Finally got the visa, and ready to head off to Beijing for 8 days on Thursday. Unfortunately the last four weeks of work have given me little time to study any of my usual travel books for insights to China so I came here for a quick update.

I have read a couple of the treads here but didn't see much on what to see and how to go about it (or the search missed it). Hopefully someone could give me some advice based on their experiences. My goal is just to see China, enjoy the historical aspects and get a sense of the culture. I speak no Madarin so I assume this will limit what I can do or not.

My plan was to get to my Beijing hotel and then figure out a tour and make it out to the usual touristy places over a couple of days. After that probably spend a day in the shopping districts of city (I am told, I can travel around with trains if I want). I was thinking about spending most of the time in Beijing with two days either in Xian (most likely) or Shangahi (if I can't get a decent flight to Xian). Goal there would be to see the TerraCota army and the Grand mosque.

So couple of questions for folks who are knowledgeable:
1) Should I try to setup a tour from here or wait till I get to my hotel. Or is it better to do all the touristy stuff by just getting a private guide/cab?
2) Shopping - I was thinking about getting some tailored cloths made out there since I assume they would be cheaper - i) is this a good idea and can most things be done within my travel plans ii) if so, any recommendations on where to go?
3) Is the usual mode of transportation taxis or trains or both in Beijing?
4) How big an issue is the lack of mandarin?
5) Should I try to rent a phone while I am out there in case I get lost at any point or that is just throwing money away?
6) Any other tips/suggestions/recommendations are welcome as well.

Thanks FTers!
cst2cst

Cst2Cst. Beijing is one of my favourite cities. Busy but in a stimulating and fascinating way. In answer to your questions:

1. The tours arranged by the hotel are generally of good quality. That's what I usually do.
2. Hong Kong is good for clothes, but not so much in Beijing.
3. Get taxis. They're pretty cheap, but the best thing to do is to always have either a brochure or a business card or brochure for where you want to go because...
4. Taxi drivers don't speak English. Most staff in decent hotels do though. In restaurants either choose the ones with English menus or just point at the pictures of what you want to eat.
5. I don't rent a phone. All I seem to use mine for is texting home.
6. Try the duck...

Take a look at the China Forum in tripadvisor.com for lots of useful informations.
Do not forget to go to the great wall, preferably at Mutianyu by hiring a private driver(about 600 RMB). If you are going to Xian, book your flight at http://english.ctrip.com/ now.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the latter; tours are not only unnecessary; they actually detract from the experience (unless you want to be held captive in jade factories, tea "wholesalers", and terrible restaurants).

Beijing isn't especially well known for its tailors, but I still use them on occasion. (I like Lisa; since nobody else seems to, I'll refrain from plugging her here.)

In spite of the fact that traffic can be nuts, I prefer taxis to the subway unless there is a single subway line that goes exactly where I need to go (I dislike both transfers and walking great distances to/from the subway).

No big deal, really.

I'd be happy to lend you one of my spares if I'm around. Otherwise, all you need is any run of the mill GSM phone; SIMs are cheap.

OP, check out our FAQ/Main Guide.

Admittedly, we are still building up the tours/places to see section, so it is a bit weak. In the meantime, I suggest checking out this site too:

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/

Good luck.

Any recommendations on decent hotels by the Beijing airport? I get in at 11:30 pm local time so I am thinking it would be best to spend the nite at the airport and go into the city the next day.

btw thanks to everyone for the information provided. Much better than any lonely planet guide.

Maybe the Lido. It is about 20 minutes away from the airport, and there are a number of decent restaurants and spas in the area.

If you have some Hilton Points, look at the Hilton Beijing Capital Airport, it is on PS awards. A superb hotel, I think the best airport hotel I have been to, and very close to T3.

The Hilton is nice, but there really isn't any point in staying that close to the airport upon arrival.

I recommend you go into town. Traffic will be very light (but taxis a bit more expensive due to night tariffs) - you'll have a full day the next morning. Early morning traffic into Beijing isn't actually a pleasure - moving hotels generally costs a lot of time in PEK.

Definitely don't do tours. Cabs will get you to and from the touristy stuff. Make sure that you get a hotel name card so that, when you want to return to your hotel, you can just show it to the cab driver.

The only exception to this in Beijing is a day trip to the Great Wall. Hiring a driver through the hotel can be expensive, but you can bargain. Also, if you come across a taxi and driver that you like, ask the doorman to help you arrange the Great Wall trip.

It's a fine idea, but . . .a good tailor requires at least two fittings, and it takes at least a couple of days in between. If you want tailored clothes, select the fabric and style, and get measured the first day you're there. With luck, you'll be able to schedule the fittings before you have to leave.

Taxis and subways are both used. Traffic in Beijing has grown quite bad in the last few years, so taxis can take quite a long time if you're going between the ring roads. Also, many taxi drivers are Beijing natives but recently arrived from the provinces and may not know their way around, particularly if you're going to restaurants. Make sure your hotel writes down the name, address and phone number of your destination. Have a cellphone with you -- if the driver seems lost (he asks directions, or goes in circles), call the destination (or the hotel) and hand the driver the phone. Don't be afraid to tell the driver to stop, get out and find another cab if you think the driver is lost -- they won't deliberately scam you, but they would rather search street by street than admit they really don't know where your destination is.

With the exception of taxi drivers, none of whom speak English, it's not an issue at all. Major street signs are in English and Chinese, and your hotel staff will speak English with varying degrees of competency. Ticket vendors at the major attractions are used to dealing with non-Mandarin-speaking tourists, and the signs listing fees and hours will be in English as well as Chinese. As with any foreign country, learn the words of basic politeness, though I'd recommend asking the hotel concierge to teach you, rather than trying to learn them out of a book. The phonemes in Mandarin are completely different than in English, and the language is also tonal. It's not hard to learn, "thank you," and "hello," and, if you say them in a flat American accent most will understand what you mean, but that's not true for "excuse me/I'm sorry," numbers and counting words and other basic vocabulary. Most restaurants of higher quality than the meanest back-alley noodle shop will have menus with pictures which make it easy to order food.

As with any country in which you don't speak the language, a little patience, a little good humor, and a willingness to appear foolish if you act out what you want, will get you through almost everything.

Buy a dual-band GSM phone on eBay and just buy a local SIM card once you get there. They're sold everywhere, including from street vendors, and they're cheap. The vendor who sells you the card will activate it for you.

China, generally, and Beijing, in particular, are quite used to foreign tourists and, particularly Americans. Even when I first started going in 1994 (after China had been open to tourism a scant 7 or 8 years), it was not particularly difficult to get around the big cities. Now, going to Beijing is no different than going to any other major world capital.

Drink only bottled water. The tap water in Beijing is reasonably safe, but the very different mineral content may upset your stomach. Your hotel will provide you with either complimentary bottled water, carafes of boiled water, or a small water boiler (depending on whether you're in a western chain hotel, a major Chinese hotel, or a Chinese "locals" hotel). Use them.

Don't eat unpeeled fruit or raw vegetables. Street food is generally fine, but use common sense. Never give money to a beggar. You'll find yourself surrounded by more (I think they use walkie talkies to call each other and identify easy marks ). Read the threads about the tea house scam and the art student scam. Nonetheless, many Chinese actually do want to just practice their English -- it's taught as a mandatory subject starting in elementary school. Prices in most shops are negotiable. Prices in restaurants generally are not. Be prepared for significant cultural differences -- for example, Chinese do not line up neatly, it's polite to slurp hot soup (rather than blow on it) and some people will blow their nose or spit on the street. Chinese people are also very, very polite in their social dealings -- in business dealings, they hate to say, "no." "Yes," means, "maybe," and, "maybe," means, "no." Chinese people rarely socialize at each other's homes. It is normal to get together in restaurants for long, long meals which may include lots of drinking. If you make friends and are invited to dinner at a restauarant (and it's not the tea house scam), by all means, go. It will be a memorable experience and you'll have a wonderful time. Your hosts will NOT let you pick up the check, though politeness requires that you try. Promise them that, next time, you will treat them. It's okay to ask for a fork, but you'll gain face if you can manage chopsticks. Taste everything put in front of you. If you don't like something say, "This is good, but I really like the [dish that you would rather eat]."

Also, please remember that every Chinese girl is not looking to hook up with a westerner, Chinese people are justifiably proud of their country and all that it has accomplished, and, most of all, and particularly in Beijing, the people do not think of themselves as living in a third-world country, nor do they.

Do not, under any circumstances, buy, use or give away illegal drugs -- even a single joint. Chinese law deals with illegal drugs very harshly and you do not ever want to wind up on the wrong side of the law in China.

Probably more tips than you anticipated, but I hope they're helpful.

China is a wonderful, amazing country and Beijing is one of mankind's great centers, equal to New York, London, Paris and Rome. Have a great time!

I agree with this completely. The only reason to stay at an airport hotel is if you have an early flight the next day. With no traffic, the ride into town is about 35-45 minutes (depending on how much of a maniac the driver is).

Note to the OP: When you exit the terminal, you will see a taxi queue to ahead and to your left. Ignore the car touts who ask you if you need a taxi and ONLY take taxis from the official queue. There will be at least one uniformed attendant helping people into taxis. Trust him/her and no one else.

One more note to the OP: You can buy a SIM card in the baggage hall after you clear customs. However, I would advise waiting until you get into Beijing, as you'll pay as much as 10 times more for one of the airport SIM cards. If you don't want to buy a SIM card from a phone shop or street vendor, just ask your hotel -- the business center or the concierge will get you one with only a minor premium charged.

great info PTravel and everyone else.
So I will go directly to the hotel. Are the currency changers at the airport open that late (since I wont have any yuan to pay the cab). My initial plan is as follows:
Get in on the 16th midnight to a starwood hotel in Beijing. Will spend 3-5 days there and then go to Xian for 3 days/2 nights and come back to Beijing. Fly back to the US early morning on the 26th.

Beijing Itn: Mutianyu Great Wall, Forbidden city, Tienanmen Sq, Birds Nest/Water Cube and shopping (probably will stay at the Westin or St. Regis - free nights to burn).

Xian: Terracotta Warriors, the great mosque, city walls - plan to stay at the Shangri La if its affordable (heard the Sheraton there is pretty old)

Depending on how quickly I get done with Beijing, I may take trip to Shangahi on the express train and then fly from there to Xian.

Question on clothing: I was planning on jeans/shorts & Tshirts assuming its going to be pretty hot/tropical weather. Sandals or sneakers or both? Is there anywhere I will need dressier clothing (no business related items on my itn; just sightseeing)?

Question on schedule: based on the above itineraries, any suggestion on number of days I should spend at each location and is the trip to Shangahi worth it (if so, do it before Xian or after)?

Shanghai really only makes sense on such a short trip if you fly back home from here.