Beijing and the Great Wall of China are two places all first-time visitors should put on their itinerary. To avoid tourist scams (and in Beijing there are many) read about it in your travel guidebook before you go to Beijing.
I love Beijing! The air quality is terrible, the traffic is a nightmare, and all of the tourist sights are crowded, but I still love Beijing because there is so much to see and do. Locals are very friendly, but make sure you bring a Mandarin phrase book. I easily spent six days here.
Beijing … Don't stay near the Tian'anmen Square area. It's full of tourists traps and pickpockets. Everybody tries to rip you off. Noisy everywhere. But Tian'anmen Square and Forbidden City are great!
Beijing … Great city, loads to see, forget about Mao's tomb, 3 odd hours to queue and no backpacks / water bottles allowed. The Wall is amazing, but Ming tomb's a waste of time. Tianeman Square, the Forbidden City, the Buddist temples, and the parks are great and the locals are very friendly. A major problem is language, you must have English - Mandarin cards or else... A funny story is an American tourist who used the box of matches from the hotel. The taxi took him to the match factory! Otherwise great. Train travel is very easy - use SEAT61.com, a great website about train travel.
Red Lantern House in Beijing … Visited this hostel in april 2005 for 3 weeks
: a wonderful experience because its located in the traditional hutong. Because of the good atmosphere and the friendly English staff I can recommend this hostal to any backpacker
and will go myself to this hostal in 2006 again.
Red Lantern House in Beijing … This hostel is the most friendliest hostel I have ever been. It's charming and the rooms are very comfortable. I have been there several times and both yards are absolutely worth staying there! I would never choose another place in Beijing!
New Dragon International Hostel in Beijing … We stayed at New Dragon for a week and loved it, it became like home. All the staff are relentlessly friendly and helpful, the rooms were really clean and comfy, toilets were clean, and it was a great spot -- just ten minute walk from WangFuJing -- the main shopping area -- with a metro stop. It's situated in a quiet hutong where you can get the feel for daily life in Beijing when you walk up and down -- you get to see daily card playing rituals, the bike repair stall. we loved it.
King's Joy Hostel in Beijing … Kings Joy Hostel is a very nice and central place to stay in Beijing. It is only a few minutes to walk to the Tian'anmen Square. The rooms are clean and tidy with a very nice furniture. The staff is always friendly and helpful. It is also possible to have breakfast in the hostel which is very western and delicious. All in all Kings Joy Hostel is a very warm and friendly place, which can only be recommended to spend one's time in Beijing in.
Beijing Lotus Hostel in Beijing … With no exaggeration, this was probably one of the nicest places I've stayed. The staff were so friendly, very helpful finding our way around Beijing, and booking a Great Wall Tour. Highly recommended!
Beijing Drum Tower International Hostel in Beijing … I like this place just because of the boy sitting in the front desk who can speak fluent English. My heart will be with him forever!
HI - Beijing Jade Youth Hostel in Beijing … We stayed at this hostel for two weeks at the end of December 2004. It is newly built/renovated with brand-new furniture and equipment. I would say it is more like a small hotel than a hostel. We had a lovely double room with a bathroom for less than 18 US dollars a day (for two persons). We visited two other hostels before we found this one and I have to say Jade beats both of them. It is close to Wangfujing Street (subway station), and it is in the heart of the city, very close to the Forbidden City.
If you take bus 103 from the hostel to the zoo, you'll find a good and cheap shopping area, too (40 minutes away). When you arrive in Beijing, take the shuttle bus to the Xidan Aviation Building from the airport. When you get off the bus, try to avoid the taxi drivers lurking by and walk a few minutes in any direction along the main street. There grab a taxi, and it will take you to the Jade for about 12 yuans, which is about 2 US dollars. (Do not forget to print out the map you…
Beijing Downtown Backpackers in Beijing … Excellent hostel in an ideal location for all of Beijing's attractions. Clean and friendly. The air conditioning worked well and the showers were hot. Helpful staff but not obtrusive.
Red Lantern House in Beijing … Absolutely fantastic hostel. Has a beautifully courtyard with a restaurant. Rooms are clean and comfy. A bit hard to find as the dairy queen place mark that they use as a guide to find it is no longer there. If you want something chinesey without the dirt then this place is great. The food at the restaurant is cheep and very good. Even the coffee is not bad, which is amazing for a Chinese place.
HI - Beijing Jade Youth Hostel in Beijing … This was the best hostel I stayed in while I was travelling in China by far. Compared to some others it was definitely more comfortable, the rooms didn't smell like hospital wards but they were still immaculately clean. Also, the showers were amazing — power showers!
It's in a perfect location for strolling down to Tiananmen Square at the end of the day to watch the lowering of the flag, or to walk onto wangfujing dajie for some shopping. The staff were extremely friendly and always ready to help; if you can't speak Chinese that's no problem, their English is quite sufficient. A taxi from Beijing Zhan should cost around 20 yuan.
HI - Beijing - Far East International Youth Hostel in Beijing … Perfect. An easy walk from Tiananmen, twenty-five cent beer on the stoop, amazing staff, surpisingly comfortable and clean beds, pick up and drop off from the airport was a huge plus and the tour of the great wall was amazing. As a tip -- do the three-hour trip that leaves at sin a.m. -- not the Badalng section but the one thats way out -- more natural and there's a wicked fun zip line across a lake at the end. Avoid the downstairs bar before eleven p.m. A small Tsing Tao starts at 10RMB, but after eleven p.m. you can get two big ones for 2RMB. Doesn't make sense to me, but whatever. Big ones are always cold and 2RMB at the store next door where the cute European ladies congregate. God love em! Definitely going back.
Beijing Lotus Hostel in Beijing … I have stayed at this hostel twice, having tried two other Beijing hostels previously. It is outstanding. Friendly, helpful, generous staff, comfortable beds in clean rooms, clean showers and toilets. Excellent extra facilities -- clean kitchen and dining area, comfortable lounge with TV and free internet, washing machines that work available. A very pleasant courtyard area for relaxing away from the hustle and bustle outside. Efficient booking service for tours, trains, etc. I highly recommend Lotus Hostel.
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