Beijing tours

Old Feb 17th, 2017, 05:14 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 790
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Beijing tours

I will be travelling to Beijing in mid-March for work but will have almost 3 full days to tour the city. I have traveled to Asia several times before but never to China and never alone. I do very well on my own in Europe but here I am a bit worried about the language barrier, traffic jams, crowds etc.

I will be staying at the Renaissance Hotel near the Forbidden City for the first part of the trip. Any comments on my hotel choice? Shall I change or this is good for a tourist?

Shall I do some sightseeing alone? If yes, which sights are easy?

I would also like to book some tours with a reputable company. Any recommendations?

I would like to focus on Beijing this time, since I am likely to have a similar trip next year, with my husband, and will do side-trips then.

Thank you very much.
Gina_07 is offline  
Old Feb 17th, 2017, 07:58 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 17,948
Received 22 Likes on 4 Posts
A location near the Forbidden City is a good one for tourists. We have been to Beijing twice and stayed in that area.
HappyTrvlr is offline  
Old Feb 17th, 2017, 10:43 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
> I do very well on my own in Europe but here I am a bit worried about the language barrier, traffic jams, crowds etc.

But you find all these things in Europe, too. There's nothing to worry about.

A map or phone app, a decent guide book, Beijing metro app on the phone, paper map of the city on which concierge circles the characters for your destination, hotel business card in case you take a taxi back. It's not hard.

> Shall I do some sightseeing alone?

Absolutely.

> If yes, which sights are easy?

All of them. Really, a palace or museum or temple here is no harder than anywhere else.

You could begin with at least half a day in the Forbidden City. See:

http://bit.ly/2kHygP4

Add neighbouring sights, such as the Tai Miao and those around Tian'an Men Square, all on foot, and that's a day gone already.

> I would also like to book some tours with a reputable company. Any recommendations?

There are none worth recommending. You should will to stay well clear. You're much better off on your own especially if you're talking, as you seem to be, about sightseeing within the city. I could recommend a walking tour company if you are considering a day trip out of town after all.

For a detailed account of how to get yourself around the city see here:

http://bit.ly/2lsMsjz

And for a selection of walking tours you can do by yourself, see the Hutong Walking thread now at or near the top of the list of threads.
temppeternh is offline  
Old Feb 17th, 2017, 02:16 PM
  #4  
kja
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I spent a delightful month in Beijing and other parts of northern China on my own as a solo female back in 2010 -- loved it!

temppeternh has already given you some excellent advice.

You might also find some useful ideas, or inspiration, in my now-old trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...na-amazing.cfm

Enjoy!
kja is offline  
Old Feb 17th, 2017, 02:53 PM
  #5  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 790
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Great help. Thanks a lot. I will also be more flexible on my own. I am glad it's easier than I though.
Gina_07 is offline  
Old Feb 17th, 2017, 04:21 PM
  #6  
kja
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Absolutely NO need to book tours, and before you do, PLEASE consider all the reasons AGAINST doing so! Here's temppeternh's section on tours:
https://medium.com/a-better-guide-to...a23#.xwgmowidf
kja is offline  
Old Feb 18th, 2017, 02:23 AM
  #7  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 790
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I am convinced. I will do it on my own. Thank you very much. This is why I love this forum.
Gina_07 is offline  
Old Feb 18th, 2017, 02:53 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Most tourists visit Beijing without a tour. The tourist infrastructure is very good and the subway fully bilingual. You can go everywhere with public transportation although you may need to hire a driver to go to the Great Wall. Do some research on the typical scams though so that you are not an easy target.
If you are unsure, you can always hire a guide for your first day only to help you figure things out. More flexible than a tour and not expensive.
CanadaChinaTraveller is offline  
Old Feb 18th, 2017, 06:02 AM
  #9  
kja
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
There should be no need to hire a driver to go to the Great Wall.
kja is offline  
Old Feb 18th, 2017, 12:50 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
"There should be no need to hire a driver to go to the Great Wall."
So, unless you go to the overly touristy Badaling, how do you go there?
CanadaChinaTraveller is offline  
Old Feb 18th, 2017, 02:21 PM
  #11  
kja
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well, first of all, I wouldn't dismiss Ba Da Ling out of hand -- there are reasons why it is so heavenly touristed, including that it is absolutely stunning. I, for one, am VERY glad that I went there!

That said, here's some info on how to get to Mutianyu (which is, as I understand it, also very heavily touristed, although many people claim it isn't):
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...n-mutianyu.cfm
If this information is no longer up-to-date, I trust that experts will provide more current information.

BTW, I would add that I find it more than a bit ironic that so many people go to China with the idea that they really want to experience a culture very different than their own, but are then persuaded to ride around in isolated bubbles (i.e., cars with drivers) once there, rather than take very manageable public transportation options -- options that provide an incredible opportunity to observe, and maybe even interact with, local people. And I find it odd that people who choose to provide advice to potential travelers to China are so quick to advise people to take costly and isolating modes of transportation. JMO.

To each his/her own, whether as traveler or as someone providing input.
kja is offline  
Old Feb 18th, 2017, 02:23 PM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
> There should be no need to hire a driver to go to the Great Wall.

Indeed, there are multiple locations reachable from Beijing by public transport. Haggling with taxi drivers for half- or one-day trips is also an option and can be done for a reasonable price with a little effort. But here are details of ten different sites around Beijing, several of which can be reached public transport, along with a discussion of different transport options, and links to detailed description of transport, bus numbers, etc.

http://bit.ly/2lWeQLl
temppeternh is offline  
Old Feb 18th, 2017, 02:40 PM
  #13  
kja
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
@ temppeternh: We are so very lucky that you continue to provide your input! Thank you.
kja is offline  
Old Feb 19th, 2017, 12:37 PM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 543
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Two daily necessaries for Beijing: good walking shoes and carry toilet paper.
jobin is offline  
Old Feb 20th, 2017, 03:47 AM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
@ temppeternh - Maybe I am reading it wrong but I do not see instructions about going to the Wall by bus. Your information about the train to Badaling is outdated. The Beijing north train station has been closed for a few months and won't reopen until renovations are done, in a couple of years.
CanadaChinaTraveller is offline  
Old Feb 21st, 2017, 04:26 AM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Those actually able to read and to click links as suggested will find full details of buses, their numbers, and their stop names in characters, as well as this:

train S2 service to 八达岭 from Běijīng North ceased operation on 1 November 2016 for a forecast three years, and now runs from Huángtǔdiàn, a 200m walk from m Huò Yíng (Lines 8 & 13): ~12 daily, ¥6.

which has been there since the first week of November last year.
temppeternh is offline  
Old Feb 21st, 2017, 08:48 AM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,243
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
There is a language barrier in China that goes beyond what you might encounter in Europe.

You can't just hop in a taxi and expect to communicate with the driver. They might even have trouble reading a map in Chinese. Bring the business card of your hotel with you, and it can even be helpful to learn how to pronounce (correctly!) the nearest intersection. That way even a passerby can help you.

I suggest saying no to pedicab rides. They can be a major ripoff.
shelemm is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Basil
Asia
10
Oct 13th, 2018 06:18 AM
nicd235
Asia
4
Apr 7th, 2015 04:48 PM
5alive
Asia
14
Feb 22nd, 2011 03:59 PM
Liberte
Asia
26
Nov 21st, 2006 02:37 PM
judyp
Asia
4
Jul 3rd, 2004 12:51 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -