I'll passing through Beijing and will have one full day there, so considering hiring a private guide to take me to the must-see places rather than figuring transportation and the rest on my own, since I've never been to China before. Any particular recommendations or advice on where else to turn to?

Also, what should I plan to see in one day if I want to leave evening free?

Look at the "forums" section on TripAdvisor.com There are many reviews of private guides used.

I used http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...e-Beijing.html for a 3 day tour in February, she was great.

I'll post the typical 'BJ resident' response, that you don't really need a private guide for beijing -- it's pretty easy to navigate with a little bit of planning -- and the only think that's a pain is the traffic, which a guide won't help you with.

Of course, if money is no object, and you are very anxious about things, a guide can make you feel at ease, but in many ways, it may actually decrease efficiency of what you end up doing, since they may insist on taking you places that you don't really want to see etc.

For highlights of BJ, plenty on this forum, search for 'one day in beijing'.

Weather has a big impact on what I would do for my one day, so the time of year that you come would be fairly relevant.

tb

I was afraid to be the first person to post this advice, which has become so second nature that people assume that our forum is decidedly anti-guide. In fact, we are; it's just that we REALLY don't think guides in Beijing or Shanghai are remotely necessary.

It's not really about the money, but the fact that guides can actively detract from your experience (e.g. by taking you to places that they like and will most certainly not).

For those that insist on ignoring this advice, I shall reiterate my past point that: random girl you meet at Starbucks>TA specialist>>>>CITS.

Even if I didn't speak a word of Chinese, I would still maintain my stance, but at least in the case of the Starbucks girl, you'll have the ability to craft your own plan, and she might even be cool to hang out with. Knowledge of Chinese history is pretty much a moot point in all cases (i.e. read a book or two, and you'll probably be on higher level than them).

All that having been said, one of my weixin friends is a Shanghai guide (part time), and I'm the process of vetting her. If I can convince her to refrain from being dogmatic, and actually offer tours that are of interest to our community, I will contemplate plugging her... we're not there yet.

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.

Looking forward to the report back -- this is a common question, so it would be good to get some feedback from the 'alternative'.

tb

I'm back.

I booked a tour guide via http://tourguides.viator.com (PM me if you want the name of the guide), and I have to say that I'm glad I did so. Yes, I could have gotten around on my own using maps, guides, and English signage that seems fairly prevalent. Yes, I could have read up on history and learned a few words. But for a very brief visit without much preparation, it was totally worth it to have someone along who not only guided me through sights and explained culture, history and customs, but also was very nice, funny, and companionable person. As for what I got to see, it was Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Beihai Park, Hou Hai Lake, and a couple of hutongs.

You might consider hiring a driver who has sufficient English to communicate with you, but can also help with any logistics (such as which ticket to buy to get up the Great Wall). Then you're not lead around by a tour guide with bad incentives but you do get someone to take you to the places you want to go in comfort and with some additional assist.