Choosing a Travel Agency Beijing? – Tips for First Timer

Travel Agency Beijing Introduction – As China is so humongous, it is not possible for someone to truly experience the variety of cultures (there are 56 minority groups), visit all the places of interests, eat wonderful food and more at one go. Thus, I always recommend first timer to China to book a good travel agency Beijing.

I first visited China in year 2000. Then, the tour packages are your usual sight-seeing holiday tours with places like Beijing, Great Wall, Yangtze cruise and the Terracotta Army (read my article on my recommendation of a tour package in China for first timer).

Now in year 2008, things are changing for travelers to China. There is a wider range of tour packages that will cater to your needs and personality. In addition to visiting Beijing and its Great Wall or Shanghai cosmopolitan city, an adventurous traveler can opt to travel to more off-the-beaten-path regions.

For example, one can explore places such as Lijiang (the lovers’ city) or Shaxi, west of Beijing, or Shadong, to the east, are being promoted in more novel tour packages.

Though, I do not recommend them for starters who are very used to city life back home. Take your time to explore from the more familiar (for more city-like comforts) to the less familiar places to gauge your level of adaptability.

As Chinese history and cultures are of much interest to Westerners (I guess everyone wants to be a Marco Polo), many travel agencies in Beijing (and China as a whole) are promoting history-buff focused tour package accompanied by a good English-speaking History graduate as the tour guide.

My brother personally learnt a lot from such history/cultural info-tours during his last trip in Beijing with his girlfriend. What you learnt in the History books or watching DVDs just do not cut it once you have a Chinese tour guide/walking encyclopedia exploring the sites with you.

For people who wish to explore Beijing or China on their bicycles, there are also packaged tours for that too. With an experienced tour guide on a bike, your first time exploration will be so much smoother (read on Bike tour here)

Now let me introduce one or two pretty good travel agencies in Beijing for your information gathering. They are recommended by my brother, so please check elsewhere for more accurate information (ha ha!)

Travel Agency Beijing

For reliable travel agency: China International Travel Service.

Customized tours to group tours and business trips. Established way back in 1954! Well-regarded by most.

Add: 28 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District.

Tel: 010 6515 8565; 010 6515 8603.

www.citsusa.com

For History Buffs: WildChina

WildChina provides a three-day tour of Beijing that includes historical sites, a hike on a wild part of the Great Wall, hutongs visit, and a sample of Beijing cuisines included.

Add: Room 801, Oriental Place, 9 East Dongfang Lu, North Dongsanhuan Lu, Chaoyang District.

Tel: 010 6465 6602.

www.wildchina.com

For Bicycle Tours: Kingdom Bike Rental

For those thinking of renting bicycles and experts’ advice on where to go, there’s no better place than Kingdom Bike Rental. They do suggest pretty good itineraries including some of Beijing's lesser known historical sites. Great for adventure lovers!

Bikes are available for rent here from 35 - 120 RMB per day (or 300 - 600 RMB　per week). Price may have increased now.

Add: North Garden office, B402, Oriental Plaza, Wangfujing, Dongcheng District.

Tel: 133 8140 0738.

www.bicyclekingdom.com