I've settled on Beijing as reported earlier.

A lot to research as China will be my 87th country, but it does present challenges. One thing I've read is that tickets to the various highlights have to be obtained in advance, with varying timetables.

I normally enjoy these challenges, but in Beijing's case, I likely should make arrangements with a tour company to hit the highlights and make those arrangements in advance (for early November).

Any recommendations for reputable tour companies?

TIA!