Do I Need a Tour Guide?
Jul 11, 2018 | 6:50 pm
#16
Join Date: Jan 2009
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You can visit the Great Wall on one of the tourist buses to Badaling. Just do some googling and it will show you how/where to meet the bus. That said, I don't recommend that. It feels like a cattle call, the bus stops a jade shop, Badaling is overrun with tourists, etc. I'd recommend getting a car a driver to another part of the wall that is less crowded.
Temple of Heaven and Forbidden City are very straightforward to do on your own. Note that taxis outside the temple of heaven will demand about 5-10X the going rate. Use the Didi app to get around.
Temple of Heaven and Forbidden City are very straightforward to do on your own. Note that taxis outside the temple of heaven will demand about 5-10X the going rate. Use the Didi app to get around.
Last edited by jphripjah; Jul 14, 2018 at 10:11 pm
Jul 13, 2018 | 10:30 am
#17
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 1
I don't think you need a guide.
As a native Chinese I want to tell you there are many English signs on the means of transportations in Beijing. When you get lost you can ask the people around you. If you want any help I think i can help you because Im a Bejinger
Aug 18, 2018 | 1:05 am
#19
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 46,319
Aug 18, 2018 | 7:56 am
#20
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: 42.1% in PDX , 49.9% in PVG & 8% in the air somewhere prior to COVID. Now ~ 3% in the air going somewhere
Programs: Marriott Ambassador Elite & Lifetime Platinum, UA 1K, AS MVP GLD 75K, DL Pt, SWA ALP
Posts: 1,125
My experience is you can speak do it yourself. I driver to the sites outside of Beijing make sense, but traffic in Beijing is simply terrible, I'd do public transportation, DiDi for inside the city.
If you need someone to feed you information a guide can be useful and nice to have a second person with you, but than again sometimes guides limit freedom, YMMV.
If you need someone to feed you information a guide can be useful and nice to have a second person with you, but than again sometimes guides limit freedom, YMMV.
Aug 18, 2018 | 9:54 am
#21
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 46,319
My experience is you can speak do it yourself. I driver to the sites outside of Beijing make sense, but traffic in Beijing is simply terrible, I'd do public transportation, DiDi for inside the city.
If you need someone to feed you information a guide can be useful and nice to have a second person with you, but than again sometimes guides limit freedom, YMMV.
If you need someone to feed you information a guide can be useful and nice to have a second person with you, but than again sometimes guides limit freedom, YMMV.
Aug 18, 2018 | 4:49 pm
#22
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 222
We used Simon, who was terrific. Its a bit over an hour away, so its nice to have an English speaking driver to go when we wanted and answer all our questions. As for the Wall, its mostly a 4 hour hike, I dont know what a guide would have done that some internet research wouldnt have covered.
In Beijing we took the metro all over. Its fast, cheap, easy, safe and clean. No risk of getting caught in traffic!
In Beijing we took the metro all over. Its fast, cheap, easy, safe and clean. No risk of getting caught in traffic!