My husband and I are traveling to China in late-April early May after a business trip to Hong Kong. We have about 9-10 days in China. We usually don't go on organized tours but since we don't know the language at all, can we do it on our own or can you recommend tours. We were thinking of visiting Beijing, Xi'an and perhaps Shanghai. Is it worth going to Shanghai? All suggestions greatly appreciated.

If you don't know how to speak AND read Chinese, you're going to have difficulties exploring by yourself. It's doable, but troublesome.

I found organized tours to be a waste of time, though they are simple to get on. Every English and Chinese tour I did last Spring took me around to Jade factories and other places where you basically are just there to buy things in between the real sites. Some people like it, I didn't. I especially didn't like that many of these stops were NOT on the itinerary.
If you're willing to spend the money, hire a University student as a translator (or any translator) and a car to take you around. Yes, this will be more expensive than the tours (maybe), but you'll spend less time doing things you aren't interested in. Also, if you get a good student translator they'll bargain for you and you'll get a much better price on things. They can also explain what it is you're eating.

PM me if you have more questions.

I don't agree with this at all. I've been to Beijing and Shanghai, neither speak nor read Chinese, and I had no problems getting around and seeing things. Beijing in particular is very easy to tour solo. Even in restaurants in Beijing where we were the only Westerners and no one spoke English, we were able to order by pointing at dishes, drinks, etc. I found the Chinese very friendly and accommodating.

As for going to Shanghai, I didn't really care for it. Doesn't seem to have much charm. But then, it's a symbol of the new China, so worth seeing in that regard. Two days is plenty in Shanghai IME. We spent a week in Beijing and still didn't see everything.

If you do a search, you'll find a couple of very detailed threads re sightseeing in Beijing area....having a local guide for certain visits would be helpful. Knowledge of Chinese is absolutely not necessary and you should try to set aside at least 3-5 days. May is still not hot yet and you will have a fab time.

Shanghai is a different matter - as far as sightseeing, it's not even close to Beijing. Unless you're into art, fashion, lots of lights and glitter, etc. And there, unless you speak Shanghai dialect, you'll be treated the same

Beijing, Xian are great. Also Shanghai - and I agree that Shanghai is doable in 3 days - but a great city. We were on "organized" tours, and I personally don't care if I ever see another jade factory in my life! You might also check with Trip Advisor and try to find out some sources for private guides. Knowledge of Chinese is not required - we found the Chinese to be extremely friendly and helpful in all of our "english" requests. Last but not least - please do not even consider renting a car and doing it on your own - you would come home in a straight jacket!

A private guide is the last thing you need in either city, each of which you can easily navigate by yourself, unless you like being overcharged, taken to shops, restaurants, and shows that pay kick-backs, and fed false historical and cultural information, albeit often by very sweet people.

Beijing is easily and cheaply navigated by taxi (and even more cheaply and rapidly by metro). The Great Wall can be reached at various sites either by taxi, by one-day bus tour, or be direct public bus. There are direct buses to the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an that give you as much time as you want, one-day tours that take in other rural tombs and temples, and easy access to other sights in the city by taxi. In both cases you'll find more accurate information in reading materials you bring from home, and most of the carefully adjusted accounts that a guide will give you can anyway be read on English signs at sights.

Peter N-H
China

Another voice of disagreement.

Beijing, in particular, is very easy to get around without knowing the language. Many street signs are in English and Chinese, and the main tourist sites are similarly marked with signs in a number of languages. All that is necessary is a good guide book for getting around.

When you set out from the hotel, ask the concierge or a doorman for a "name card" for the hotel, and also ask him or her to write down the name (and, if necessary, e.g., a restaurant or store, the address) of your destination. The name card will have, on the back, a request for the driver to take you to the hotel, along with the address and phone number in Chinese. Simply show the card to a taxi driver and you'll be taken to your destination with a minimum of fuss. Beijing taxi drivers vary all over the spectrum -- some are experienced drivers, some are fresh from the provinces. You may wind up with one who doesn't know how to get where you're going, but that's also part of the adventure of travel. Since taxis are very inexpensive, all you'll lose is a little time, while getting an unanticipated tour. If your cellphone is GSM, you can get a local SIM card for $10 US or so (I used to keep one just for travel, but now I use my Blackberry). If you find yourself lost, just call back to your hotel and hand the phone to the taxi driver -- even my wife, who is Chinese, will do this from time to time.

Xi'an is one of my favorite cities -- in addition to the terracotta warriors, there is a completely intact medieval city wall, some impressive pagodas, very interesting restaurants, a nice museum, an interesting Muslim section and a beautifully preserved Chinese mosque, and some interesting historical sites relevant to the Communist Revolution. If you're just interested in the terracotta warriors, any taxi driver will be able to take you there.

Both Beijing and Xi'an are very safe cities and, because of the importance of foreign tourism to their economies, westerners and, particularly Americans, are welcome. Though there are the usual tourist scams in Beijing (as there are in every city in the world), these are so artfully done that you may not even realize you've been scammed -- just avoid invitations from strangers to a "tea house" or a "student art gallery." The tea houses and art galleries are quite real, but the prices are obscenely inflated. I'd add that in 15 years of visiting China, I've never been targeted for one of these scams but they are around. In both Beijing and Xi'an, you shouldn't hesitate to approach a policeman if you feel the need. They'll help with directions and similar inquiries. Note, however, that they almost certainly will not speak English. However, I have found that in China, as in every other country I've visited, a little bit of pantomime and a willingness to appear a bit foolish is all that is necessary to communicate.

Getting from Beijing to Xi'an is very easy -- flights are inexpensive and frequent. The Beijing airport is modern and nice. I haven't been to Xi'an for several years, but when I was there the airport was small, pleasant and easy to navigate.

Tours in China will effectively isolate you from any real interaction with Chinese people and Chinese society. In my opinion, experiencing another culture first-hand is the primary reason for foreign travel -- for this reason, I avoid tours like plague.

As with any foreign country, it is always a good idea to learn a few words related to common courtesy. "Thank you," "Excuse me," "Hello," and "Goodbye" will suffice. Mandarin, the primary language spoken in Beijing and Xi'an, is somewhat difficult for a westerner to pronounce because it is tonal and uses a completely different phoneme set than English. However, there are many websites that will teach you to approximate the correct pronunciation. It's also a good idea to read up a bit about Chinese etiquette but, of course, this is true any time you travel internationally. Again, a good guide book will have all the information you need.

Though I usually have the benefit of my wife as a tour guide, I often go around by myself when I visit China. It is no more challenging than any other country I've visited whose language I couldn't speak.

China is an amazing, beautiful, wonderful country to visit -- you'll be surprised at how modern and progressive parts of it have become (particularly Beijing). The people are warm and welcoming, the prices inexpensive, and the food is the most varied, interesting and, in my opinion, tasty in the world. You'll have a great time!