Proposed itinerary is bad and the cost is extortionate. Drop this agency like a hot potato.

I think the idea of trying to fit in Mutianyu on your arrival day is awful. With an on-time arrival of 15:15, you won't get out of Immigration/Customs until 16:15, not to Mutianyu until 17:15 and with the shuttle from Visitor Center to actual Wall, if you're lucky you'll be up on it at 17:30. I think the agency is blowing smoke here--you cannot be certain that at that hour, they'll let you in (or allow you to use the upward cable cars, which you'd need in that short time period). And what happens if your flight from HKG is late in (a frequent occurrence)?

What you need on that first day (Saturday) is a completely loose plan without a timetable or anything that bumps up against fixed entry hours. Get from airport to hotel and dump your stuff. Whether you want to use a Beijing taxi (recommended) or a private commercial or hotel transfer, up to you. Assuming you don't feel like striking out on your own, I would have a prearranged English speaking guide to meet up with you at the hotel and then have taxi or car take you to the Houhai/Shichaihai hutong area for a walkaround (should still be light out until 20:00-ish) and dinner.

Sunday morning have the guide meet you again around 07:30, subway down to Tiananmen Square for a look around the area. If you want to walk it, it's about 30 minutes, and cut through the old original Legation Quarter as you approach T-Square. Guide will know this. Enter the Forbidden City when it opens at 08:30, spend much of the morning there, head back to hotel to check out (might need to press for an extra hour to give yourself some breathing room). Driver service: Should arrange for service to start with pickup near the FC exit, drive to hotel and wait for you. Take bags with you. Leave central Beijing around 12:30, arrive Mutianyu around 13:45. Have lunch out there, maybe at the Schoolhouse restaurant. Up on Wall by 14:45, giving you a comfortable 2.5 hours to hike around and come down. Depart for airport by 17:30, arrive airport 18:30.

IMO, you don't need a guide for the Mutianyu part unless you want company. The driver need not be English-speaking if the plan is communicated to him. A St. Regis - Mutianyu (wait) - airport run is pretty straightforward. The guide (or hotel concierge) should arrange to get your Forbidden City ticket in advance since it is a weekend in high season--they'll need your passport info for this.

RMB 150 for inbound taxi on Saturday, RMB 400 for a few guide hours and taxi transport to hutong and back. RMB 500 for morning guide, RMB 1000 for decent car/driver to Mutianyu and airport. Total around RMB 2000 and frankly, that's being pretty liberal with the cost estimates.

Just found out I'll be heading to Beijing (and Shanghai) this week (surprise!). This will be my first time to Beijing (and only second to Shanghai). Trying to take advantage of the business trip to squeeze in some sightseeing.

I arrive this Thursday afternoon to Beijing. I have Friday off, and working Sat and Sunday afternoon, leaving Monday to Shanghai.

I had thought about doing one of the Beijing Hikers as I liked the social aspect of the organized hike, but they have none on offer on Friday.

So back to square one... Do I gun it on Friday to view the wall, likely Mutianyu, or do I stick around the city and do some sightseeing, using Moondog's itinerary as a model? If you only had one day of sightseeing to spare (Friday), what would you recommend?

16 hours!
 

Later this month, I'll arrive from HKG at 2:00 and leave for ORD at 18:30. Does this plan work, using subways/public transportation?

1. Walk over and check into airport Hilton (3am) and get some sleep.
2. Head into Beijing around 10am, follow Moondog's OP itinerary.
3. Get back to airport by 16:30.

Is there any way to squeeze in a GW visit? I'm thinking no, but I'd hate to miss it if it's possible. Also, any idea how much cash I'd need to pull for transit and itinerary? (I almost never carry cash, but that doesn't seem like an option here.) If it matters, I'll have no luggage, just a small backpack (this trip is a mileage run).

Wow, the time is too short. IMHO, Pick one of these site, you should be able to spend 4-5 hours easily on these.

1. GW Mutianyu
2. Tiannamen SQ + Forbidden Palace
3. Summer palace
4. Temple of heaven

Of these choices, I'd favor #1 assuming the weather is decent. I wouldn't consider #4 at all, and I'd pick #2 (plus Beihai) over #3.

However, if I had that layover myself, I'd enjoy the Hilton to its fullest, and then do a tamer excursion (e.g 798) between checkout and flight time.

Thus, I sorted it in that order ;).

If checking out at noon, visit 798. You can return to the airport at a leisurely pace.

If you check out around 10am, go for #2 (plus Beihai as mentioned) - more or less along moondog's recommendation. Perhaps go to Beihai first, walk for a while and have lunch there (I only ate there for dinners and drinks. So I am not sure which restaurants are open for lunch). Then visit the forbidden city, then Tiananmen Sq. Then take subway and airport express back to the airport.

Beihai really needs to come after the Forbidden City in order to make logistical sense because you can't enter the Forbidden City from the north.

I might be wrong, but isn't there a ticketing booth at ShenWuMen?

I haven't been there during the past year, so maybe the ticket booth is open now, but the last time I saw it operational was ~2007. In any event, I think going through the FC backwards is suboptimal, and getting a taxi from Tiananmen (in order to leave) can be really challenging.

It closed in 2011 (maybe they re-open it again in the last time).

But as far as I know Gugong is official set as a one-way south to north route.



If you leave at Shenwumen you should have a short stop at Jingshan Park opposite the north gate.
Enter the hill and you´ll have a nice panoramic view over Gugong.

IME, Beihai v. Jingshan is best approached as "select one, but not both".

For anyone who can afford the extra hour (v. Jingshan), Beihai is worth it.

Thanks! Love the Hilton/798 suggestion-- seems more my speed!

Next month, my friend and I have an intentional long layover in Beijing, arriving at 6AM, and departing at 2AM the next morning. We'd like to squeeze out as much as we can. Does anyone know of a good guide/driver that can help us maximize our time there?

You will need driver for Great Wall. I highly recommend Simon. He is great. If you skip great wall and decide city tour instead, you won't need driver. Do Tiannanmen Squre, Forbidden palace, Beihai Park and Temple of heaven. Those will last you a day.