JPDeM, thanks for those app suggestions. I have downloaded all of those apps. ExploreBeijing and Taxi-book look great and easy to use.

Well I have arrived in Beijing. It is cool weather but sunny and blue skies. After walking around the Forbidden City on my own yesterday, I decided I would take a group tour today. We went to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. Honestly, I got so much out of the guided tour and I really appreciated the guide's perspective as a person raised in Beijing. I like how easy it is to walk here (although I have almost been run down by cars, trucks and bikes!). My reservations about walking around alone were unfounded but at the same time, I thoroughly enjoyed the guided tour I took. All of the tips received on this forum have been very useful.

<<<I like how easy it is to walk here (although I have almost been run down by cars, trucks and bikes!). >>>

Glad you're having fun! :) The trick to getting across some streets is to wait until you see someone else going and then stick with them. ;)

Sometimes advice on how to get somewhere sounds incredibly simple until you try and follow it. We were in China in 2008. Sometimes a charachter difference in the spelling of a bus stop, or an unexpected spacing in a word made things tough to follow. Or our B&B said it was three stops when it was four (not a real problem on the subway but a real problem on buses). Of course once we figured it out it all looked so simple.

I am back from my whirlwind week in Beijing. Thanks for all of the advice - I had a great time in this very interesting city. I ended up doing a combination of guided day tours in very small groups (4 people) and a couple of days touring on my own. I saw a lot of the main sites in Beijing including the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Lama Temple, National Museum, Temple of Heaven, the Zoo, and of course the Great Wall. I thought the tours were very educational, plus I enjoyed meeting other travellers. I enjoyed walking for miles on my own and just exploring the various hutongs and parks. I feel sure there is much more to see in Beijing but I am very pleased with what I managed to do on my trip.

Glad you enjoyed yourself - thanks for letting us know!