Beijing trip

[stpaul]

Hi going to beijing for the firat time and read through some previous post.
Can please help with some things experienced bros.
For great wall and ming tokns thinking of just getting a private driver/car than tour. Saw it is around 180sgd for 8 hrs. Any recomendations? Saw one simon xiao....good reviews.

Want to go tempke of heaven in the morning and summer palace after what’s the best way to go from toh to sp? Checked metro Qiaowan to Beigomen. Any other better options?

Silk market worth checking out?

Hope to hear from bros and sis here thank you.

 

[dilphinus]

Hi going to beijing for the firat time and read through some previous post.
Can please help with some things experienced bros.
For great wall and ming tokns thinking of just getting a private driver/car than tour. Saw it is around 180sgd for 8 hrs. Any recomendations? Saw one simon xiao....good reviews.

Want to go tempke of heaven in the morning and summer palace after what’s the best way to go from toh to sp? Checked metro Qiaowan to Beigomen. Any other better options?

Silk market worth checking out?

Hope to hear from bros and sis here thank you.

Car will depend on how many pax u have. Taking the tour is a good option. It's not overly expensive. Iirc, it's around S$20 for each pax for the tour. For 4 pax (in a car), it would have cost $80 vs $180.

I'll suggest to do the Temple of Heaven and Summer Place on two different days. There's quite a bit of things to see and walk around these two attractions.

 

[beanstalk6]

I suggest that you give the Summer Palace the majority of a day, and visit the Temple of Heaven along with another half day programme.
How many people have you got? You can consider going to the Badaling Great Wall by train.

 

[stpaul]

4 days short trip only so trying to “cram” hahahaha just 2 person only and we walk fast and see fast we both dun like slow motion walk walk hold hands and stuff my plan was
Arrive early morning reach beijing 530am.
Day 1
Leave stuff hotel (should reach 8am)
Tianamen
Forbiden city
Jingshan park if weather clear
Back hotel check in
Silk market
Olympic Village ( just want see outside bldgs not going in cube n birdsnwst)

Day 2
Great wall Mutyanwu and Ming tombs
Sanlitun village

Day 3
TOH early morning
And stay til closing SP

Day 4
Lama & confucius temple then check out go airport already

 

[dilphinus]

Getting to the hotel in 2 hours from the airport (at 6am) is not really doable unless your hotel is near the airport. Traffic will be bad and the metro will be packed.

Not really doable. Some of the attractions are huge. It's not like you walk fast you can finish seeing everything. There's lots of climbing (stairs) too, at some places. I'm sure you'll be too tired after a day at the Great Wall and Ming Tombs to want to go anywhere after that.

The Forbidden Palace is big too. You might want to give it a day.

Also depending on season. Your itinerary isn't exactly doable in winter. You'll probably want to spend your time indoors instead.

And in Beijing, transport is faster by the metro. The traffic is horrible. It's not a matter of you have money and can afford to take taxis / private driver.

The Summer Palace covers an area of 293 hectares and the Forbidden City covers an area of 72 hectares. There are 90 palaces and courtyards, 980 buildings and 8704 rooms. Do you think you can cover much of it just by walking fast? The buildings aren't exactly like next to each other. You want to see fast, but there's a crowd in front of you and you have to wait till the crowd clears or till you get into the area/room. Just see from standing behind the crowd?

 

[stpaul]

Just use m1 data passport so no issues with google wats app and fb right less stress.

 

[madcampus]

Use their Uber/Grab equivalent = Didi Chuxing. They accept international credit card now. Just got back from China, very useful, no problems.

 

[Ibodnano]

how to get to badaling great wall by train? the nearest subway station is nanshaozhen.

any recommended day trip while in bejing?

 

[dilphinus]

how to get to badaling great wall by train? the nearest subway station is nanshaozhen.

any recommended day trip while in bejing?

You can't get to the Great Way by subway. The Badaling Great Wall is not in Beijing Beijing. Take a day tour, usually packaged with the Ming Tombs. Price should be around RMB100 range.

Day trip? As in out of Beijing?

 

[hellosgporean]

I would recommend skipping the touristy silk market and try exploring some of their hutongs instead!
There are a lot of small quaint hutongs around that you can explore

You can try going to the 798 Art District also, much more interesting than the silk market imo!