Where to stay
The right neighbourhood for your trip, and the one sentence that settles the passport question.
Since mid-2024 every hotel must accept foreign guests, and register them with the police within 24 hours — the hotel does this, not you. Chains and 4–5 star hotels always work; small guesthouses sometimes lack the passport scanner. Book on Trip.com, which filters hotels that accept foreign passports, and ask first with this sentence:
你好，请问酒店可以接待外国客人、登记外国护照吗？
Hello, does this hotel accept foreign guests and register foreign passports?
Where to stay
武
Wuchang · Yellow Crane side武昌Wuhan · Best for First visit · Culture · Cycling East Lake. South bank of the Yangtze: Yellow Crane Tower, Tanhualin, the museum and East Lake. Quieter at night, closer to sights, easy trains from Wuchang and Wuhan stations. Chains and 4–5 star hotels all register foreign passports. Small guesthouses around Tanhualin may not — confirm before booking.
汉
Hankou · River & concessions汉口Wuhan · Best for Food · Evenings · Short stays. North bank: Jianghan Road, the Bund, Li Huangpi Road cafés and Wanshong Road crayfish. Most restaurants, most evening life, Hankou Station for HSR to Yichang. Very reliable — this is where most international hotels are. Historic boutique hotels are popular with foreign guests.
光
Optics Valley · Guanggu光谷Wuhan · Best for Business · Students · Budget. The university-and-startup district in the southeast. Cheap, modern and lively, but 40 minutes from the sights. Good if you are visiting a campus or company. Modern chains register foreigners without trouble.
宜
Yichang riverside宜昌滨江Yichang · Best for Dam day trip · Cruise departures. Base for the dam, Qu Yuan Temple and Yangtze cruises. Stay along the river in the city centre, not near the East station. City-centre chains are fine. Cruise ships handle registration for you on board.
恩
Enshi city or canyon rim恩施Enshi · Best for Hiking · Ethnic culture · Slow travel. Sleep in Enshi city for food and the Nü'er Cheng folk street, or on the canyon rim in a Tujia wooden guesthouse for sunrise cloud seas. City hotels register foreigners. Village guesthouses often cannot — book through Trip.com and message the host to confirm 可以接待外宾.
武
Wudang · on the mountain武当山上Wudang · Best for Sunrise · Tai chi courses · Pilgrimage feel. Stay inside the scenic area at Nanyan or Wuya Ridge to catch sunrise at the Golden Hall, or at a tai chi academy for a multi-day course. Academies are used to foreign students. In-park guesthouses vary — confirm passport registration in advance.
襄
Xiangyang old town襄阳古城Xiangyang · Best for History · Food · Day trip or overnight. Sleep inside or beside the old walled city on the south bank: beef-noodle breakfasts at your door, the north wall along the river for evening walks, 1.5 h back to Wuhan. City chains register foreign passports; a few old-town guesthouses cannot — confirm before booking.
荆
Jingzhou ancient city荆州古城Jingzhou · Best for History · Slow travel · Cycling. Stay inside the 11 km wall to walk or cycle it at dawn, then the free museum with the Han mummy and Chu lacquer. Quiet at night; 1.5 h from Wuhan. Mid-range hotels are fine; check with hostels first.
Checked by GoHubei local editors · September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us.