Can You Drink Tap Water in China?

The short answer

No. Tap water in mainland China is not drinkable anywhere, in any city, at any hotel star rating. This is not a scare story — it is simply the standard advice, and Chinese people do not drink it either. Boiled tap water is used for tea and cooking; drinking water is bought.

What to do instead

Your hotel provides it. Every hotel from three stars up leaves bottled water in the room, usually two bottles a day, replenished by housekeeping. There is also a kettle for making tea — which is boiling tap water, and safe to drink once boiled.

Bottled water is cheap and everywhere. Convenience stores are on every block, and a large bottle costs very little. Stock up before a day out.

Bring a refillable bottle. Most hotels have a hot water dispenser in the lobby or on the floor, and high-speed rail stations and airports have boiling-water taps — Chinese travellers refill constantly. Boiling tap water and letting it cool is the local solution and works fine.

Ice, tea and coffee

Ice. Ice in hotels, international restaurants and chain cafes is made from filtered or bottled water and is fine. Ice from a street cart is not — assume tap water.

Tea. Tea is made with boiling water, so it is safe wherever you drink it — which is one reason China is a very easy country for a cautious traveller. Tea houses are a highlight, not a risk.

Coffee. Chain coffee shops and hotels use filtered water. A tiny roadside stall may not; that is a judgement call you can make on sight.

With children and sensitive stomachs

Children adapt less well to unfamiliar water, so be strict about it with them: bottled or boiled only, and no street-cart drinks. If you are formula feeding, use bottled or boiled-and-cooled water rather than tap.

If someone does get a stomach upset, it is usually mild and short. Bring oral rehydration salts and the usual remedies, and message us if it is more serious — your guide can take you to a pharmacy or a clinic and handle the language. In any city, an international clinic with English-speaking staff exists, and we will direct you to the nearest one.

One thing that surprises people

China is actually easier on this front than many destinations. Because the local habit is already to boil water for tea and buy bottled water for drinking, the infrastructure around drinking water is everywhere. You will not struggle to find safe water anywhere, including in Zhangjiajie, rural Yunnan or along the Tibetan plateau — though in the last case, bottled water supply in small towns can be limited, so we make sure vehicles carry enough.