Beijing 北京
Beijing is China's imperial capital, where the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and hutong lanes sit beside a fast, modern metropolis. Allow 4–5 days to cover the headline sights and neighbourhood life, using the excellent metro to get between them.
Sights in Beijing
Forbidden City (Palace Museum) 故宫博物院
Tiananmen Square 天安门广场
Jingshan Park 景山公园
Beihai Park 北海公园
Temple of Heaven 天坛公园
Summer Palace 颐和园
Lama Temple (Yonghegong) 雍和宫
National Museum of China 中国国家博物馆
National Art Museum of China 中国美术馆
Prince Gong's Mansion 恭王府
Olympic Park (Bird's Nest and Water Cube) 奥林匹克公园
Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) 圆明园遗址公园
Fragrant Hills Park (Xiangshan) 香山公园
Mutianyu Great Wall 慕田峪长城
Badaling Great Wall 八达岭长城
Ming Tombs 明十三陵
798 Art District 798艺术区
Sanlitun 三里屯
Shichahai (Houhai) 什刹海
Nanluoguxiang 南锣鼓巷
Qianmen Street and Dashilan 前门大街
Wangfujing Street 王府井大街
Prices are approximate and hours change. Sights without a page haven't been checked yet.
Where to stay
Wangfujing 王府井
A central base within walking distance of the Forbidden City and Tiananmen, with easy metro links.
Good for: first-time sightseeing, families
Sanlitun 三里屯
Beijing's main dining and nightlife district, with embassies and international restaurants nearby.
Good for: nightlife, dining, shopping
Qianmen & Dashilan 前门·大栅栏
Historic hutong lanes and traditional shops just south of Tiananmen.
Good for: hutong atmosphere, budget stays
Getting there
Beijing Capital International Airport 北京首都国际机场
Capital Airport Express (首都机场线) from T3/T2 to Sanyuanqiao, Dongzhimen and Beixinqiao, flat ¥25, no free transfer to other lines; taxi to central hotels typically 40–60 min.
Beijing Daxing International Airport 北京大兴国际机场
Daxing Airport Express (大兴机场线) to Caoqiao, about 20 min, ordinary class ¥35 (business ¥50), roughly 06:00–22:30; then metro Line 10 (about 50 min to Tiananmen). Taxi about 1 hour and roughly ¥200 by day, night surcharge applies. Airport bus ¥40.
Beijing South Railway Station 北京南站
Main high-speed hub for Shanghai, Tianjin and Jinan; metro Lines 4 and 14.
Beijing West Railway Station 北京西站
High-speed trains to Xi'an, Wuhan, Guangzhou and Hong Kong; metro Lines 7 and 9.
Beijing Railway Station 北京站
Older central station for conventional and some northeast trains; metro Line 2.
Beijing North Railway Station 北京北站
Trains to Badaling Great Wall and Zhangjiakou; metro Lines 2, 4 and 13.
Beijing Chaoyang Railway Station 北京朝阳站
High-speed trains to Shenyang, Harbin and northeast China; less central, so allow extra time.
Qinghe Railway Station 清河站
High-speed trains to Badaling/Zhangjiakou and Inner Mongolia; metro Lines 13 and 19.
Getting around
Metro
most trips, especially across the city
Buy a Yikatong card or use Alipay/WeChat metro QR; bags are scanned at every station.
Taxi / Didi
late nights, luggage, destinations off the metro
Use Didi in the app; taxi drivers rarely speak English, so show the Chinese address.
Shared bike
short hops in hutongs and along riverside paths
Use marked bike lanes and avoid riding on major ring roads.
Bus
local routes and areas off the metro
Use Amap or Baidu Maps for routes; some buses have English announcements.
Good to know
- All Beijing subway lines, including the airport lines and the S2 line to Badaling, accept contactless Visa and Mastercard tapped directly at the gates (since 16 June 2025). Alipay/WeChat transport QR codes and UnionPay also work. Source
- Alipay accepts Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover and Diners cards. Payments under ¥200 carry no Alipay service fee; payments of ¥200 or more carry a 3% fee. Verify your passport in the app to raise limits (about US$5,000 per transaction, US$50,000 per year). Source
- Didi works in English, either in the DiDi app or as a mini-program inside Alipay, and takes Visa/Mastercard. At airports and stations, walk to the signed ride-hailing pickup area (网约车) before ordering. Source
- A travel eSIM or your home SIM on roaming routes data through a foreign network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN. A Chinese local SIM or hotel Wi-Fi does not reach these services. Travel eSIMs are data-only and cannot receive Chinese SMS codes, so keep your home SIM active for verification texts. Source
- Book Forbidden City tickets on the official WeChat mini-program up to 7 days ahead; it is closed on Mondays and sells out.
- Carry your passport everywhere; hotels, train tickets and many sights require real-name registration.
- Use Amap (高德地图) or Baidu Maps for metro and bus directions; Google Maps is unreliable in China.
- For the Great Wall, choose Mutianyu or Jinshanling over Badaling for fewer crowds; leave by 7am.
- Tipping is not expected, and many public toilets lack paper, so carry tissues.
What to eat in Beijing
北京烤鸭
Běijīng kǎoyā
Peking duck · Crisp skin with pancakes, scallion and sweet bean sauce.
炸酱面
zhájiàngmiàn
Zhajiang noodles · Wheat noodles with fermented soybean sauce and pork.
爆肚
bàodǔ
Quick-boiled tripe · Tripe dipped in sesame sauce, a classic snack.
卤煮火烧
lǔzhǔ huǒshāo
Luzhu huoshao · Pork offal and tofu stew with baked wheat cake.
炒肝
chǎogān
Chaogan · Thick pork-liver and intestine soup.
豌豆黄
wāndòuhuáng
Pea-flour cake · Chilled, mildly sweet pea-flour cake.
驴打滚
lǘdǎgǔn
Lvdagun · Glutinous rice roll with red-bean paste and soybean flour.
糖葫芦
tánghúlu
Tanghulu · Candied hawthorn skewer, a street snack.
Weather by season
| Months | Day | Night | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar-May | 19 °C | 7 °C | windy and dusty, warming quickly |
| Jun-Aug | 31 °C | 22 °C | hot, humid and rainy |
| Sep-Nov | 20 °C | 9 °C | clear, crisp and the best season |
| Dec-Feb | 3 °C | -7 °C | cold, dry and windy |
Typical averages, not a forecast.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Beijing?
September–October (also April–May)
Which sights in Beijing should I book in advance?
Forbidden City (Palace Museum), Tiananmen Square, Jingshan Park, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Lama Temple (Yonghegong), National Museum of China, National Art Museum of China, Mutianyu Great Wall, Badaling Great Wall.
How do I pay for the metro in Beijing?
All Beijing subway lines, including the airport lines and the S2 line to Badaling, accept contactless Visa and Mastercard tapped directly at the gates (since 16 June 2025). Alipay/WeChat transport QR codes and UnionPay also work.
Which airports serve Beijing?
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK); Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX).
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