So our trip is approaching and we are very much looking forward to it.

Our first stop is Beijing where I have a tour arranged for a couple of days and some free time. We are staying at the Conrad and Mrs m3red wants to visit the pearl market and we both quite fancy going to Ghost street where there seems to be some good bars.

On google maps it appears that it's quicker and possible easier to get a taxi to those places from the Conrad. Can the members of this board please let me know if the reality is that the subway will be easier despite some walking and some changes if lines? I was wondering how bad the traffic is generally and how expensive the taxis are in Beijing?

Many thanks all.

M3red

Taxis are cheap but sometimes hard to find. What I sometimes do is to go with taxis as my first choice but switch to the subway if taxis are impossible to find due to time of day or location. The hotel is close to a subway stop and so are these two places that you wish to visit.
It would be more efficient to use the Hujialou stop rather than Tuanjiehu as it would involve fewer transfers and is just as close to your hotel if not a bit closer. Here is a map: http://www.explorebj.com/subway/
The subway is cheap and very easy to navigate.

Hong Qiao market, which holds the pearl sellers and other undesirables, is perhaps the worst experience in China. Take the Metro there and, with any luck, you'll get horribly lost and emerge at the Summer Palace, instead.

I have been to Beijing three times in the past 5 years, for 5-6 days each time. We only walked or took taxis, so it was 2-4 taxi rides a day. We thought taxis were very cheap. We were horribly stuck in traffic only once, going from the train station to the hotel (Park Hyatt). This was in September, which we were told is the worst month traffic-wise. The other times were in Easter, I didn't think traffic was that bad.

Taxis could be a bit difficult to find though, not because there weren't any but because the drivers didn't want to go in our direction or their working day was ending. We always managed to get where we wanted to go but sometimes we had to wait for 15-20 minutes, especially when leaving the hotels to go out for dinner.

Memory serves. Take Metro Line 5 to Tiantan East Gate, Exit B. Walk north for a few minutes.

Best to couple with a visit to Tiantan.

I think that you mean the Temple of Heaven, not the Summer Palace. Hongqiao market is not as bad as the Silk Market. It is actually somewhat bearable compared to the other one.

Oh no, I mean the Summer Palace. That is, a place about as far from Hong Qiao as you can reasonably get by Metro.

IMO, the Conrad's location is extremely good because it is in Chaoyang, and also close to Line 6.

Beijing taxis will certainly not break your bank, but you should avail of Line 6, when convenient. For example, you can do my "one day in Beijing" self guided tour, and use Line 6 to get back to the Conrad (take a taxi to Tiananmen).

The Conrad is also close to Line 10. I'm hard pressed to think of how you would benefit from Line 10 (apart from 国贸), but it is on offer.

Please join our wechat group, and we'll make sure that your trip is fantastic (de facto 24/7 concierge service).

Never bought anything at the Pearl Market, just didn't see anything too interesting, but it definitely attracts a large crowd of shoppers.

Liked the Old Silk St, Xiushui Jie, you could buy US counterfeit goods and see
old glory flying at the US Embassy. Kind of nostalgic.

Just got a LV wallet last week from the new Silk Street/Alley...whatever.
As usual..nice quality! Old one lasted 10 years!



The original Silk St Beijing closed down in 2004. In Shanghai you had, Xiang Yang Market, which was much better. Sadly it closed in 06. I think it was replaced with Prada, LV, and Uniqlo store.

Thanks the trip looks like this:

Emirates flights

4 nights in the Conrad (2 day private tour inc Great Wall section) one free day

Travel day to Xian on HU

3 nights in Xian at the Hilton - one day private tour for army, bell tower etc

Travel day to yangshao (fly to Guilin on CZ)

4 nights at the mountain nest boutique hotel

3 days in yangshao - no fixed plans (do I need to pre book anything?)

Fly Guilin to hkg one night back at the Landmark MO then back to DXB

This is from 12-24 sept - looking forward to our first taste of China!

No need to pre-book anything in Yangshuo. You'll be harassed by tour operators once you get there. I rarely use guides but I did in Yangshuo when I decide to go for a bike ride. The other 6 times that I visited, I got lost biking out of town, even with a map.

Good advice!!!

Traffic can be awful, and Taxi's will refuse often to go to areas of heavy traffic (or various other reason). Taxi's are cheap, but at times hard to get one, so I use the subway or at times DuDu for short trips (but this seems be going away, outlawed and better enforcement). If you can avoid rush hour travel.

Any recommended places near the Conrad for drinks/ eating?

Sanlitun, of course (it is walkable).