Traveling in China without a tour guide is permitted and possible, but it is a difficult thing to do, certainly for those who have little or no prior experience in China. It is so for a number of reasons. First of all, there is the language issue. Unlike in Europe, where just about everybody speaks some English, in China you cannot always count on people understand what you say. At places such as airports and upscale hotels services are rendered in English; out in the street you may often come across young students eager to practice their English on you. To plan and arrange a whole trip all by yourself, however, is a different matter.
Also, transportation, accommodation and sightseeing in China differs significantly from tourism in the West. What you can generally expect in the West may not be readily obtainable in China. Train tickets, for instance, are often hard to come by, especially if you need either a “soft berth” or a “hard berth” for a train ride that may last over 20 hours. Train tickets are generally sold just 5 days in advance, and you can purchase them only in the city where you are going to board the train. Imagine you arrive in a city with the intention to stay there for three days and then find out that you cannot get hold of a train ticket for quite a few days more – you’ll be stuck there, wasting your precious time in China.
Furthermore, China is a large country where one finds significant regional differences. Many tour destinations are located far outside urban areas, and arranging trips to these destinations often takes knowledge on local matters. That is why in China often a tour group has quite few tour guides working for it as the group traveling in the country. One guide accompanies the group all the way, from the moment the tour group arrives in China till the group departs from the country. This is the national guide. On each stop of the tour – cities or destinations - the national guide works with a local guide, who is the actual guide for the group for that particular segment of the tour itinerary. This is in recognition that matters on the regional or local level can be rather enigmatic and complex, and that no one single guide knows it all and is capable of running the whole tour well across the whole country. Needless to say, it is so much more difficult for you, someone with virtually no knowledge of China.
In addition to considerations such as efficiency and comfort, safety is another factor to think about. While it is generally quite safe to travel in China (racially based hate crime is rare, for instance), petty crimes such as pocket-picking and more serious offenses such as robbery do take place frequently. This is particular true at places where one finds a large “flowing” population - railway stations, for example. (Guangzhou Railway Station seems to have a bad reputation, where there have been quite some incidents of “purse-snapping” – young motorcycle-riders snatch people’s purses or other valuables and then speed away) Criminals do seem to avoid foreign visitors if they can, since the Chinese government takes crimes against foreign guests more seriously (whether it is fair to do so is another matter). Foreign tourists are, however, often targeted by persistent beggars and street peddlers, and they should also watch out for other kinds of unwanted solicitations.
Lastly, there is the issue how much you can get out of your time spent in China. A nation with a long history and a unique culture, China is alien to most of the people outside the country. Even if you have studied the country carefully in advance, it is easy to miss aspects of life there that are not so self-evident. A native, especially a knowledgeable one, can be very helpful in this regard.
To, a foreigner can travel all by himself or herself in China if he or she chooses to do so. This is, however, recommended only for those who have spent some time in the country and have some Chinese language proficiency. Given that most foreign visitors of China have limited time to spend in the country, they might as well enlist professional help to get the most out of their stay in China.
For those who are young and adventurous, with abundant time to travel round, and who are adamant about traveling alone instead in a tour group, some sort of compromise may be possible. One can find a guide to travel with himself. There are travel agencies that can customize tours for independent-minded travelers. One can also, theoretically, find someone (a Chinese college student, for instance) who’s willing to work on the side as a travel companion. In the latter event, the arrangement is clearly not professional, and there may be some legality issues if somehow the relationship does not work out.
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