Into China Guide
The Great Wall at Mutianyu in autumn, watchtowers rising over golden hillsides

City guide · Verified 2026-07-22

Beijing

Imperial palaces, the Wall on your doorstep, and the best street breakfast in China — planned right, Beijing is the trip of a lifetime. Planned wrong, it's queues. Here's the difference.

Airports
PEK (Capital, northeast) & PKX (Daxing, far south) — both have express trains to the center
Best seasons
September–October and April–May; avoid Golden Week (Oct 1–7)
Days needed
3 days minimum; 5 is comfortable
Metro fare
¥3–7 per ride; Alipay/WeChat transit codes accepted
Reservations
Forbidden City & Tiananmen Square both require advance booking with passport

Beijing Travel Guide: What to Know Before You Go

The short version: Beijing pairs the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square with a thousand years of hutong alleyways and the Great Wall an hour outside the city. Most visitors need 3-5 days. The one booking trap: the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square both require advance reservation with your passport — walk-up tickets aren't sold, so book before you land.

The essentials

What to see — and what to know before you go

Beijing's biggest sights now run on advance reservations tied to your passport — the single most common trip-wrecker. Booking rules below are verified 2026-07-22.

Crowds crossing the vast main courtyard of the Forbidden City toward the Hall of Supreme Harmony

The Forbidden City 故宫

~4 hours¥60 peak (Apr–Oct) / ¥40 low seasonClosed Mondays

Six centuries of imperial power in a single walled city — 980 buildings of vermilion and gold at the exact center of old Beijing. Nothing else in China matches its scale or state of preservation.

Booking — 7 days ahead, passport neededTickets released around 8pm Beijing time, 7 days ahead; peak dates sell out in minutes. No on-site ticket window — book on the official site or WeChat mini-program and bring the same passport.

Local tipEnter from the south (Meridian Gate) and walk north; set an alarm for the 8pm ticket release exactly 7 days before your date.

The Great Wall at Mutianyu snaking over autumn mountains

Great Wall at Mutianyu 慕田峪长城

Full day¥40 entry + ¥15 shuttle round trip; cable car ¥100 one-way / ¥140 round trip

The best first-timer section of the Wall: fully restored watchtowers, forested mountain views, cable car access, and a fraction of Badaling's crowds. A full-day trip — 1.5–2 hours each way from central Beijing.

TicketsBook online a day ahead in high season to skip ticket lines; same-day tickets usually available on weekdays.

Local tipIgnore 'cheap Great Wall tour' street offers — use the official shuttle from Dongzhimen, DiDi, or a hotel-arranged driver.

The circular blue-roofed Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven 天坛

~3 hoursCombo ¥34 peak / ¥28 low season (park only ¥15 / ¥10)

The triple-roofed circular Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is imperial architecture at its most perfect. Come early and the surrounding park is half monument, half neighborhood life — tai chi, dancing, card games.

TicketsBuy at the gate or online; the combo ticket (includes the main halls) is the one you want.

Local tipSkip the park-only ticket; the halls are the whole point.

A pavilion and covered walkway beside Kunming Lake at the Summer Palace

Summer Palace 颐和园

~3.5 hours¥30 peak / ¥20 low season; combo (inner sights) ¥60 / ¥50

The emperors' lakeside retreat: pavilions climbing Longevity Hill, the 728-meter painted Long Corridor, and boats crossing Kunming Lake. The most serene of Beijing's imperial sites.

TicketsOnline booking recommended on weekends and holidays.

Local tipEnter at the North Palace Gate and walk downhill to the lake rather than fighting uphill.

The Gate of Heavenly Peace at Tiananmen Square with the national flag and visiting crowds

Tiananmen Square 天安门广场

~1.5 hoursFree — but advance reservation is mandatory

The world's most famous public square, flanked by the Gate of Heavenly Peace, the National Museum, and Mao's mausoleum. Pairs naturally with the Forbidden City directly to its north.

Booking — 7 days ahead, passport neededUse the 'Foreigner Reservation' (外国人预约) flow; enter your passport number exactly as printed. Bring the original passport for security check.

Local tipReserve the square AND the Forbidden City separately — one booking does not cover the other.

Ornate pavilions and the elevated walkway of the Lama Temple under a blue sky

Lama Temple 雍和宫

~2 hours¥25

Beijing's most atmospheric working temple: Tibetan Buddhist halls thick with incense, ending at a 26-meter Maitreya Buddha carved from a single sandalwood trunk. Incense bundles are included with entry.

Booking — 7 days ahead, passport neededTimed entry via the 雍和宫 WeChat mini-program (accepts passports); no WeChat? The on-site ticket office sells same-day slots with your passport.

Local tipCombine with the nearby Confucius Temple and Guozijian street for a quiet half day.

The red 798 sign on the steel lattice gate at the entrance to the 798 Art District

798 Art District 798艺术区

~3 hoursFree to wander; some exhibitions ticketed separately

Contemporary galleries, studios, and cafés filling a decommissioned 1950s factory complex — Bauhaus-style halls, industrial pipes, and constantly changing street art. Beijing's other face after the imperial sites.

Local tipIt's far northeast of the center — pair it with nearby Wangjing rather than squeezing it between downtown sights.

Pedal boats on Shichahai lake with willows and the white lakeside balustrade

Hutongs: Shichahai & Nanluoguxiang 什刹海·南锣鼓巷

~2.5 hoursFree to explore

Beijing's surviving alleyway neighborhoods: grey-brick courtyard homes, lake-side willows at Shichahai, and snack stalls along Nanluoguxiang. This is where the city still lives at street level.

Local tipSkip the pushy rickshaw 'hutong tours' at the lake — the whole point is wandering on foot, and it's free.

What to eat

Beijing's must-eat list

Seven things worth planning a meal around — with dietary flags so nobody at the table gets a surprise. Deep dives live in our food guides; vegetarians, start here. The duck institutions book out for dinner — here's how to book a restaurant in China before you're queuing outside one.

Slices of crisp-skinned Peking duck plated with herbs

Peking Duck 北京烤鸭

Lacquered, crisp-skinned roast duck carved tableside, wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion and sweet bean sauce. The city's signature dish for six centuries.

WhereSiji Minfu or Jingzun — book a day ahead for dinner

  • 🌾 contains gluten
A street vendor folding a sesame-flecked jianbing crêpe on a round griddle

Jianbing 煎饼果子

Beijing's breakfast crêpe: mung-bean batter spread on a griddle, egg cracked over it, folded around a crisp cracker with scallions, cilantro, and chili paste (optional).

WhereAny morning street cart with a queue — ready in 90 seconds

  • 🌱 vegetarian option
  • 🌾 contains gluten
  • 🌶️ mild
Zhajiang noodles served the classic way — noodles, dark fried sauce, and shredded vegetable sides, at a Beijing noodle shop

Zhajiang Noodles 炸酱面

Hand-pulled wheat noodles under a rich fermented soybean-and-pork sauce, tossed with shredded cucumber and radish. Beijing's definitive home-style noodle bowl.

WhereOld-school shops around Shichahai and the hutongs

  • 🌾 contains gluten
A street vendor saucing bundles of thin lamb skewers over the grill

Lamb Skewers 羊肉串

Cumin-and-chili dusted lamb grilled over charcoal — the smell of a Beijing summer evening. Order by the handful with grilled flatbread.

WhereHutong grill joints after dark; look for the charcoal smoke

  • 🌶️🌶️ medium
Freshly steamed dumplings in a bamboo steamer basket

Boiled Dumplings 饺子

Northern China's staple: juicy pork-and-cabbage or egg-and-chive parcels — boiled or steamed — eaten by the dozen with black vinegar. Vegetarian fillings are on almost every menu.

WhereNeighborhood dumpling houses — an entire meal costs ¥20–30

  • 🌱 vegetarian option
  • 🌾 contains gluten
Rows of candied tanghulu skewers — glazed grapes and cherry tomatoes on a stall tray

Tanghulu 糖葫芦

Fruit in a glassy hard-sugar shell — hawthorn is the tart-sweet classic, and stalls now skewer grapes, strawberries, and cherry tomatoes too. Winter's street snack, sold year-round.

WhereStreet stalls along Nanluoguxiang and Qianmen

  • 🌱 vegetarian option
A bowl of grey-green douzhir with a red spoon, fried dough on the side, at a Beijing breakfast shop

Douzhir (for the brave) 豆汁儿

Fermented mung-bean drink with a sour, funky kick — the breakfast Beijingers grew up on and visitors never forget. Order it with crisp fried rings (jiaoquan).

WhereTraditional breakfast shops around Qianmen and Dashilar

  • 🌱 vegetarian option

Beyond sightseeing

Experiences you can book here

A traveler in rented Tang-dynasty style hanfu posing for photos at a historic site

Hanfu Rental & Photography 汉服体验+写真

~3h¥50–300 rental + makeup; ¥1,298–1,598 for a pro photoshoot package

A tea master pouring Chinese tea in a traditional ceremony setup

Chinese Tea Ceremony 茶艺体验

~1.5h¥100–300 per person

Hands folding dumplings at a table set with flour and filling for a cooking class

Dumpling-Making Class 饺子制作体验课

~2.5h¥150–350 per person

Residents with bicycles and a cargo tricycle in a narrow Beijing hutong lane

Hutong Rickshaw & Walking Tour 胡同黄包车/三轮车游

~2.5h¥118–328 per person

A hand practicing Chinese calligraphy with a brush and ink on paper

Chinese Calligraphy Class 书法体验课

~1.5h¥150–350 per person

A Peking opera performer in elaborate costume and painted face on stage

Peking Opera Performance 京剧演出

~2h¥180–680 depending on venue and seat tier

A foot massage in progress at a traditional Chinese tuina spa

Foot Massage & Tuina 足底按摩/推拿

~1.5h¥100–300 per hour

A group of locals practicing tai chi outdoors in a tree-lined path at Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing, backlit by morning sun

Temple of Heaven Morning Tai Chi 天坛晨练太极

~2h$95–130 per person for a guided class + Temple of Heaven tour package

Ready to plan the days?

We've laid out 3-day, 5-day, and 7-day Beijing itineraries — with the booking deadlines and crowd logic built in.

Beijing itineraries →Estimate your Beijing budget

Placing this on the map: see where Beijing sits relative to everywhere else on our interactive map of China, and check when it's busiest on the crowd calendar before you fix dates.

Frequently asked questions

How many days do I need in Beijing?
Three days covers the essentials (Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, hutongs). Five days lets you add the Summer Palace, 798, and slower food-focused wandering. See our day-by-day itineraries for both.
Do I need to book the Forbidden City in advance?
Yes — this catches more travelers than anything else in Beijing. Tickets are released 7 days in advance, sell out quickly in high season, and are tied to your passport number. There is no on-site ticket window. It's closed Mondays.
Which Great Wall section is best?
For most first-timers: Mutianyu — spectacular views, cable car access, and noticeably fewer crowds than Badaling. Badaling is easier to reach by train but is the busiest section by far.
Is Beijing walkable?
Within neighborhoods, yes — the hutongs and older districts are perfect on foot. Between sights, distances are huge: the city is built at imperial scale. Use the metro for anything beyond a couple of kilometers.
Do I need cash in Beijing?
Almost never. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you fly and you'll pay for everything from duck dinners to metro rides by phone. Keep ¥200–300 as backup.

Facts verified 2026-07-22. Opening rules and prices change — re-check official channels for anything booking-critical. Photos: licensed travel photography; app screenshots across this site are our own. Photo credits: 798 gate photo: Cory M. Grenier, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Zhajiangmian photo: N509FZ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Douzhir photo: 荧_Lumine, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Tai Chi Chuan at Temple of Heaven photo: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.