My wife and I arrive in Beijing a year from now; it seems so far away, but juggling schedules and the need for early air reservations leaves us planning well ahead.

Our portion of the 2011 WC will conclude in Beijing. We won't have an abundance of time, but we would like to spend 4-6 days to get a little glimpse; neither of us has ever been to China before.

An organized tour seems most practical; we would consider a Regent offering, but they may not finalize tours far enough in advance(?) for our needs. Above all, we would want a quality, high-end tour, with meals, accommodations, and travel consistent with Regent quality.

Having looked online, we of course find an abundance of options; but it is so difficult to devine quality. Has anyone had any experience with a short tour of this kind? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Gene, we did a tour of Beijing in 2007 with a private tour guide for 3 nights (Jane Yeo, AKA Beijing Jane who many on LCT have used and gets high marks) but we arranged our own air, hotel, meals on our own etc. She picked us up at the airport and delivered us back again since we did a 3 night deviation from the Voyager WC. We were with her during daylight hours and had a very FULL 3 days and saw everything we had wanted. I'm not sure why you're opting for a guided tour rather than private tour?

As long as you're in this part of the world, I hope you'll get to go to Xian and see the Terra Cotta Warriors too.

Gene, Gail and I will be on this segment also. We were in China on the escorted cruise, PANDA, in 2007, and one of the reasons we picked this segment is because Gail didn't make it to Beijing. (She became ill on board, but luckily recovered soon after.) We really enjoyed China, and did Regent's excursion to Xian and Guilin--though on that cruise Beijing was not an endpoint, and it was in the Fall. I'm sure that Ngaire (when she returns from Egypt) or someone else at B&K can steer you in the right direction for your touring. Linda Litteken was also on PANDA, and I know that she is familiar with some of the Beijing tour guides. (We plan to do 3 nights in Beijing after the cruise segment.)

Meanwhile, I hope you will sign up on the Roll Call for KANGAROO, the nickname for this
cruise. (It wasn't clear to me from your post if you were doing one or more segments of the WC, not that it matters for the Roll Call.) The Roll Call can be found on "B&K Escorted 2011 Cruises and Tours."

We look forward to meeting you, and there won't be any confusion, because I never go by Gene.

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Eugene and Gail

Belated thanks to both of you for your suggestions....they were very helpful.

Aside from the Terra Cotta Warriors, does Xian have historic character and areas of interest to wander?

I gather the Regent excursion to Xian and Guilin was during a cruise rather than at an endpoint? How many days did that take? It seems like a lot of travel.

Our debate is whether to spend some of our limited time relocating, or be content with a more focused itinerary in Beijing and the surroundings.

I'm getting closer.....my next objective is try to find some typical, preferably old, villages and country life, probably within reach of Beijing unless we relocate. We especially enjoy walking in countryside, small, quaint villages, old cities....i.e. cultural/social history more than art and museums.

Thanks again for all help and suggestions, they are really greatly appreciated.

Some current posts from someone on the Holland America World Cruise pertaining to these areas.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=23829424#post23829424

Hope that works; if not, it's John & Diane's Amazing Adventure

Gene, what we did may not be to your liking but it worked perfectly for us.

We got up early (had a driver pick us up at the dock in Shanghai)and caught an early flight to Xian. I had a pre-arranged guide who met our flight at the airport and whisked us off to see the Terra Cotta Warriors. We spent approximately 3 hours there, had lunch on our way back to the airport at a restaurant of his choice (delicious). We opted not to overnight in Xian since the Warriors was only what we wanted to see.

We then flew directly from Xian to Beijing for our 1st night. Again we were greeted and picked up at the airport and went directly to our hotel. It was nice to relax and have a nice quiet dinner in the hotel knowing we'd have 2 very full days touring Beijing with Jane. The following 2 mornings we were picked up around 9:00 and spent the entire day out and about seeing the sights. The 4th morning we flew from Beijing to Hong Kong where we re-boarded the Voyager. The ship was scheduled to overnight in Hong Kong so it was comforting knowing that we wouldn't miss the ship should our flight have been delayed etc.

I arranged both guides, the flights and the hotel myself. The entire trip cost LESS than $ 1/2 of what Regent was charging for 1 person to go to either Xian or Beijing (you had to choose 1 city or the other).

Tom and I do well travelling independently so it was the best option for us and very doable with just a small carry-on bag. It wasn't that hectic either and the only way we could see both cities in the time span we had. Since your WC segment is concluding, you can spend more time in various cities than we could. I think you're in for a real treat whatever you decide.

P.S. We had previously been to both Shanghai and Hong Kong so we didn't feel we were sacrificing those cities.

In my opinion the Terra Cotta warriors were amazing and worth the trip to Xian. However, we didn't have very good weather and didn't see much else of interest there.

Yes, this was part of a cruise. We left the ship in Shanghai and returned in Hong Kong. One night in Xian and one night in Guilin. The river trip was terrific, but it was in late September, which I'm sure is quite different weather than you would have at this time of year.

Unless things have changed, I would think you still need a guide to do "the countryside." I don't think you can just wander on your own. I would really ask someone at B&K to put you in touch with someone in China to present some options that would interest you.

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Eugene

Definitely get a private guide. In 2008, we hit eight cities in 20 days with 10 internal Chinese flights with a new guide and driver in each locale.

Xian has lots to see. The Terra Cotto warriors, although large, are dwarfed in number by another tomb (don't have name handy) hear the airport. In addition, there are a couple of pagodas to see/climb, an interesting mosque, and a wonderful market area.

I think Chengdu is wonderful. In addition to seeing the pandas, are night at Sichuan opera is probably best cultural show we have ever seen. We also saw Le Shan, the largest carved Budddha in the world (now that Bamiyan is destroyed).

Another option is Tibet; well worth the effort.

China is a wonderful country to visit. We still have places we want to see and would love for the opportunity to go back.