Beijing overnight tour recommendations

Hello, wondering what people have used for private tours with one overnight in Beijing? Any recommendations or ones to avoid? Thanks

We used China Highlights for both of cruises involving China. The first time we had a wonderful guide for our overnight in Beijing. Everything was excellent there and in Shanghai. The second time we had different guides but dealt with the same travel planner. Night and day experience. :eek:

That second guide for Beijing didn't get off to a great start when they were over an hour and a half late picking us up at the port. First excuse when I called - "they were stuck in traffic" and it would be another 15 minutes. I would have had an easier time with that if I wasn't looking at row after row of busses for the cruise line tours that somehow managed to get there on time. Calling again about half an hour later resulted in 'they are almost there'. :rolleyes: When they finally arrived at least 15-minutes later the excuse was that they had gotten lost. Oh, that's a confidence builder. Things didn't improve from there. I guess we should have been happy that the Shanghai guide that trip was only 30-45 minutes late picking us up the first day. He looked like he'd just rolled out of bed.

Based upon our second experience with China Highlights, we no longer recommend them.

Thanks Mary Ellen, I really appreciate your sharing your experience. I just want to do my homework as I want to try to ensure a good experience. :)

Has anyone used chinatravelshanghai?

We used Catherine Lu in Beijing and would highly recommend her but she is very popular, so book early. Check out her webpage at http://catherinelutours.com/

Thanks Melba! I have contacted her, a little more expensive but reliability is important and I don't want to miss the ship!

No worries, glad to help.

Last time in Bejing the Chinese officials decided that those on private tours had to be back on board 2-hrs earlier than those on the ship's tours. For us we were so fed up with China Highlights that we returned to the ship even earlier. (We decided to allow extra time should our driver get lost again.) We were part of the fiasco below. While we didn't say anything directly to the officials, there were a number of us joking about what they would do should anyone have a fever. It sure seemed to us that the officials were making things up as they went. Who knows what the 'rules' may be when you're there.

What you experienced is a more or less normal day in Tianjin.

The officials make things up as they go.

You never quite know what to expect.

 

One of my company's ships was there last month.

The officials announced that they were going to measure everyone's temperature as they disembarked. Somehow they forgot to do it.

 

So the next day, as the ship was preparing to sail, the officials announced that all passengers had to get off the ship to have their temperature checked before the ship left China.

The passengers reluctantly started disembarking to have the temperature check. When they got into the terminal, they asked the officials where the infrared cameras were. THe officials replied that the cameras were hidden in the ceiling; the passengers had only to walk through the terminal and back to the ship.

 

Some of the passsengers asked the officials what would happen to someone who failed the temperature check. Would he be forced to leave China - which the ship was about to do anyway - or would he be forced to stay in China - which would not make any sense.

 

Then a few minutes later the officials called the ship and announced that the temperature check was cancelled.

The ship departed 3 hours late.

 

Consider yourself lucky that your ship did not call at Dalian. The officials there are far worse.

I heartily second the recommendation for Catherine Lu Tours. Although not on a cruise for this trip, we had a fantastic two day experience with them in Beijing earlier this year. One day touring Forbidden City, Tiananmen and Temple of Heaven and one day doing the Great Wall and Summer Palace. Our guide Sonia was excellent, She spoke excellent English, was a wealth of historical and cultural information and was fun to be around. The driver did a great job maneuvering all over the place and was always where he was supposed to be right on time. Sonia also took us to two great out of the way restaurants for excellent local food (and lots of it) and helped us navigate through the menu to get what we wanted and to avoid what wouldn't appeal to us. Can't recommend them enough !

Thanks Atlanta! I am looking at her but fitting both the summer palace and forbidden city in seems problematic. Did you see both? Was one better?

If you are needing to choose between Forbidden City and Summer Palace, I strongly suggest Forbidden City. In answer to your other posts, I would agree with the responses from the others who have replied. It is nice, and well worth the visit if you have plenty of time (we had two full days). But, it is further out and is a huge place, so you spend a half day walking around the grounds. If you are tight on time, I would recommend concentrating on Tiananmen, Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven--and getting to the Wall at the Mutianyu access.

Thanks again! That seems to make sense!