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How to use Amap in China.
Use Amap (Gaode Maps) in English to find places and plan walking or public transport routes. Keep the Chinese address as a backup.
Start with the setup steps →01 · PREPARE THE APP
From the app to your first route.
Try these four steps with your first hotel before departure. You can prepare a destination without setting up every connected service.
Check the English interface
Open the app and check its language settings. Choose English if available; menus and language support can differ by store and version.
Find your first hotel
Set the destination city and search the hotel name. If needed, paste its Chinese name or address, then confirm the branch.
Choose the journey
Open the place’s route options and select walking or public transport. For a route from your location, allow precise location while using the app.
Save the Chinese address and a screenshot of the entrance outside Amap. This is an offline address backup, not a guarantee of offline navigation.
02 · FIND THE RIGHT PLACE
Turn the booking into a verified pin.
Select each step. The route is only useful after the place, branch and entrance agree.
Open the booking record first.
Use the official hotel, station or attraction record as the source of truth. Keep its Chinese name, full address and phone number beside Amap.
READY TO CONTINUE WHENYou are not searching from memory or from a shortened English name.
Move the map to the destination city.
Before arrival, search can favour places near your current location. Pan to the Chinese city or select it in Amap before searching again.
READY TO CONTINUE WHENThe city shown on the result matches the city in your booking.
Try English, Pinyin, then Chinese.
English or Pinyin may find the place. If the result is missing or ambiguous, paste the Chinese place name or full Chinese address from the booking record.
READY TO CONTINUE WHENAt least one result agrees with the original Chinese place information.
Confirm the branch—not only the name.
Compare the district, phone number, photos and nearby metro station. Large hotels, hospitals, stations and chains may have several branches or entrances.
READY TO CONTINUE WHENThe result matches the district and at least one other independent detail.
Keep the pin that the journey actually needs.
Save the pedestrian entrance for walking and the vehicle gate or pickup point for a ride. Screenshot the pin, Chinese address and phone number outside the app.
READY TO CONTINUE WHENYou can still show the destination to staff or a driver without mobile data.
03 · READ THE ROUTE
The right detail changes with the journey.
Choose the trip you are making. A walking entrance, metro direction and ride-hailing pickup point are not interchangeable.
Check the entrance and final 200 metres.
A route can reach the correct building while still leading to the wrong side of a wall, station or block.
- Pedestrian entrance—not the centre of the building
- Crossing, footbridge or underpass shown on the route
- A screenshot of the building name and street
BACKUPShow the Chinese place card to nearby staff when the entrance is hidden.
Read the direction before counting stops.
The line number is not enough. Confirm the direction, transfer station, station exit and operating time.
- Line direction or terminal station
- Transfer station and walking distance
- Destination exit and last service time
BACKUPKeep the station name in Chinese and one alternative route.
Separate the pickup point from the destination.
At airports, stations and malls, vehicles may only stop at a named zone, gate, floor or road.
- Correct terminal, gate, level or numbered bay
- Pickup point agrees with the ride order
- Destination pin is the intended entrance or branch
BACKUPKeep the bilingual place card and open the DiDi order for live pickup details.
Use the map as a shortlist, not a guarantee.
Nearby results are useful for discovery, but translated names, opening hours and branch details may be incomplete.
- Current opening hours and last admission
- Correct branch and recent place photos
- Reservation or local-account requirements
BACKUPSave the route back to your hotel before leaving familiar areas.
04 · FIX THE SEARCH OR ROUTE
Start with the failure you can see.
Check the search city, place details, location access and language before abandoning the route.
Change the search context before changing apps.
The app may be searching near your current location or the English name may not match its local listing.
- Move the map to the destination city
- Paste the Chinese name or full address
- Search the nearest metro station, district or phone number
- Ask the hotel for its Amap location card
Treat the booking record as the source of truth.
A correct translated name can still point to another branch, entrance or district.
- Compare district and street
- Match the phone number
- Check recent exterior photos
- Save the correct entrance—not only the venue centre
Fix the phone signal before distrusting the whole route.
Indoor positioning, tunnels, weak mobile data, battery settings or denied precise-location access can make the dot lag.
- Step outside and wait for a GPS fix
- Enable precise location
- Remove battery restrictions for Amap
- Reload on mobile data and compare a known landmark
Keep the task narrow and preserve the useful Chinese text.
The interface may be multilingual while place content or connected services remain partly Chinese.
- Use the route icons, line numbers and map geometry
- Translate a screenshot when needed
- Keep the Chinese place name visible for staff and drivers
- Do not replace the Chinese address with a machine translation
05 · COMMON QUESTIONS
Amap for visitors FAQ
Features and place coverage can change, so use the current app and the original Chinese destination record as the final references.
Is Amap available in English?
Amap Global offers an English and multilingual interface through overseas app stores. Place information and connected services can still include Chinese text.
Do I need an Amap account?
Many core search, route and navigation functions can be used without signing in. An account may be needed for syncing or some connected features.
Why is Amap harder to search before I arrive?
Search can favour your current location outside China. Move the map to the destination city and search with the Chinese name or address from the booking record.
Can I search in English?
Often, yes—but do not rely on the English result alone. Confirm the district, phone number, photos and nearby station, and keep the Chinese name as the fallback.
Can Amap plan metro and bus routes?
Yes. It can compare public-transport routes. Check the line direction, transfer, exit and operating time shown for the journey.
Can I call a ride from Amap?
Amap can provide ride-hailing entry points. For a first trip, use the payment and ride service you have already prepared, and follow the live order for pickup and payment details.
Should iPhone users keep Apple Maps?
Yes. Apple Maps is a useful familiar backup. Amap remains the primary recommendation for richer local search, route detail and place verification.
What should I save outside Amap?
Keep the Chinese place name and address, phone number, nearby metro station, confirmed entrance and a screenshot of the pin.
Connect the confirmed place to the journey.
Now compare metro, walking, taxi, DiDi and intercity options for the trip you need to make.
Open the Getting Around Guide →