North · 4–5 days

Beijing travel guide

Beijing rewards planning more than any other city in China. The sites are enormous, the queues are real, and the difference between a good and a wasted day is usually a reservation made three days earlier.

  • Best time: April–May, September–October
  • Suggested stay: 4–5 days
  • Reviewed 2026-11-06

Why go

Imperial scale, vast distances, and the one city where booking ahead decides your whole trip.

  • History
  • Architecture
  • Museums
  • First-timers

What is worth your time

Forbidden City

Book days ahead; same-day tickets usually do not exist. Enter at Meridian Gate, exit north into Jingshan Park for the view back.

Mutianyu Great Wall

Restored, dramatic, and far less crowded than Badaling. Cable car up, toboggan down.

Hutong mornings

Nanluoguxiang before 9am, then the side lanes where people actually live.

Airport and station transfers

Capital (PEK) is 25 km northeast; Daxing (PKX) is 46 km south. Both connect by dedicated express trains.

MethodTimePriceNotes
Capital Airport Express25 min to Dongzhimen¥25Fastest into the city; runs from early morning to roughly 11pm.
Daxing Airport Express20 min to Caoqiao¥35Connects to Line 10 and the high-speed rail station.
DiDi / taxi40–70 min¥100–160 (PEK), ¥180–250 (PKX)Rush hour doubles the time. Use the official app pickup zone.
Airport bus60–90 min¥20–35Several routes to major hotel areas; slower but no changes.

Getting around

  • Metro — The largest system in the world by length; cheap, air-conditioned, and crowded at 8am and 6pm. Allow 10 minutes for transfers in big interchanges.
  • DiDi — Reliable but slow in the ring roads. Use it for the Wall and for evenings, not for cross-town daytime trips.
  • Walking — The Forbidden City alone is 3 km end to end. Wear the shoes.
  • Bikes — The hutongs and the lakes are perfect by bike; the main avenues are not.

Where to stay

AreaBest forTrade-off
Dongcheng / hutong areaAtmosphereWalkable lanes, boutique guesthouses, close to the Drum Tower and lakes.
WangfujingFirst visit convenienceCentral, metro-connected, walkable to the Forbidden City.
SanlitunFood and nightlifeInternational restaurants and bars; further from the historic sites.
Near Beijing SouthOnward trainsPractical for a one-night stop between high-speed routes.

What to eat

DishWhere to find it
Peking duckBook a proper duck restaurant; hotel versions are twice the price
ZhajiangmianNoodle shops in the hutongs
JianbingMorning street carts — the best breakfast in the city
HotpotCopper-pot lamb hotpot in winter
Baodu / luzhuOld-Beijing snack shops, for the brave

What it costs

StylePer dayWhat that buys
Backpacker¥350–500Hostel, metro, street food, one paid site
Comfortable¥800–1,3003–4 star hotel, DiDi at night, duck dinner, two sites
Premium¥2,000+Courtyard hotel, private guide, car and driver

Same three tiers for every city, plus what individual meals, metro rides and tickets cost: what a trip to China costs.

A route that fits the days you have

  1. Day 1 — Imperial axis
    Tiananmen (book ahead) · Forbidden City · Jingshan Park · Duck dinner
  2. Day 2 — The Wall
    Early transfer to Mutianyu · Cable car up, walk the ridge · Toboggan down · Slow evening
  3. Day 3 — Temples and hutongs
    Temple of Heaven at dawn · Nanluoguxiang · Drum and Bell Towers · Houhai at sunset
  4. Day 4 — Modern Beijing
    798 Art District · Olympic Park · Sanlitun in the evening

Last reviewed 2026-11-06 — rules and prices in China change often. Confirm critical details in the app or on the official site before you rely on them.

Official sources used for this guide