Transportation and drivers

Sometimes getting around in cabs can be a pain, especially if you are a group and need a few of them each and every trip back and forth. Our drivers are flexible, patient and friendly! They also can switch up for different size vehicles easily and on a moment’s notice.

Half day – inner-city driving only:
Car – 400 RMB
Van – 600 RMB

Full day – inner-city driving only:
Car – 600 RMB
Van – 800 RMB

In and Around Beijing

Guides that can show you the way

Through our previous guests’ own experiences and our wide circle of contacts we have amassed quite the collection of quirky and mature guides to show you the history and fun of Beijing. If you have particular requests in guides please let us know in advance.

Super fun tour guide pricing:

Full day: 500 RMB
Half day: 300 RMB

Things to see

Many of these destinations can be reached by bike, public transportation and taxis or third party drivers interchangeably. If you book a guide, depending on what your daily plan is, you may choose to make your way with the guide alone, or have the hotel provide a car and driver. This is easy to organize on a moments’ notice!

What would we do?

Don’t keep your face glued to your guidebook. When you check into the hotel please don’t hesitate to ask the staff what their thoughts are for all your plans.  And just because we know some of you still won’t bother, here are random tour thoughts from some of The Orchid Team:

Greta says:

Stop buying garbage and just eat your pudding

Matthew says:

What do YOU think?

Elena says:

Ложитесь спать!

Gulou and Shichahai lakes area

The area surrounding The Orchid is both vibrant and filled with non-stop excitement. Walking or biking around here might be all you want to do while in Beijing. That’s ok!

Tiananmen and Forbidden City area

Tiananmen square is just a square, that’s true. But it is filled with enough historical value that most people would find it hard to justify ignoring! The forbidden city …

Sanlitun district

While this could fit under just the shopping district, it is obviously far more. Come to Sanlitun to visit the modern, mature and truly international face of Beijing

Dashilar and Tiananmen area

The area south of Tiananmen square is a mix of great history, amazing disregard for urban ‘realignment’ and also some of the best walking in Beijing. Stick to the western section in Dashilar!

798 and Caochangdi Art districts

798 might be overly commercialized by some accounts, but it makes for a wonderful time when the weather is at least half-decent. If you are keen to see more depth into the art scene of Beijing then be sure to head a bit further out to Caochangdi

Shopping and commercial districts

Nearly no trip to Beijing appears to be complete without purchasing an additional suitcase to fill with new Praga or Dolca & Gabano wares. Beyond that, there are of course many other reasonable excuses for why you’d need to check out the Pearl market, Silk market or Yashow.

Beijing Imperial Parks

You haven’t experienced a park in Beijing if you haven’t felt the desire to walk backwards just to fit in. Bring you bird, tap the trees, sing and dance, or just come to talk politics with all the other old people. Other than that, they are just the most beautiful destinations for respite while visiting Beijing. Make sure to check out at least one (out of Beihai, Jingshan, Temple of Heaven, Ritan, Ditan, Summer Palace etc)

Tours to the great wall

Great Wall at Mutianyu

Take your time hiking or take it easy

At your own schedule, leave The Orchid towards Mutianyu to see one of the best looking and least touristed sections of the wall. Choose either to hike up or take the cable car or chair lift. Once you have reached the top, relax or hike until you see fit and then grab the nearest route toboggan down to the bottom where your driver is eagerly waiting to take you for a big local lunch.

Typical duration:

5-7 hours (usually from 9am to 3pm)

Great Wall at Jiankou

Hike from the wild to the refurbished wall

After breakfast at The Orchid, head further into the hills to Jiankou, grab a nice local lunch and then be on your way to experience the wall the way it was meant to be touristed: Free of tourists, and with the most striking scenery! The first one hour hike takes you up to the highest peak on the wild Jiankou section, from where you will begin a comfortable 3 hour hike descending towards Mutianyu at which point you can opt to take the slide down to your car at the bottom.

Typical duration:
6-8 hours (usually from 9am to 4pm)

Other parts of the Great Wall

Badaling – Juyong Pass

Huanghuacheng

Gubeikou

Jinshanling – Simatai

What the experts say

Slide 1

Slide 2

Gulou and Shichahai lakes area

The area surrounding The Orchid is both vibrant and filled with non-stop excitement. Walking or biking around here might be all you want to do while in Beijing. That’s ok!

Tiananmen and Forbidden City area

Tiananmen square is just a square, that’s true. But it is filled with enough historical value that most people would find it hard to justify ignoring! The forbidden city …

Sanlitun district

While this could fit under just the shopping district, it is obviously far more. Come to Sanlitun to visit the modern, mature and truly international face of Beijing

Dashilar and Tiananmen area

The area south of Tiananmen square is a mix of great history, amazing disregard for urban ‘realignment’ and also some of the best walking in Beijing. Stick to the western section in Dashilar!

798 and Caochangdi Art districts

798 might be overly commercialized by some accounts, but it makes for a wonderful time when the weather is at least half-decent. If you are keen to see more depth into the art scene of Beijing then be sure to head a bit further out to Caochangdi

Shopping and commercial districts

Nearly no trip to Beijing appears to be complete without purchasing an additional suitcase to fill with new Praga or Dolca & Gabano wares. Beyond that, there are of course many other reasonable excuses for why you’d need to check out the Pearl market, Silk market or Yashow.

Beijing Imperial Parks

You haven’t experienced a park in Beijing if you haven’t felt the desire to walk backwards just to fit in. Bring you bird, tap the trees, sing and dance, or just come to talk politics with all the other old people. Other than that, they are just the most beautiful destinations for respite while visiting Beijing. Make sure to check out at least one (out of Beihai, Jingshan, Temple of Heaven, Ritan, Ditan, Summer Palace etc)