Traveling solo in Guiyang without getting bogged down: A list of safe areas, restaurants for one, and great photo spots (with 10 general rules)

During my 72-hour solo exploration trip in Guiyang, my most profound experience of caution came from a late-night carpooling incident near the train station. That night, returning to the old city from Huaguoyuan after taking nighttime photos, I opted for a ride-sharing offer to save time. However, near Qingyun Road, I was led astray onto a side street without streetlights, and only managed to escape by sharing my location and making several calls to a friend. After that experience, I replanned my solo travel routes in Guiyang and discovered that as long as you choose the right areas, find the right restaurants, and avoid overly enthusiastic advances, Guiyang is actually a very suitable highland city for solo, leisurely travel. This post will only discuss safe solo travel methods that I personally found effective.

Choosing the right area to stay in is more important than researching tourist attractions when traveling alone.

Guiyang's old city isn't large, but the nighttime atmosphere varies greatly between different areas. Based on my experience, the "Da Shizi-Fountain Pool" area is ideal for solo travelers: it's where Metro Lines 1 and 2 intersect, there are many convenience stores and pharmacies at night, and buses and licensed taxis are still running after 10 PM. The "Jiaxiu Tower-Nanming River" area is also good, suitable for morning and evening walks, but make sure to confirm that it's a hotel on the main street, not a guesthouse in an alley. If your budget allows, you can stay near "Guanshanhu Financial City," where the area is new and brightly lit, but the downside is that it's farther from the old city.

What I need to avoid are "unnamed apartments near the train station" and "some high-density buildings in Huaguoyuan." These two areas are lively during the day, but late at night they tend to have touts, ride-sharing services, and a complex flow of people. My principle is that I'd rather take the subway a couple more stops than stay in a short-term rental apartment with lax security and no private reception. When choosing a place, I pay close attention to reviews for keywords like "female solo stay," "safe to go back at night," and "which floor the reception is on."

Dining alone isn't awkward: These restaurants treat me like a regular customer, not an outsider.

Guiyang snacks are perfect for solo diners, but some shops only serve large pots at round tables, so going alone might mean sharing a table or paying extra. Based on personal experience, here are some places suitable for solo travelers: "Su Fen" (vegetarian rice noodle) shops in the old town offer both sour and thin rice noodles; add a side of crispy pork cracklings for a local breakfast; "Chang Wang Mian" (intestine and blood noodles) at older shops with long counters along the street—order, find a seat yourself, and avoid socializing.

If you crave sour soup but don't want to order a large pot, look for sour soup beef or sour soup fish restaurants that offer individual hot pots; these are usually more spacious during lunchtime. Another hidden gem is the "Silk Doll" self-service stall, where you take portions, enough for one person to fill half a table without servers constantly checking the number of people. For late-night snacks, I prefer established noodle shops like "Social Beef Noodles" that stay open until the early hours; the surrounding area is full of locals just getting off work, making me feel safer than during the daytime around tourist attractions.

If you're really afraid to go into a formal restaurant alone, you can choose the chain snack area on the basement floor of a shopping mall, such as Si Lian or Dan Jia Crispy Duck. These stores have plenty of counter seats and serve food quickly. But to be honest, the secret to not feeling awkward dining alone in Guiyang is to sit directly on the street where you can see pedestrians. You can eat while enjoying the street view. Your comfort is more important than anything else.

A photographer who doesn't need to ask for help taking pictures, rarely even taking out a tripod.

Guiyang has many great spots for solo photography, the key isn't the equipment, but choosing the right time. Here are three locations I personally tested that produce the best shots: First, the night view of Jiaxiu Tower. Between 7:30 and 9 pm, the blue sky and the tower's lights appear simultaneously; prop your phone up on the riverbank railing and use Bluetooth shutter for a stable long exposure. Second, Dongshan Temple half an hour before sunset, overlooking the old city rooftops and mountains, perfect for a clean selfie with your back to the city skyline. Third, the square opposite the Huaguoyuan White House; at night, with all the lights on, it resembles European architecture, but it gets crowded, so I recommend wearing your phone with a lanyard on your wrist before taking the photos.

For selfies, I usually use a tripod and Bluetooth remote control, but Guiyang has many slopes and uneven ground, so I switched to clipping my phone to railings/window sills/shared bicycle baskets. Outside the new Provincial Museum, there are large expanses of plain walls and geometric lines, perfect for shooting from below with your phone propped up on the ground. In the alleys around Diantai Street and Wenchang Pavilion, after 3 PM, you can use time-lapse selfies to capture the dynamic feeling of walking through the old alleys.

If you absolutely need someone to help you take a picture, prioritize uniformed security guards at tourist attractions or shop assistants wearing name tags. Don't hand your phone to strangers, especially in crowded areas like Huaguoyuan. My exact words were: "Just press the shutter here for me, I'll stand over there." After taking the picture, say thank you and leave.

These are the only reliable group-buying and companion-finding channels left.

If you don't want to hire a car alone for a day trip around Guiyang, I've personally found three reliable options: First, "official scenic spot shuttle buses" or "pure tour small group tours" on mainstream online travel agencies (OTAs). Before booking, check the reviews to see if they mention "no shopping" or "no sharing with private cars." Second, the blackboards at the front desks of hostels or chain hotels often have information on same-day round-trip carpooling, but you need to confirm whether payment is made through the platform. Third, tourist information desks inside museums and subway stations can provide information on regular shuttle bus schedules.

Finding travel buddies on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) can be a supplement, but I don't recommend going alone. It's best to meet in public places like scenic spot ticket offices or subway station exits, and only accept publicly disclosed itineraries with a split cost. Solo men shouldn't think it's okay either; I met a guy in Qingyan Ancient Town who was led to places to spend money under the guise of "free directions," and he only managed to leave by pretending to answer a phone call. A truly reliable group tour won't message you late at night to change the location.

10 Safety Checklist for Solo Travelers (Applicable to Both Men and Women) - Save to Your Phone

These are ten rules I silently repeat before every solo trip, applicable to Guiyang: 1. Choose reputable hotels or hostels with 24-hour front desks, access control, and private bathrooms for single rooms; 2. Only use ride-hailing platforms and share your itinerary when taking taxis; never take "hitchhikers" soliciting passengers on the street; 3. After 10 PM, try to stay on main roads and avoid underpasses and unlit alleys under overpasses; 4. Keep cash and documents separate; a phone lanyard is more effective at preventing theft than keeping it in your pocket; 5. Don't drink beverages out of your sight; only sit at the bar in bars; 6. Check behind you before taking photos; don't hang your DSLR on your shoulder; 7. Send your daily itinerary and accommodation address to at least one friend and let them know you're safe at a fixed time; 8. Refuse overly enthusiastic "local guides" or offers to share a table; keep your tone calm; 9. Download Guiyang offline maps in advance, as signal may be interrupted in subways and underpasses; 10. Trust your instincts; if a street makes you feel uneasy, immediately turn back to the main road.

The blogger concludes: The comfort of solo travel in Guiyang depends on your willingness to prioritize safety. Avoid late-night activities around the train station, stay near Dashizi or Jiaxiu Tower, plan your meals to include street food, rely on tripods and public photography spots, and confirm group tours with travel platforms and front desks—this way, your three days and two nights won't be chaotic, and you'll actually want to stay longer. One last tip: Don't let your guard down just because you've seen the list. Guiyang is friendly, but friendliness depends on taking responsibility for your own safety first.