Originally Posted by andreiz

Perhaps I should have qualified my original post. I always explore new cities on own, perhaps with the help of a guidebook, and have never hired a guide before. Had I the luxury of at least 2 days in Beijing and a bit more time to prepare, I'd have done just fine taking public transport and walking around myself. But given the constraints I have and the complete lack of knowledge of Chinese language, I thought the best use of time would be to hire someone and see as much as possible in the single full day I have there.

Whether this decision proves to be a mistake… well, you'll hear back from me on Monday.