I'm traveling to Beijing for the first time with my mother and nephew (11). Since we are going to only for the weekend, I want to only hit the highlights and keep the 11 year old amused.

So far, I've come up with this rough itinerary (oh, we are staying at the Westin Beijing, Financial Street):

Thursday, July 17: Arrive mid-afternoon. Go to Tian'anmen Square and Summer Palace

Friday, July 18: Great Wall and Thirteen Ming Tombs. Does anyone know of a good tour guide or how to hire a car?

Saturday, July 19: Temple of Heaven and maybe a market (any suggestions?).

Sunday July 20: Depart

Am I trying to cram too much or too little in a day? Am I missing a must see sight? Also, any good markets that we should visit or shows that we should see? Lastly, any restaurant recommendations?

Based on the research I did, I decided to skip the Ming Tombs because there is so much to do in the city itself in a short time. I might, therefore, skip the Tombs and add the Lama Temple to your plan.

The best market is the "dirt market" held on weekends.

But you have omitted the Forbidden City which is THE Beijing sight! That will take at least two hours, if you rush a bit.

I was very pleased with Guide Kong Lin for the Great Wall Mutianyu trip; his information, lots of info about eating and restaurants, and much more, can be found in the report I wrote after my own trip in 2007:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34984181

You don't have enough time on the first day to go to the Summer Palace, and you'll be too tired.

Hit the Tiananmen Square and walk around a market or two, and call it a day.

You can get a car to do Great Wall and then the Summer Palace on the same day.

Are you going to try to visit the Forbidden City?

Agree - a first trip to Beijing has to include the Forbidden City, and unless you're coming from somewhere close you won't be up to much the first day.

I'd do the Lama Temple and markets the first afternoon - you can easily cut back on markets if you're tired. (I went to the Lama Temple my first afternoon in 1997, and still remember driving there in a rickety old taxi which I'm sure has now been banished from the streets.) Do Tiananmen Square when you do the Forbidden City.

Unlike eks I enjoyed the Ming Tombs, but not for the tombs themselves. I loved the statues lining the approach! But on such a short visit they're skippable.

I think you could do the Temple of Heaven the same day as the Great Wall, and then the Forbidden City the next. I'd add a rickshaw tour of the hutongs, assuming the government hasn't pulled them all down yet. You can pick one up north of the Forbidden City (your guide book should have the details).

Thanks. I'll make sure we hit the Forbidden City. One more question, how hard is it to hire a car to take us to the Great Wall?

Your english-speaking guide will come with a car, or if you don't need a guide, your hotel can arrange a car for you.