China - Beijing for 6 days - any last minute tips or side trips

I leave for Beijing Sun morning and stay for 5-6 days at the JW Marriott. I read some of the great threads on here including scams to avoid.

But does anyone have any additional tips on how to fill up the 6 days? Should I book a Great Wall trip now or do a side trip to Xian or somewhere closer?

Book the great wall (and ming tombs) with CCC on Thursday - it's excellent.

There's about 3 days to fill with interesting stuff in BJ IMO, plus the day for the GW is 4. Do you really have 6 days in city? I mentally had 6 but one was arrival day and one is departure day so I filled up 4.

I leave for Beijing Sun morning and stay for 5-6 days at the JW Marriott. I read some of the great threads on here including scams to avoid.

But does anyone have any additional tips on how to fill up the 6 days? Should I book a Great Wall trip now or do a side trip to Xian or somewhere closer?

Post a proposed itinerary or your criteria in what you want to see, plenty of good folks will provide feedback.

Sorry, internet has been spotty. We want to see great wall, forbidden city, go to the antique market, and just see all the "not to miss" things since it is our first time in china.

We land this afternoon and leave Saturday night. I heard that Xian might be far away, but a side trip somewhere close by would be great if anyone has any ideas.

For the pearl market, what should a good set of pearls cost and how can I get a good bargain or avoid getting scammed? Anything else I should buy in Beijing with Christmas gifts coming up?

Anything to see that might not be in a Lonely Planet guide like some awesome side street, market, or hit something at a certain time?

For the pearl market, what should a good set of pearls cost and how can I get a good bargain or avoid getting scammed?


I don't even know where to begin. Basically, the odds of getting a "good" set of pearls at a fair price at Hongqiao Market are rather low unless you know a fair amount about pearls. That having been said, (dyed) black pearl rings and earrings are a big hit overseas, and often cost less than $10/unit.


Anything else I should buy in Beijing with Christmas gifts coming up?


I'm pretty sure there is a thread about this topic linked in the sticky. If not, if you do a subject search in this forum using "gift", you should be able to find it.

For the Great Wall, go to Mutianyu. You can take a cable car up and the toboggan slide down. I'd also recommend the 798 Art Zone. The hutongs should not be missed either -- my husband did a bike tour through the hutongs with Bike Beijing and liked it a lot.