Sightseeing Tours

Sightseeing Tours

Taking a tour will make it easier to sightsee without the hassle. However, if you're adventurous, you can easily explore the city on your own, even if you don't speak Chinese. Taxi drivers know the names of the major tourist sights, and armed with the names in Chinese in this guide, you should have few or no problems getting around. If you do opt for an organized tour, keep in mind that a little research pays off.

General Tours

Beijing Panda Tour. Offering a variety of private and group tours to historical sites and cultural venues in Beijing, the folks at Panda Tour also offer trips to various parts of the Great Wall. Group tours range from Y300 to Y445. Grand Rock Plaza, 5th fl., 13 Xinzhong Xili, Dongcheng District. 010/6417-0468

China International Travel Service. CITS is China's largest and oldest travel agency, dating to 1954. In Beijing, the company offers everything from customized tours to group tours and business trips, starting from around Y238. 28 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District. 010/6515-8565. 010/6515-8603. www.citsusa.com

Dragon Bus. A division of China International Travel Service, Dragon Bus offers inexpensive group city tours with English-language guides. Tours include several Great Wall sites (Y250 to Y330). Another tour features the Summer Palace, Lama Temple, and a hutong (alleyway neighborhood) pedicab tour for Y380, or Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Temple of Heaven for Y360. 28 Jianguomenwai Dajie, (behind the Gloria Plaza Hotel), Chaoyang District. 010/6515-8565. www.dragontour.com.cn

WildChina. This foreign-managed travel company is probably the best in China. WildChina has excellent guides who know the city well and who don't waste your time taking you to souvenir shops. The company offers a three-day tour of Beijing that includes major historical sites, a hike on a wild part of the Great Wall, a visit to the hutongs, and an introduction to the cuisines of the capital city. It's pricey but worth it: a 3-day tour, including courtyard hotel or 5-star hotel, costs Y6,708. Room 801, Oriental Place, 9 East Dongfang Lu, North Dongsanhuan Lu, Chaoyang District. 010/6465-6602. www.wildchina.com

Bike Tours

Many of Beijing's pleasures are best sampled off the subway and out of taxis. In other words, pedal! Rent bikes (available at many hotels) and take an impromptu sightseeing tour. Beijing is flat, and bike lanes exist on most main roads. Pedaling among the city's cyclists isn't as challenging as it looks: copy the locals -- keep it slow and ring your bell often. And, of course, be very careful and wear a helmet. Punctured tire? Not to worry: curbside repairmen line most streets. Remember to park your bike (and lock it to something stationary, as bike theft is common) only in designated areas. There are designated bike-parking lots throughout the city with attendants.

CycleChina. If a guided three-hour afternoon bicycle tour of a hutong (Y150) or a trip through Beijing sitting in a motorbike sidecar (Y795 per person) sounds like fun, call CycleChina. 139/1188-6524. www.cyclechina.com

Kingdom Bike Rental. Offering bicycle rentals and suggested itineraries covering some of Beijing's lesser known historical sites, Kingdom is a great resource. A variety of bikes are available for rent here from Y35 to Y120 per day (or Y300 to Y600 per week). Helmets are available for Y10 per day. North Garden office, B402, Oriental Plaza, Wangfujing, Dongcheng District. 133/8140-0738. www.bicyclekingdom.com

Pedicab Tours

Pedicabs (basically large tricycles with room for passengers behind a pedaling driver) were once the vehicle of choice for Beijingers laden with a week's worth of groceries or tourists eager for a street's-eye city tour. Today many residents are wealthy enough to bundle their purchases into taxis or their own cars, and the tourist trade has moved on to the tight schedules of air-conditioned buses. But pedicabs have made a big comeback in Beijing in recent years and can now be hired near major tourist sites such as Liulichang and Houhai. In fact, more and more Chinese are using pedicabs as a cheaper form of transportation for short trips. Be absolutely sure to negotiate the fare in advance, clarifying which currency will be used (Yuan or dollars), whether the fare is considered a one-way or round-trip (some drivers will demand payment for a round-trip whether or not you use the pedicab for the return journey), and whether it is for one person or two. Fares start at Y10.

Beijing Hutong Tourist Agency. This agency was one of the first to offer guided pedicab tours of Beijing's backalleys, with glimpses of old courtyard houses and daily Beijing life. This half-day trip winds its way through what was once Beijing's most prestigious neighborhood (Houhai), stops at the Drum and Bell Towers, and finishes with tea at Prince Gong's Palace. It's also possible to arrange to visit the home of a local family. Advance reservations are recommended. Tours, which begin on Qianhai Xijie directly opposite the north entrance of Beihai Park, start at 9 and 2 daily, and cost about Y180 per person. 26 Di'anmen Xidajie, Dongcheng District. 010/6615-9097. 010/6400-2787

Hiking Tours

Beijing Hikers. This outfitter offers guided hiking trips aimed at expat hikers and tourists. The trips are rated from 1 to 5 in terms of difficulty, and they take you into the hills around Beijing. You might visit a rural village, historic temple, or the Great Wall. Groups depart from the Starbucks in the Lido Hotel. . 139/1002-5516 or 010/6779-9365. www.beijinghikers.com. Y200, including round-trip transportation, park-entrance fees, and end-of-hike refreshments. Weekends 8:30 or 9-4:30