Rumors of Olympic ticket queues running the entire 5000 km length of the Great Wall have been exaggerated by at least 1km.

Olympics 2008: You hit Beijing running—you and half a million other tourists. Ready to compete? Our Olympic training manual can help...

Get Ready...

The Olympics are all about preparation. Athletes prepare for   years to compete against the world's best. Host nations spend billions preparing for floods of tourists and global media scrutiny. Vendors, hotels and tour guides prepare to make a killing on clueless tourists.

And what about you, the tourist? Are you prepared to compete with tens of thousands of fellow tourists? To outwit crafty vendors and gold-digging tour guides? To find your way around one of the world's biggest cities? Not sure? Read on....

Get Set...

With less than two months remaining until the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games opening ceremonies, we'll bring you a series of easy short itineraries and walking tours to make the most of your time in China's Capital. Every week leading up to the XXIX Olympiad, we'll publish a new tailor-made guide to effective and efficient sightseeing.

We begin with High-Impact Beijing, a 48-hour crash course designed for visitors with limited time. Future installments of this multi-part series will concentrate on family travel, backpackers, budget tourists, vacationers with discerning palates and serious appetites (foodies), the bohemian set and more. Whether your choice of event is the Pub Crawl or the Baby Stroller Relay, we've got you covered.

Beijing Olympics + Beijing sights = one cool trip!

And please contact us with specific questions about your trip to Beijing (and beyond) and check back regularly for updates and new installments in our ongoing Olympic travel coverage.

Go!

Check out our first installment,  High-Impact Beijing, for a no-nonsense itinerary that will help you get the most out of 48 hours in Beijing.

You'll have the time of your life—if you're prepared.