Review of 1 Day Tour : Hutong, Lama Temple, Panda Zoo and Olympic Square by Hanna

We also used ChinaTour.net for multiple tours. We chose this tour for the second day of our trip. We had about 8 people total in our coach bus, and we all got along well. Our guide, Tony, was excellent. He was so cordial and enthusiastic during the entire tour, even though I assume he was very tired by the end of it. As someone else mentioned, this tour was not an entire day long. We were picked up at our hotel at 9am, just as Tony mentioned over the phone the night before. First on our to-do list was to visit the Lama Temple. It was very enjoyable. It was about 30 minutes from our hotel at the center of Beijing. As soon as we arrived, Tony took care of the tickets and brought us in and guided us throughout the temple. He gave us plenty of time to take our pictures and walk around. He was very good at collecting us to guide us to the next part of the temple. Second on our list was the Panda Zoo. We went on the Harvest holiday, so both the temple and zoo were packed with locals. We walked through the Panda House and took a couple pictures of listless pandas. It wasn't too exciting, but it wasn't bad either. Then we went to the biggest tea house in Beijing and got to taste lots of delicious teas. The manager there, Miss Tea, told us about the history of many teas and her English was excellent. We bought a bunch of teas and souvenirs there, including color-changing team mugs. Next was the Hutong tour. We drove another 20 or so minutes and came upon an area with a bunch of bicycle-driven rickshaws. After a quick visit to a porcelain factory/store, Tony passed us along to another guide who rode a bicycle alongside our rickshaws through alleys. We stopped at a local's house, rich with history. Our hostess then guided us to the dining area where we were served with delicious homecooked dishes (kungpao chicken, boiled veggies, etc.). We had plenty to eat. The guide then told us about the history of their residence. Took some more pictures, then we got back on our rickshaws and drove around the hutongs. We stopped a couple times and learned about the buildings, gates, and the people who used to live there. At one point during the day, we stopped by the Olympic square to see the Bird's Nest Stadium and Water Cube Aquatics Center. Lots of street vendors trying to see you postcards and kites that cost about a dollar and a half. In China, always remember to bargain down. You can usually get stuff for 1/10 of their first asking price. It was nice during the day, but my friend and I came back here later that night to see everything lit up. Definitely worth while since this day's trip ends around 3 or 4. Come back after the sun sets. There are still tons of people and vendors, but you'll get to see the full beauty of these structures when they are lit. That's about it! Great tour! Great guide! Great experience!