Forbidden City
It is the largest surviving palace complex in the world, and the only one where you can walk a single ceremonial axis from the emperor's throne room to his private garden.
Open the attraction guideBeijing
Imperial scale and hutong scale in the same afternoon. The capital rewards planning more than any other city in China.
- Province
- Beijing
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Time needed
- 4–5 days (estimated)
- Airport
- Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). Both are connected to the metro network: the Capital Airport Express runs to Dongzhimen (CNY 25), and the Daxing Airport Express runs from Caoqiao to Daxing Airport in about 20 minutes (CNY 35).
- Rail
- Beijing has several main stations — Beijing Station, Beijing South, Beijing West and Beijing Chaoyang — with high-speed lines to most provinces. Book with your passport on 12306; allow extra time for the manual ID channel.
- Getting around
- The metro is the default for everything inside the Fifth Ring — fares start at CNY 3 for up to 6 km. Roads are congested at the morning and evening peaks, so a taxi is often slower than two metro hops in rush hour.
Beijing at a glance
Beijing is the one city in China where a first visit almost writes itself: the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, a temple park at dawn. The difficulty is not choosing what to see, it is spacing it out so you are not queuing most of the day. Everything below assumes you are staying inside the Third Ring and using the metro.
01
What to see
Start with these. Each attraction page has hours, transport, reservation rules and a Chinese address card.
Mutianyu Great Wall
Restored enough to walk comfortably, wild enough to feel like a mountain ridge rather than a theme park.
Open the attraction guideTemple of Heaven
The park is where Beijing actually exercises: ballroom dancing, tai chi, diabolos and card games from 06:00. It is the liveliest free entertainment in the city, and it happens before the ticket offices open.
Open the attraction guideThings to do in Beijing
02
Where to stay
Pick the area for the evenings you want, then compare rates — the neighbourhood matters more than the star rating.
Dongcheng, inside the Second Ring
First visit. Walkable to Tiananmen and the Forbidden City. Pick a place two or three hutongs from the main road for quiet nights.
Gulou and the hutongs
Evenings and atmosphere. Bars, small restaurants and the Drum Tower on foot. Streets are narrow: check the walk from the metro before booking.
Sanlitun / Chaoyang
Food and nightlife. Best restaurant density in the city, but roughly 20–30 minutes (estimated) from the central sights by metro.
03
A realistic 4-day plan
No 6 a.m. starts, and one afternoon deliberately left empty.
Arrive and go central
Check in inside the Second Ring. Walk Tiananmen Square in the late afternoon, eat near Nanluoguxiang, sleep early — tomorrow starts early.
Forbidden City and Jingshan
Enter the Forbidden City at opening (reservation required, passport needed). Climb Jingshan for the roof-line view, then walk to Beihai.
Great Wall
Editor's suggestion: leave early — we suggest 07:30 — for a less-visited section. We could not verify an official reservation page for the Wall sections, so check the section's official channel before you go. Back in the city by late afternoon; keep the evening light to spare.
Temple parks and hutong lunch
Temple of Heaven at dawn for the park crowd, a long lunch in the hutongs, then the 798 district or a museum in the afternoon.
When to go
Weather, crowds and price by season. Confirm current conditions before booking.
| Months | Weather | Crowds | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar–May | Mild and dry; windy spells in March (estimated) | Rising after mid-April (estimated) | Mid (estimated) |
| Jun–Aug | Hot and humid; afternoon storms are common (estimated) | Peak (school holidays) (estimated) | High (estimated) |
| Sep–Oct | Clear, cool, clean light (estimated) | Peak around National Day (1–7 Oct) | High (estimated) |
| Nov–Feb | Cold and dry; snow is rare (estimated) | Low, except Spring Festival (estimated) | Low (estimated) |
Budget bands: Hostels and basic chains, metro all day — roughly CNY 150–300 per night, CNY 400–700 per day (estimated). / Three-star inside the Third Ring, museum tickets, a few taxis — roughly CNY 450–800 per night, CNY 900–1,500 per day (estimated). / Courtyard hotels and a private Great Wall transfer — roughly CNY 1,200–2,500+ per night (estimated)..
Before you lock the dates
Crowds and hotel prices move sharply around Chinese public holidays. Book the main sights before you fix flights, and check the attraction pages for reservation rules.
Getting there and getting around
- Airport express / metro — Both airports connect to the metro. PEK: Capital Airport Express to Dongzhimen, CNY 25. PKX: Daxing Airport Express from Caoqiao, about 20 minutes, CNY 35. (about 20 min Caoqiao–PKX; 50–70 min door-to-door (estimated))
- High-speed rail — Book with your passport on 12306. Use the manual channel at the gate; the automatic gates read Chinese ID cards, not passports. (varies by destination)
- Metro inside the city — Buy a transport card or use the metro QR code in Alipay. Fares start at CNY 3 for up to 6 km; 6–12 km CNY 4, 12–22 km CNY 5, 22–32 km CNY 6, plus CNY 1 per 20 km beyond 32 km.
Beijing how-to guides
Mutianyu or Badaling: how to choose your Great Wall section
A decision framework for Beijing's two best-known Great Wall sections, with Mutianyu's official hours and transport verified and the gaps named honestly.
Read the guideWhere to stay in Beijing: areas that save you time
How to pick a Beijing base around your mornings, with the transport facts that make some addresses much better than others, and what to check before booking.
Read the guideQuestions we get
How many days do I need in Beijing?
Four days is the practical minimum: two for the central sights, one full day for the Great Wall, one for a slower district. Three days works only if you skip the Wall or the museums.
Do I need to book the Forbidden City in advance?
Yes. It is real-name and passport-based, with a daily cap, and it closes on Mondays. Book through the official channel as early as the rules allow and carry the same passport you booked with.
Is the metro easy without Chinese?
The metro is easy to use without Chinese: station names are shown in pinyin and English on maps and signs, and the Beijing Metro has an English website. Ticket machines vary — the staffed booths and the Yitongxing app are the safest bet.