Solo Travel in China: Is It Too Hard for a First Solo Trip?

The short version

China is a good place to travel alone, including for a first solo trip. It is one of the safer countries for tourists, it is affordable, and high-speed trains make it simple to move between cities.

It is not the easiest country on day one. The difficulty is practical:

• Little English is spoken outside international hotels.
• Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are blocked on Chinese networks.
• Payments, maps, taxis and tickets run through Chinese apps.

All of this can be solved before you fly, in about an hour or two. Travelers who arrive with a working phone usually relax by the second day. Travelers who plan to “sort it out there” have a hard first 48 hours, and alone there is nobody to help.

What is easy and what is hard

Set up your phone before you fly

This is the most important part of a solo trip to China. Do it at home, with good Wi-Fi and time to fix problems.

1. Alipay, with your bank card linked and your passport verified. Make a small test payment as soon as you land. See Alipay for foreigners.
2. WeChat, as a backup wallet and for messaging hotels and guides. See WeChat Pay for foreigners.
3. Mobile data: a travel eSIM that works from the moment you land. Many keep Google, WhatsApp and Instagram working. See China eSIM vs SIM card and VPNs in China.
4. A map app that works in China, such as Amap or Apple Maps. See Google Maps in China.
5. A translation app with offline Chinese, camera and voice modes. See translation apps for China.
6. DiDi for taxis, inside Alipay or as its own app. See DiDi in China.
7. A train booking app with your passport added. See how to book train tickets in China.

Solo backups, because you have no travel partner to borrow from:

• Two bank cards from different networks, kept in different places.
• Some RMB cash, enough for a day or two. See cash and ATMs in China.
• A power bank with a clear 3C mark, which is required on domestic flights. Your phone is your wallet, map and ticket. See domestic flights in China.
• Screenshots of your hotel name and address in Chinese, your bookings and your passport photo page.
• Your itinerary shared with someone at home.

See best apps for China travel for the full list.

Where to go on a first solo trip

Start where things are easiest, then go further as your confidence grows.

A first solo route: 12 to 14 days

Beijing first means you see the hardest-to-book sights while you have most energy. Prefer an easier landing? Reverse the route and start in Shanghai. With 10 days, leave out Chengdu. See how many days you need in each city and our first-time China itinerary.

Where to stay

• Check that the property accepts foreign guests before you book. Hotels must register every foreign guest with the police, and some small hotels and hostels are not set up to do it. See hotels for foreigners in China.
• Hostels are the easiest way to meet people. Look for ones with a common room, a bar or organized activities, and read recent reviews from foreign guests. Most offer private rooms as well as dorms.
• Mid-range hotels are good value for one person. As a rough guide, a simple hotel or a private room in a hostel costs about RMB 200 to 400 a night, and a good mid-range hotel RMB 400 to 900, with Beijing and Shanghai at the higher end.
• Stay near a metro station, in a central area. You will walk back alone at night, and a short, busy route is more pleasant.
• Carry your passport to every check-in.

Eating alone

Eating alone is normal in China, and it is where solo travelers save money.

Made for one person:

• Noodle and dumpling shops: a bowl or a plate is a full meal.
• Rice bowls and set meals (套餐): meat, vegetables and rice on one tray.
• Food courts in the basements or top floors of shopping malls, with pictures on every menu.
• Street food and night markets: try several small things.
• Single-person hotpot and skewer-style “malatang”, where you choose your own ingredients and pay by weight.
• Convenience stores such as FamilyMart, Lawson and 7-Eleven for cheap hot meals.

Harder alone:

• Classic restaurants serve dishes for sharing. Alone, order one dish, one vegetable and rice, or ask for a small portion (小份, xiǎo fèn) where it is offered.
• Peking duck is often sold as a whole duck. Many restaurants sell half, so ask.
• Big hotpot restaurants are more fun and better value in a group. A food tour is a good way to try them.

Most restaurants use a QR code menu on the table. See how to order food in China.

Meeting people

China’s traveler scene is smaller than in Thailand or Vietnam, so plan for company instead of waiting for it.

• Stay in hostels for at least part of the trip, especially in Beijing, Chengdu, Xi’an and Yangshuo.
• Join group activities: a Great Wall day trip, a food tour, a cooking class or a walking tour on your first day in a city.
• Use your translation app to talk to local people. Many are curious about foreign visitors and happy to chat, recommend food or help with directions.
• Expect photo requests and friendly questions, especially outside the biggest cities. A smile and a polite no are fine if you are not in the mood.
• Be careful with one kind of invitation: strangers near tourist sights who speak good English and suggest a teahouse, bar or art gallery. This is a well-known scam that ends with a very large bill.

Safety and solo women

China has low levels of violent crime, and women travel alone there in large numbers. City centers are busy late into the evening, and metros and trains feel safe at night.

Sensible habits for anyone alone:

• Use DiDi or licensed taxis, not unmarked cars, and share your trip with a friend.
• Watch your drink in bars and clubs.
• Do not hike remote areas alone, including unrestored sections of the Great Wall.
• Keep your passport, one card and some cash separate from your day bag.
• Know the numbers: 110 for police and 120 for an ambulance.
• Buy travel insurance with medical cover. See travel insurance for China.

For scams, local laws, advice for women and what to do in an emergency, see is China safe for tourists?

What solo travel costs

Alone, you pay for the whole room and the whole taxi, but food and transport are cheap.

• Cheaper alone: noodle shops, metros, trains and hostels cost the same per person however many you are.
• More expensive alone: hotel rooms, airport transfers, and above all private guides and drivers, whose price is per group, not per person.
• Ways to save: join a small group day tour for the Great Wall or Zhangjiajie instead of a private one, take the metro or airport train, and use hostels with private rooms.

See how much a trip to China costs and do I need a tour guide in China?

When things go wrong

Most solo problems in China are small and have a standard fix:

A guide for part of the trip

You do not have to choose between a fully guided tour and doing everything alone. Many solo travelers book help for the hardest parts only: an airport pickup on the first night, a guide for the first day in Beijing, or a driver for the Great Wall.

See our local guide service and airport transfer service. Our free trip planning service can also check your solo route and tell you where a little support would make the biggest difference.