Okay, I'm ready. Please provide the Chinese title.
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I have just returned from Beijing, and there are some things that I must share with you!
If you're planning a trip to Beijing, here's my advice:
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Absolutely avoid joining tour groups! Absolutely avoid joining tour groups! Absolutely avoid joining tour groups! (Important things need to be said three times!)
- Let me tell you, those tours can be a nightmare.
️ Warning: To preserve your impression of Beijing, travel independently!
Here's a brief account of my "blood and tears" experience following a tour group, hopefully serving as a warning to you all:
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Early Morning Challenges
- As early as 5 AM, you must wake up every day! Yes, it’s indeed 5 AM!
- If you dare to be late by even a minute, your tour guide and the tourist bus might not wait for you, leaving you behind.
- Tip: Freedom in travel is so much better, allowing you to decide when to wake up without racing against time.
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Doubtful Accommodation Conditions
* The promotional brochures from travel agencies claim "comfortable hotels"? Don't take them too seriously.
* The hotel accommodations were… just okay, far from expectations.- Tip: Book your own hotels according to your budget and needs, at least ensuring cleanliness and comfort.
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Dodgy Audio Guides
- ️ Beware this massive scam! At tourist sites, tour guides will "recommend" you purchase an audio guide—like small earbuds hung on your ears.
- Shockingly expensive! It costs RMB 390 per person, charged per person. The cost for a family of three would exceed even one thousand RMB!
- What’s more, they are virtually useless! Much information can be looked up online or gleaned by eavesdropping on other tourist guides.
- Tip: Many sites provide free interpretation through their official Apps or mini-programs, or do a bit of research before hand, making redundant payment unnecessary.
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Early Morning Shopping Surprises
- ️ Forced shopping point alert! Think you can sleep in? Dream on!
- Tourists are pulled out of bed at 6AM, led to remote places supposedly to "view unique products," which is actually to sell jade, silk, tea, etc.
- Even if you don’t want to buy anything, you still have to spend your precious vacation time here.
- Tip: Traveling freely means no worries and the freedom to choose where to go, without burdening your wallet.
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Simple Ticket Booking
- Travel agencies always claim that sight ticket purchases require their help due to scarcity.
- Actually, Beijing’s major attractions such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and the Summer Palace can be booked in advance via their official websites or WeChat mini-programs. This operation is very convenient.
- Tip: By pre-planned ticket booking with a simple click, not only will you save time and money, but you also avoid stress.
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"Sweet Talk" Sales Tactics
- ️ Be wary of false promises! Prior to signing up for group tours, salespeople (known as "business people") may boast and guarantee various demands with their chest thumping, claiming pure touring experiences with nothing to buy or upgraded accommodations or the like.
- But once you sign the contract and hand over the money, many previous promises could change or become void. By then, even if you regret it, it’s hard to make any corrections.
- Tip: If group tourism is inevitable, insist on putting all commitments explicitly into the contract; verbal promises are unreliable! Best yet… independent traveling!
In summary, Beijing is a fantastic city with countless scenic spots to see. However, choosing the wrong form of travel could significantly diminish your experience. I hope sharing these pitfalls can be helpful for your future travels.
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Any Beijing tour groups posting ads in the comments will be blocked instantly.
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I'm being scammed right now. Paid 1280, then was forced to pay another 390, supposedly for a sightseeing bus and a show. It was mandatory! The salesperson isn't even replying to my messages anymore. This is such a rip-off!
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I didn't buy it. The one I was looking at was surprisingly quoted at 460.
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Transportation is so convenient here, there's no need to pay someone to rip you off. I can go anywhere on my own.
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I opted for independent travel. Is it easy to get a taxi in Beijing? I'm arriving in the afternoon.
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But to be fair, during the Spring Festival, I couldn't book a single ticket anywhere. So frustrating!
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They're easy to book.
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I just connected with someone on Xiaohongshu (a social media app), paid a 100 deposit, and I'm planning to go to Beijing! But now I see it looks like the same old scam, and I'm getting a bit scared. Will they add a bunch of extra fees when I sign the contract upon arrival? And what's this 390 for 'headphones'?
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Basically, all Beijing tours are scams, which really hurts the tourism industry's image – and this is the capital city! Before you pay, they reply to inquiries instantly with all sorts of false advertising. But once they have your money, they just leave your messages on 'read' and don't reply, even when issues come up. They quote over a thousand, but when you get here, you're forced to pay for insurance (though you never see a policy), then there's a shuttle bus, 'Bluetooth headphones' – another 390 per person. You have to gather at 5 AM every morning, and the packed breakfast is just a small bun, like the 10 RMB kind. Group meals are the 20 RMB standard. The so-called 'viewing the exterior of Peking and Tsinghua Universities' is just them letting you snap a photo of the main gate from the bus. They also drag you out early to jade shops. It's just one rip-off after another. I'm never joining a tour group again.
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Yeah, I fell for that too.
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I'd like to know how much the tours that scammed you cost. I'm traveling with elderly relatives and will need to join a tour, so any advice on how to avoid these traps would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Why even bother with a tour group? I traveled with an elderly person and a child, all independently, for seven days.
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I wasn't angry until I read these, now I'm even more furious! There were eight of us, we paid 1600 per person for the tour, and then they collected another 460 from each of us on the bus. Unbelievable! For the Water Cube and Bird's Nest, we just looked from the outside and wandered around the square. At the Temple of Heaven, they didn't even take us to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests; the guide just said 'too many people, let's skip it.' What's even more infuriating is that they dragged us around shopping outlets for a whole morning. Then, on the way to the Forbidden City, they told us they hadn't managed to book tickets and took us to Jingshan Park instead! I'm about to lose my mind. Before we went, I asked them twice if all the attractions on the itinerary were booked, and they said yes. They're all liars!!!
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Which platform did you book the tour through?
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If you decide to join a tour group, get in touch with all the operators that contacted you and compare them. Skip the ones that are too cheap. Then, check their itineraries: see where they go, if there are any days that are suspiciously empty, and what the tour package includes (like entrance tickets, breakfast, lunch). Also, look into the travel agency's credentials. You can even try to negotiate the price. Some high-priced tours are actually no different from the cheaper ones. That's how I narrowed down my options step by step.
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So which one did you end up choosing?
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Beijing Quality Tour – it's all just advertising. We ended up paying an extra 480 for transportation and a show.
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This is the one – hope this helps others avoid the scam. We had to meet at 5:40 AM to go to the Great Wall, and I was freezing to death today. We just had a quick look around the Bird's Nest and Water Cube, then they dragged us off to some random place to watch a show. You really can't just go for the cheapest option. Next time, I'm definitely planning my own trip and going independent!