I'll be in Beijing this October but only for 1 day

My flight arrives early morning and I'd really like to be able to get as much packed in as possible.

Is it realistic to assume that I'll be able to visit both a section of the Great Wall (any suggestions which part and how far it is from the city?) as well as the Forbidden City?

Any other suggestions for getting a real flavour of the city?

Arriving into PEK? When does your flight depart? I assume you have your single or multiple entry visa secured?

It doesn't take long to clear PEK Border Control (maybe 30 minutes from stepping out of jetway to landside in the terminal). I last went in 2001 so I can't remember the complete series of steps, but it took very little time, there were probably 15 or more lines open in Border Control, with only 4 or 5 people in each non-chinese line. Out of Border Control you go down the escalator to the right, down to baggage claim, then get your bags cleared and out into the landside area of the terminal.

You'd be well advised to either have some ground transportation arranged ahead of time, or go OUTSIDE to the taxi stands to get transportation. Hustlers will hit you up the moment you step into the landside arrivals part, offering you a cab ride downtown for 450 RMB, way over the going rate (should only be 70-80 RMB if memory serves). These are what you would call gypsy cabs.

I seem to remember that PEK airport is about 30-45 minutes by cab to "central" Beijing (Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square, Great Hall of the People, Wangfujing shopping street). I can't remember the direction the airport is from the central city, but I do know that the closest and most popular section of the Great Wall, Badaling, is 45-60 minutes northwest of central Beijing. All this depends on time of day, of course, expect New York City or worse gridlock/traffic on typical morning/afternoon rush hours. On the other hand, there are thousands of 'red cabs' available most anytime on the street, among the ever-increasing throngs of private automobiles. And, it seems there are even more bicycles, they are everywhere are they will dart out in front of vehicles without hesitation. However, I digress...

Forbidden City should be given at minimum a few hours and at best half the day. Tienanmen Square is huge and is great for just walking and people watching.

Another thing to note, the first week in October is typically a national holiday week (I think Chinese "National Day" is October 1). I was in Beijing Oct 1-5, 2001, and being in the Square among 500,000 Chinese people, enjoying the amazing fountains, was definitely a trip to remember.

You might be able to go right from the airport to Badaling to see the wall, allow 3-4 hours round trip to walk up and back and enjoy the view, then get into central Beijing and enjoy the square in the evening at sunset (with all the smog - or at least back the smog back in 2001 - the sunsets are incredibly orange). Then hopefully your flight leaves the next morning. If it leaves late same day, you will be time crunched for sure.

I hope this helps.

Jim in Nebraska

Another view (we were just there for the first time about a month ago):

If it is in and out the same day, I'd suggest skipping the Great Wall -- yeah, it's world famous, but I did not think Badaling was a quality experience at all and you could miss your plane if there is an unexpected traffic jam (which we experienced!). Your only hope would be to hire a cab for the entire day, in which case, head out to the ranks and negotiate -- probably on the order of Y300-400 plus tolls. Definitely avoid all the touts inside the airport; the only thing you should NOT avoid inside the terminal is the ATM machine where you pick up Yuan (and don't forget the Y90 departure tax int'l/50 domestic cash only if you bought your ticket before this was included).

If you skip the Great Wall, I wouldn't hire a taxi all day. Assuming you're leaving your bags checked through, just take a taxi directly to TianAnMen square, and visit that area, the Forbidden City and take a taxi to the Summer Palace or to a market if you want to shop, then back to the airport.

There are three types of taxis in the rank, identified by either a 1.20, 1.60, or 2.00 in a circle on a sticker (usually in the rear window). This is the price per kilometer in Yuan after a Y10 flag drop. The 1.20 and 1.60 guys will use their meter. 1.20 is cheapest but often the a/c doesn't work and it's underpowered. 2.00 will probably want you to negotiate and is the most comfortable.

In a 1.60 cab, TienAnMen will cost about Y90 + Y10 toll. Always ask for a receipt, you can use it if you have a problem or leave something in the taxi.
There is no tipping.

These folks don't speak English. Have all destinations written in Chinese characters. Bring an up-to-date guidebook and trust it ahead of anything that anyone tells you.