# Avoiding Fake Rickshaws and Unlicensed Taxis in Beijing > Scams around Beijing's biggest sights usually start with an unsolicited ride. Here's how to spot unlicensed taxis and rickshaws, what a fair fare looks like, and which apps to use instead. _Category: tips · Reading time: 5 min read_ Most visitors to Beijing never get scammed, but the few classic tourist traps almost always start with an unsolicited offer of a ride — a smiling driver near the Forbidden City or a 'pedicab tour' of the hutongs with no set price. Unlicensed taxis (called 'black cars', hei che) and overpriced rickshaws are easy to avoid once you know the telltale signs. This guide covers what to look for, what a fair fare costs, and how to get where you're going safely. ## How to Spot an Unlicensed Taxi Licensed Beijing taxis are easy to identify once you know what to look for. Anything else that pulls up offering you a ride is best declined politely. - **Check for the light on top** — Licensed taxis have an illuminated roof sign; it shows '空车' (vacant) when available. No proper roof light means no license. - **Look for the meter and driver ID** — A licensed cab has a working meter and a photo ID card displayed on the dashboard. Insist the meter is switched on, or walk away. - **Decline 'special price' offers** — A flat-rate quote negotiated before you get in — especially at stations, airports, or outside major sights — is the signature of an unlicensed driver. - **Note the plate** — Beijing taxis have plates starting with 京B [verify before travel]. Snap a photo of the plate and driver ID discreetly for peace of mind. ## The Rickshaw Problem Pedicab rides through the hutongs can be genuinely charming — some are licensed tours with fixed prices. The trouble is the unlicensed ones that approach you directly, quote a price per person that sounds like the whole ride, or change terms mid-journey. - **Agree the full price, in writing if possible** — Confirm the total price for the entire ride, all passengers, and the route before sitting down. A per-person rate of ¥100–300 (about $14–42) is common near Jingshan or the Drum Tower [verify before travel]. - **Beware the 'tea house' detour** — A classic combo scam: a very cheap rickshaw ride that ends at an overpriced tea house or gallery where you're pressured to spend hundreds of yuan. Decline firmly. - **Prefer booked tours** — If you want a hutong rickshaw experience, book through your hotel or a reputable platform with a fixed, stated price rather than accepting a street hail. - **Walk away calmly** — You never owe an unsolicited driver anything. If a ride goes wrong, don't argue in the street — pay the agreed amount, note the location, and move to a busy area or ask your hotel for help. ## Use Apps Instead — It Solves Almost Everything Ride-hailing removes the negotiation, the meter games, and the language barrier, because the fare is set in the app before you get in. - **DiDi** — China's main ride-hailing app, with an English interface and international card payments. Fares across central Beijing are typically ¥20–60 ($3–9) per trip [verify before travel]. - **Alipay / WeChat mini-programs** — Both apps let you hail DiDi rides without installing a separate app [verify before travel]. - **Official taxi stands** — At airports and railway stations, ignore touts and follow signs to the official taxi rank or the licensed ride-hail pickup zone. - **The metro is often faster** — Beijing's subway is cheap (roughly ¥3–9, about $0.50–1.30 per trip) and covers most sights [verify before travel]. Download a map app that works offline. ## Quick Rules to Remember - **Never accept a ride from a tout** — Anyone who approaches you at a station exit or tourist site offering transport is unlicensed by definition. Licensed taxis wait at ranks; ride-hails arrive via app. - **Get a receipt (fapiao)** — Licensed taxis issue printed receipts with the cab number — useful if you leave something behind or want to dispute a fare. - **Have small notes ready** — Metered fares are usually paid by scanning a QR code or cash. Keep ¥10–20 notes so you're not forced into a 'no change' negotiation [verify before travel]. - **Screenshot your destination in Chinese** — Show the Chinese name and address of your destination to any driver — it prevents wrong turns and 'wrong destination' detours. - **Know the rough fare** — A metered cab from central Beijing to the Airport Express area typically runs ¥100–150 ($14–21) [verify before travel]. If a quote is wildly above or below that, be suspicious. ## Qianmen Street and Dashilar A pedestrianized historic street south of Tiananmen where rickshaw touts are especially active. Enjoy the street on foot; if a pedicab tempts you, treat it as a haggle-heavy photo op rather than transport, or book a fixed-price tour in advance. - Metro: Line 2 or 8 to Qianmen station; confirm current line and exits - Opening hours: Street open 24 hours; shops roughly 10:00–21:00 [verify before travel] - Tickets: Free to walk; rickshaw rides ¥100–300 ($14–42) if negotiated [verify before travel] - How long: 1–2 hours ## Nanluoguxiang Hutong The most famous hutong district and a hotspot for unsolicited pedicab offers. The lanes are narrow and crowded — walking is genuinely the best way to see them, and it costs nothing. - Metro: Line 6 or 8 to Nanluoguxiang station; confirm current exits - Opening hours: Open area; shops roughly 10:00–22:00 [verify before travel] - Tickets: Free - How long: 1–2 hours ## Beijing Capital Airport & Daxing Airport Airport arrivals halls are where unlicensed drivers do their best work. Skip every approach in the terminal and go straight to the official taxi rank or the app-designated pickup point. Licensed airport taxis use meters; the ride into the city typically costs ¥100–150 ($14–21) from Capital and ¥150–200 ($21–28) from Daxing [verify before travel]. - Metro: Airport Express from Capital Airport; Daxing Airport Express from Caoqiao — confirm current lines and stations - Opening hours: Airports operate 24 hours; taxi ranks staffed with flights [verify before travel] - Tickets: Airport Express roughly ¥25–35 ($4–5) [verify before travel] - How long: 45–80 minutes into the city depending on traffic ## Related Beijing guides If you found this useful, these cover the next question most visitors ask: - **Practical Tips** — /guides/avoid-fake-booking-sites-china/ - **Transport** — /guides/didi-taxi-beijing/ ## Where to stay **KOULING Ruiyue Hotel** — 5m from Guogongzhuang Metro Station · 9.6/10 · US$26 View hotel: https://12001.net/hotels/ruiyue/ The front desk at Ruiyue can write your destination in Chinese, call a licensed taxi, or help you set up DiDi with an international card — the easiest insurance against street-hail scams. Ask staff for the current fixed-price options to major sights before heading out. --- Source: https://12001.net/guides/avoiding-fake-rickshaws-unlicensed-taxis-beijing/ © KOULING Hotels