance. Refill any regular medication. |
| 1 week before | Re-confirm the appointment. Print or download your X-rays, medical history and medication list. Charge a power bank and set up a payment method. |
| Arrival day | Get a local SIM or eSIM, install a translation app, and note the clinic address in Chinese characters for taxi drivers. |
| Treatment day | Arrive 15 minutes early, bring your documents, and ask for the final plan and price in writing before treatment starts. |
| Before flying home | Collect the written treatment summary and imaging copies. Confirm what to do if something feels wrong after you land. |
Where to stay
Pick the hotel after the clinic, not before — a 20-minute walk to the clinic beats a nicer room an hour away.
- Zhujiang New Town (珠江新城) — Modern CBD, international hotels, metro lines 3 & 5. Closest to the biggest clinics.
- Tianhe (天河) — Shopping, hotels, Line 1 & 3. Walkable, easy for first-time visitors.
- Yuexiu (越秀) — Old city, near the railway station and Line 2. Cheaper hotels, more character.
- Haizhu / Pazhou (海珠 / 琶洲) — Canton Fair venue; good rates outside fair weeks.
What to bring
- Passport and visa documents
- Any X-rays, CT scans or a treatment plan from home (digital is fine)
- A list of medications, allergies and chronic conditions, in English
- Your travel insurance policy number
- A soft toothbrush and the clinic's aftercare instructions
- The clinic address written in Chinese characters
Practicalities
- Mobile payment
- WeChat Pay and Alipay dominate. Both can be linked to an international card; set this up before you arrive rather than at the counter.
- Cash & cards
- Carry some RMB for small purchases. Larger clinics accept cards, but a foreign card is not guaranteed to work everywhere.
- Getting around
- The metro is cheap and signed in English. DiDi (the local ride-hailing app) has an English interface. Taxis are metered — insist on it.
- Language
- Translation apps handle most restaurant and taxi conversations. For clinical discussions, use the clinic's English-speaking staff — or ours.
- Food after treatment
- Plan for soft food for the first day or two after surgery. Congee, soup and noodles are everywhere and cheap.
- Weather
- Guangzhou is hot and humid from May to September and mild in winter. October to March is the most comfortable window for a treatment trip.
Visa and entry
Entry rules depend on your passport and they change. Some nationalities currently have visa-free short stays; others can use a transit or online tourist visa. Check your own country's official source — not a blog, and not us — before booking anything non-refundable.
Flying after treatment
- Minor work (cleaning, fillings, crowns, whitening) — flying the next day is normally fine.
- Extractions and implant surgery — most clinics advise waiting at least 24–48 hours, and longer if there is swelling.
- Sedation — you will not be allowed to fly the same day. Plan a night.
- Always follow the specific advice the clinic gives you in writing; if they say wait, wait.
When to come
October to March is the most comfortable weather for a treatment trip. May to September is hot, humid and wet, which is fine for city life but less pleasant if you are recovering from surgery. Avoid the Canton Fair weeks (April and October) if you care about hotel prices.
Keep a buffer day
Book your return flight at least one clear day after your last scheduled appointment. A crown that needs a tweak takes twenty minutes in Guangzhou and a lot of money from home.
We are an information and referral service, not a medical provider. Diagnosis and treatment are delivered by our partner clinics.