Margaret M
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Nov092010
Beijing Old Hutongs Tour by Rickshaw
Tour / Activity
My Rating: 
Location: Beijing, China
My Review: This tour was not at all like the description. We started the tour at 9AM, and it was not even one hour, as I was back at my friend's condo at 10:20 (20 minutes for traffic both ways). The tour guide dropped me at one of the hutongs where the rickshaws took off. Before he handed me off to the rickshaw guide, he told me that I should tip both the rickshaw driver and the guide 20 yuan each at the end -- which, I found problematic for two reasons: 1) tipping is not customary in China at all and 2) even though I'm more than happy to tip guides (and have done so in the past regardless of custom) I don't like being told or pressured that I should do so. The one bright spot in the tour was the rickshaw ride and the hutong guide, but the ride around the hutong was the only part of the tour was like the description. Unfortunately, the ride and tour only lasted 25 minutes tops. At the end of the rickshaw ride, instead of going to Prince Gong's mansion, I was pointed to a porcelain factory in the same alley as the rickshaw drop off, where a docent showed how porcelain was made for 5 minutes and then led me to a gallery so I could purchase some souvenirs. It felt like the purpose of this tour was to get me to shell out additional $ when I'd already paid 50 USD for the tour itself! Overall, I think the description was misleading, and I didn't get what I paid for. I could've easily arranged a rickshaw ride on my own because that’s all I got. I recommend booking a different activity, as this wasn’t worth the money.
Nov082010
Beijing Essential Full-Day Tour including Great Wall at Badaling, Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square
Tour / Activity
My Rating: 
Location: Beijing, China
My Review: This was a good and very efficient tou. Covered the top attractions in Beijing in about 8 hours door to door (pickup at 7:00, drop off at 3:00). I went on a slow day (Monday), so it was just me and another couple but we had a great time regardless. Our tour guide spoke English well, and was knowledgeable about each site. Like other reviewers, I believe he probably worked on commission to some of the stops (ie. the Jade Factor and Silk Factory) but he wasn't pushy at all in terms of trying to get us to purchase souvenirs. It was interesting to see how Jade and Silk are made and a nice break from some of the outdoor stops (since it was cold outside), but when it came to the gallery, I kind of wanted to just skip out, instead of looking through a large section of overpriced knickknacks. Lunch was at the cafe at the Jade or Silk factory (can't remember) and was just okay. Overall, I would recommend it for someone who wants to see some sites in Beijing but doesn't have a lot of time.
