Beijing in 4 days: a practical itinerary with booking times

Four days is enough to see Beijing’s big sights without rushing: the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace, plus a few hutong lanes. The hard part is not the sightseeing but the bookings. Most major sights sell a limited number of real-name tickets, tied to your passport, and some sell out within minutes. Plan the bookings first, then the days.

Watch out for Mondays

The Forbidden City and the National Museum are both closed on Mondays, except on Chinese public holidays. Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the Lama Temple, the Summer Palace and the hutongs are open. If one of your four days is a Monday, make it the Great Wall day or the Temple of Heaven day, and shuffle the others around it.

Booking checklist

All times are Beijing time (UTC+8). Work out what that is at home and set alarms.

• 7 days before Day 1, at 20:00: book the Forbidden City on the official English site intl.dpm.org.cn. No Chinese phone number is needed. No same-day tickets.
• Up to 15 days before Day 2: book Mutianyu Great Wall on en.mutianyugreatwall.com, or buy train and entry tickets for Badaling (up to 7 days ahead).
• 7 days before Day 4, at 17:00: book a free timed slot at the National Museum on pcticket.chnmuseum.cn. One booking per account per week, up to 5 people.
• 1–7 days before Day 1, at 12:00: book Tiananmen Square on the official WeChat mini-program or reservation website. Free, but no walk-ins.
• 1–7 days before: the Temple of Heaven and Jingshan Park can be booked on bjgyol.com.cn with your passport.

Day 1: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park

Start early at Tiananmen Square with a morning slot. Allow 20–30 minutes for passport checks and security, and leave lighters and knives at the hotel. The nearest metro stations are Tian’anmen East and West (Line 1).

Then walk north through Tiananmen Gate to the Meridian Gate, the entrance of the Forbidden City. Plan three to four hours. It is open 08:30–17:00 from April to October and 08:30–16:30 in winter, with last entry an hour before closing. The Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery cost ¥10 extra and are worth it.

You leave by the north gate, right opposite Jingshan Park. Climb the hill for the classic view over the golden palace roofs; late afternoon light is best.

Day 2: the Great Wall

Mutianyu is the best section for most visitors: restored, green, less crowded, with a cable car and a toboggan. It is 1.5–2 hours from the city. There is no metro: take bus 916 Express from Dongzhimen to Huairou and then a taxi, a tourist bus, or a car with driver. Aim to arrive by 09:00, before the tour groups.

The easier alternative is Badaling: about 30 minutes by high-speed train from Beijing North or Qinghe station. It is busier and more restored, so go early on a weekday. Our Great Wall guide compares the sections in detail.

Keep the evening free. You will be tired.

Day 3: Temple of Heaven, Lama Temple, hutongs

Go to the Temple of Heaven early. The park opens at 06:00, and in the morning it fills with locals doing tai chi, dancing and singing. The ticketed halls open at 08:00. Take the combined ticket to see the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Use the east gate at Tiantandongmen (Line 5).

Ride Line 5 north to Yonghegong for the Lama Temple, Beijing’s great Tibetan Buddhist temple. An hour or so is enough.

Spend the afternoon and evening in the Shichahai hutongs: lakes, old lanes, the Drum and Bell Towers nearby, and plenty of places to eat. No booking is needed. Shichahai station is on Line 8.

Day 4: Summer Palace and the National Museum

Take Line 4 to Beigongmen for the north gate of the Summer Palace, and walk down over Longevity Hill to Kunming Lake. Allow three to four hours. Online booking needs a Chinese phone number; without one, bring your passport to the service window at the entrance.

In the afternoon, head back to the centre for the National Museum on the east side of Tiananmen Square. Entry is free, by timed slot, through the North Gate, with your original passport. If you would rather see contemporary art, the 798 Art District is an alternative, but many galleries close on Mondays.

Practical tips

• Carry your passport every day. Almost every sight checks it.
• The metro is the fastest way around; see using the metro.
• Avoid the first week of October and other Chinese holidays if you can: tickets vanish and crowds are huge.
• Rules and hours change. Check each sight’s page and the reservations center before you go.

Continuing to Xi’an and Shanghai? See our 10-day Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai route.