LIH Prem,

If you have a US passport, you do need a visa to go to Beijing. The process to get a tourist visa without participating in a tour group is not very easy. You can check out the Chinese Consulate website for visa information. You need an invitation letter from someone in China in order to get your visa. You best bet if you are interested to travel to Beijing for a short miles run is to get a tour package. NW is doing a sale right now. If you prefer other airlines, try an asian travel agency. They usually offers great deal for discounted short tour to Beijing including airfare. There is taxi and there is also Air China airlines shuttel buses at the airport going to downtown Beijing and makes several stops along the way depending where your hotel is. It is good idea to have a print out of the hotel name and address in Chinese handy when you arrive in Beijing (not all taxi drivers can understand English). There is usually a long line for taxi at arrival. Within the Beijing city taxi is convinient and quite reasonable (most the places you want to go cost less than $2 as long as you stay in the city. older Hotels in the city is more reasonable and has better locations than the new ones outside the city walls (no walls any more).


Good luck and enjoy your trip,