Beijing Travel: Don't Get Got! (Tourist Trap Edition)
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Also, for Daoxiangcun pastries, make sure to buy the ones with the 'Sanhe' logo. You can buy them loose; grab one or two of each kind to try. Taste them first to see what you like before committing to a whole box, so you don't end up with a bunch you dislike.
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For the Summer Palace, I'd suggest not buying the combo ticket. You can always buy specific entry tickets on-site if needed. Learned this the hard way today – the place is huge, and you really can't cover it all. My combo ticket basically just got me through the main entrance.
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If I'm planning to spend just a morning there, is a single (main entrance) ticket enough?
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Skip Wangfujing. And for any attraction, buy your water beforehand – it's super expensive inside tourist areas.
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If water is expensive at tourist sites, what are the prices like at regular convenience stores on Beijing streets?
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Avoid anything marketed with 'Old Beijing' in the name, like 'Old Beijing Zha Jiang Mian' or 'Old Beijing Snacks.'
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Usually, if it says 'Old Beijing,' it's not authentic.
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Don't try to cram more than 3 sights into one day. Your feet will be covered in blisters – seriously, all that running for the subway is exhausting!
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Already got blisters! Damn. Good thing today's my last day here.
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Fangzhuanchang Zha Jiang Mian? Hardly any locals eat there; it's pretty much all tourists. It's the classic one-time-rip-off kind of place.
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You're right. I fell for the hype and ate there too.
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Don't bother with Nanluoguxiang; it's just a commercial street.
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I wandered around there, and not a single shop made me want to buy anything.