Insider Travel Guides from Concierge

The grand and gorgeous Lama Temple is often thronged with Tibetan Buddhists issuing clouds of purifying incense into the sky--like an enormous spiritual party.

Tiananmen Square, Beijing

Jul 27th, 2009 44s

No trace remains of the 1989 protest in this vast concrete expanse (it covers more than a hundred acres). Instead, you'll find Chinese tourists flying kites and watching the flag ceremonies.

Great Wall of China

Jul 27th, 2009 45s

Stretching almost 4,000 miles across northern China, the Great Wall was a 1,800-year construction project designed to keep out invaders. Several sections are easily accessible from Beijing.

Ding Ding Xiang, Beijing

Jul 21st, 2009 46s

There's no better place to try hot pot--paper-thin slices of meat simmered in broth and swirled in a rich sesame sauce--than this swinging '60s restaurant.

Summer Palace, Beijing

Jul 21st, 2009 48s

Beijing residents escape the city's smog on these landscape grounds filled with delicate structures.

Mei Fu, Beijing

Jul 15th, 2009 45s

This courtyard restaurant inspired by the Peking Opera is a dramatic feast for the senses, with memorabilia, costumes, and music drifting over the dining rooms.

Beijing Style Noodle King, Beijing

Jul 15th, 2009 42s

Large bowls of hand-pulled noodles topped with a salty bean and pork sauce and served with savory dumplings fill up tummies and ward off the sharp northern wind.

Commune By the Great Wall Kempinski

Jul 7th, 2009 46s

This 11-building complex at the foot of the wall is part boutique hotel, part rural retreat, part showcase of high-concept architecture.

Raffles Beijing Hotel, Beijing

Jul 7th, 2009 46s

The historic 1917 hotel near Tiananmen Square was fully renovated in 2006. Now the interiors combine old-world opulence with new-China glitz.

Bastille and Eastern Paris

Jun 30th, 2009 37s

Once a dowdy part of town (and the place where the 1789 Revolution began), the Bastille neighborhood is now a choice hipster hangout, filled with boîtes, bistros, and galleries.

Colette, Paris

Jun 30th, 2009 40s

Colette is the destination for products that reek of cool; it sells everything from the niftiest portable electronics to impossibly tall high heels.

Au Pied de Cochon, Paris

Jun 30th, 2009 39s

This classic brasserie draws a crowd of hungry night owls when most other Parisian restaurants are closed for the night.

Temple of Heaven, Beijing

Jun 19th, 2009 49s

Built during the Ming dynasty and recently renovated, the ornate Temple of Heaven retains its original splendor.

Dashanzi Gallery District, Beijing

Jun 19th, 2009 50s

Beijing's booming modern art scene buzzes around this factory district turned hipster hangout with galleries, cafés, and bars.

E. Dehillerin, Paris

Jun 19th, 2009 46s

You'll find every kitchen accoutrement you ever wanted (and possibly some you never knew existed) at this housewares store in the first arrondissement.

Hotel Daniel, Paris

Jun 19th, 2009 52s

This 26-room town house hotel in the stylish eighth arrondissement brings an exotic flair to Paris's hotel scene: Look for Syrian objets d'art and Oriental carpets.

Flea Markets in Paris

Jun 19th, 2009 44s

Possibly the largest flea market in the world, Marché aux Puces de St. Ouen is comprised of 15 distinct market areas—you'll find everything from costume jewelry to Napoleon III love seats.

Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris

Jun 19th, 2009 52s

Located off the Champs-Élysées, the 245-room Four Seasons Hotel George V is a luxurious blend of French polish and North American creature comforts.

Kite Store, Beijing

Jun 18th, 2009 44s

The family-run San Shi Zhai Feng Zheng kite store is filled with colorful, traditional handmade kites, each a delicate creation of bamboo and paper.

Panjiayuan Market, Beijing

Jun 18th, 2009 47s

If you only go shopping once in Beijing, take a trip to this colorful outdoor bazaar selling all manner of antique (and not-so-antique) curios.

Chez Jeannette, Paris

Jun 15th, 2009 48s

It can be hard to find a seat among the media and film types who crowd into this corner bar and café on Rue du Faubourg St. Denis.

Charvet, Paris

Jun 1st, 2009 48s

A must-visit for dapper men, Charvet—France's finest custom shirtmaker—has been in business for over 150 years.

Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay, Lanai

May 18th, 2009 48s

This 236-room resort gets extra points for location—on a lava cliff overlooking Hulopoe Bay—and the service is up to the Four Seasons's high standards.