Whether to join a tour group for traveling in Xinjiang depends on personal travel preferences, time arrangements, and economic conditions.?
The benefits of joining a tour group are:?
Travel agencies can help plan the entire itinerary, including hotel reservations and transportation arrangements between attractions, which saves tourists a lot of worry.?
During peak seasons, joining a tour group is usually more cost-effective than free-and-easy travel because travel agencies have negotiated prices for air tickets and hotels.?
For tourists visiting Xinjiang for the first time or with limited time, joining a tour group can make more effective use of time and avoid the fatigue of self-driving and the handling of unexpected situations.?
Joining a tour group also allows tourists to enjoy professional equipment such as drones and DSLR cameras for photography, saving the trouble of bringing their own cameras.?
However, joining a tour group also has some drawbacks:?
The itinerary may be very tight, and tourists may not be able to stay longer at a favorite attraction or may need to follow the group to attractions they don’t like, which may waste time and energy.?
Joining a tour group may limit tourists’ freedom and prevent them from planning their itinerary entirely based on personal preferences.?
In contrast, free-and-easy travel offers a higher degree of freedom:?
Tourists can flexibly plan their itinerary and stay longer in a place they like.?
Free-and-easy travel also allows tourists to experience the local culture and customs more deeply, without being restricted by the group itinerary.?
However, free-and-easy travel also requires tourists to spend more time and effort on creating transportation itineraries, booking hotels, etc.?
In summary, if you have ample time, pursue a higher degree of freedom and personalized travel experience, and are willing to spend time and effort on creating an itinerary and bookings, then free-and-easy travel may be a better choice. If time is limited, you prefer convenience and less hassle, or are not very familiar with the tourist environment in Xinjiang, then joining a tour group may be a wiser choice. When choosing a tour group, it is advisable to select a formal and reputable travel agency and carefully read the contract terms to avoid unnecessary troubles.?