Beijing
北京 · Běijīng
Forbidden City, the Great Wall and hutong life in China's capital.
4–5Days
Apr–May, Sep–OctBest time
88Foreigner-friendliness
Best for a first trip
Best time to visit
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
From the airport or station to the city
Where you land, the ways into the city centre, how long each takes and what it costs.
From Beijing Capital Airport (PEK)
北京首都国际机场
From Beijing Daxing Airport (PKX)
北京大兴国际机场
From Beijing South Railway Station
北京南站
Getting around
The metro reaches every sight in town except the Great Wall. Every station has a bag check, fares are about ¥3–10, and you can pay with Alipay or WeChat transit codes. Taxis and DiDi are cheap but slow at rush hour. Carry your passport every day: most sights check it at the gate.
Book these before you fly
These sights need a reservation with your passport. Walk-ups are usually turned away.
- Forbidden City (Palace Museum)Book on the official English ticket site with your passport. Reservations open at 20:00 seven days before the visit; there are no same-day tickets. Bring the original passport and enter through the manual ticket-checking channel at the Meridian Gate (午门).
- National Museum of ChinaFree timed booking on the official English site pcticket.chnmuseum.cn, up to 7 days ahead. New slots open daily at 17:00. One booking per account per week, up to 5 people. Passport holders can also use the manual service window at the entrance, which can help with same-day entry if places remain.
- Tiananmen SquareFree real-name booking, 1–7 days ahead, released daily at 12:00, on the 天安门广场预约参观 WeChat mini-program or the official booking website (yuyue2026.tamgw.beijing.gov.cn in 2026; the address changes yearly). Book with your passport. No walk-ins.
- Confucius Temple and Imperial AcademyReal-name online booking through the museum’s official channels (its WeChat account); bring the ID you booked with.
Top sights
故宫博物院Forbidden City (Palace Museum)The Ming and Qing imperial palace, now China’s largest museum of imperial art.
慕田峪长城Mutianyu Great WallA restored, forested stretch of the Ming wall with a cable car and toboggan, quieter than Badaling.
八达岭长城Badaling Great WallThe most visited and most restored section of the wall, and the easiest to reach by train.
天坛公园Temple of HeavenThe Ming altar complex where emperors prayed for good harvests, in a large park.
颐和园Summer PalaceA Qing imperial garden around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, on the UNESCO list.
中国国家博物馆National Museum of ChinaChina’s national museum of history and art, on the east side of Tiananmen Square.
雍和宫Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)Beijing’s largest active Tibetan Buddhist temple, with an 18-metre sandalwood Buddha.
景山公园Jingshan ParkA hill just north of the Forbidden City with the best view over the palace roofs.
什刹海Shichahai and Houhai hutongsThree linked lakes ringed by old hutong alleys, courtyard homes and bars.
天安门广场Tiananmen SquareThe vast central square, with daily flag-raising and flag-lowering ceremonies.
圆明园Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan)The ruins of a vast Qing imperial garden, burned in 1860, with the stone remains of its European-style palaces among lakes and parkland.
798艺术区798 Art DistrictFormer state factories turned into Beijing’s main contemporary art quarter, with galleries, design shops and cafés.
北海公园Beihai ParkA lakeside imperial garden next to the Forbidden City, crowned by the White Dagoba on Jade Islet.
南锣鼓巷NanluoguxiangAn 800-metre hutong lane from the Yuan dynasty, now a busy pedestrian street of snacks and shops, with quieter alleys either side.
奥林匹克公园 / 国家体育场鸟巢Olympic Park & Bird’s NestThe 2008 and 2022 Olympic site, with the Bird’s Nest stadium and the Water Cube on a vast open plaza.
明十三陵Ming TombsThe valley where 13 Ming emperors are buried, with a grand hall at Changling, an underground palace at Dingling and a statue-lined Sacred Way.
香山公园Fragrant Hills ParkA wooded former imperial hunting park in the Western Hills, famous for its red autumn leaves and city views from the summit.
北京钟鼓楼Drum and Bell TowersTwo tall towers at the north end of the old city axis that once beat and rang out the time for the capital.
孔庙和国子监博物馆Confucius Temple and Imperial AcademyThe imperial Confucian temple and the empire’s highest school side by side, with stone tablets naming centuries of exam graduates.
恭王府博物馆Prince Gong’s MansionThe best-preserved Qing dynasty prince’s residence in Beijing, with courtyards, a large garden and an old wooden opera house.
前门大街Qianmen Street and DashilarA pedestrian shopping street south of Tiananmen with old-name shops, and the historic Dashilar lanes just to its west.Map
What to eat here
北京烤鸭Peking duckCrisp-skinned duck carved at the table and wrapped in thin pancakes.炸酱面Zhajiang noodlesThick noodles with fried soybean-paste pork sauce and fresh vegetables.煎饼果子JianbingStreet-breakfast crepe with egg, a crispy cracker and sauces.涮羊肉Beijing lamb hot potThin lamb slices dipped in clear broth and eaten with sesame sauce.
冰糖葫芦Candied hawsHawthorn berries on a skewer with a glassy sugar coating.
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Routes that include Beijing
Good first tripBeijing → Xi'an → ShanghaiFirst trip classic: Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai in 10 daysThe Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army and the Bund, linked by fast trains. The route most first-timers should start with.
Good first tripBeijing → Xi'an → Chengdu → Guilin → ShanghaiChina highlights in 12 days: palaces, pandas and karst peaksThe classic five: Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai. Busy but doable with trains and two short flights.
Beijing → Datong → Pingyao → Xi'anAncient China: Beijing, Datong, Pingyao and Xi’an in 10 daysBuddhist grottoes, a temple hanging on a cliff, a walled Ming town and the Terracotta Army, for history lovers.Travel guides
How to book Forbidden City tickets as a foreigner (2026)Tickets open 7 days ahead at 20:00 China time and sell out fast. How to book with a passport, no Chinese phone number needed.
How to use DiDi in China as a foreigner (2026)DiDi app or DiDi inside Alipay, paying with a foreign card, showing your address in Chinese, airport pickups, safety features and Amap as an option.
How to take a taxi in China: DiDi, ranks, fares and scamsHail a cab or use DiDi, show your address in Chinese, insist on the meter, avoid airport touts and pay with Alipay or WeChat.Nearby cities
1 dayTianjin天津Old concession-era streets, about 30 minutes from Beijing by train.
1–2 daysChengde承德The Qing emperors’ summer retreat, ringed by Tibetan-style temples.
1–2 daysDatong大同The Yungang Grottoes and the Hanging Temple on a cliff face.
2–3 daysHohhot呼和浩特Mongolian monasteries, a superb regional museum and the grasslands on the doorstep.