Tour Guide & Dirver Prices Fair? Are they really needed?

I have been given a quote for a tour guide and driver, but unsure there are the going rate.

The guide comes highly recommended, has been doing this for 13 years.

Cost for full day guide 700rmb or half day 400rmb

driver with van, full day 900rmb

Are these fair prices?

lastly trying to decide what sights a tour guide is most beneficial.

Have decided:

Great Wall, driver is best since famiy of 5 and need 2 cabs but no guide?

Forbidden City guide is great but no driver?

Olympic Park, Lama Tmeple, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, driver useful no guide needed

What are your thoughts? thanks!!

Tour Guide %26amp; Dirver Prices Fair? Are they really needed?

Beijing is relatively easy to get around %26amp; very English friendly. Even the subway is easy to navigate. You can do everything without a guide so having one is not absolutely essential.

Yes you can do the Great Wall without a guide. The subway goes to the Badaling section. But if going to Mutianyu, which is better, then you will need private transport. RMB 900 seems a bit high if it just to go to the wall %26amp; back. Is the van taking you to places afterwards as well? If you get to the wall when it opens you will spend about 3 hours there. That leaves the rest of the day after lunch to fill. If you have the services of a van for the day %26amp; he is charging you for the whole day I would dd something else to your itinerary.

All the other places you mention wont need a guide either. They can all be reached by subway. Or 2 taxis to get around in is much cheaper than hiring the van again for another day.

Guides are good for places such as around the Hutongs as they can give you a bit of background about Chinese life and it helps you from getting lost:) Also a good guide book helps heaps - I like the DK Eyewitness guide.

Hope it all goes well for you and have fun.

Tour Guide %26amp; Dirver Prices Fair? Are they really needed?

If you only go to the Great Wall I think 900 is a lot. I think I once paid 600.

No guide needed there.

for other places take the subway (2rmb) or taxis (20 to 30rmb to most places except the Summer Palace). The forbidden city has audio guides and always many students at the entrance offering their services.

The lowest we paid was Y400 - 500 for a taxi to the wall %26amp; rest of the day but I think those days are all gone.

I%26#39;m getting quotes myself at the moment for other cities %26amp; they are all coming in under what you have been quoted %26amp; my miles are further. It varies so much between cities.

Then again I guess it is a mini van you are hiring and it%26#39;s still cheaper than 2 taxi%26#39;s.

Maybe do a search on this site to get an idea.

If you have a van for the day you could always go to the Summer Palace afterwards to save on taxi fares later. As coming back from the wall it is on the right side of Beijing %26amp; wouldn%26#39;t need a big detour. But some people consider the Summer Palace a day in itself:)

Hi Annie,

%26lt;%26lt; The subway goes to the Badaling section %26gt;%26gt;.

Please help by explaining how this can be done. Do I have to take a taxi from the subway to the wall and is it easy to find a taxi to go back?

thanks for your advice

Hi, this is information that Ellyse posted which will help:)

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294212-i2147-k222鈥?/a>

Sorry Happy,

I should have added that the above is only for the Badaling section of the wall.

It you end up going to the Mutianyu or other sections of the wall then getting public transport is a pain as it doesn%26#39;t go all the way there %26amp; you have to transfer. So for other sections a taxi is best.

We travelled to Beijing 3 weeks ago. The guide we used was 400rmb per day and the day we went to the wall the driver was an extra 700. The days we did the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven and Lama Temple we used cabs and took the guide with us. Cabs are cheap and the guide told us lots of history and other interesting info

bjticket - That%26#39;s good news if prices are coming down again:) The price you are quoting seems a good price especially as it includes an English driver.

thanks everybody for your thoughts, I am glad you think the prices may be a bit high. Yes we will use van for the day after viewing the wall, we have him from 830 to 530pm so plan to get our money%26#39;s worth.

we leave in 2 days and hope everyting is in place.

MANY THANKS, the people of thsi forum are great

I still do not understand why people only look at prices in case of guides and drivers. Yes you can save a little money, but far more important is the service you get.

Personally I care more about services then about the price. People tend to make a fuss about a price equal to two pints of beer in a western pub.

Until now I have found the help of someone local giving me so much extra that you can not get from books. It adds an extra an extra dimension for me. Coming at places you would normally not come, meeting people you would normally not meet.