Beijing has been the capital of China, on and off, since Kublai Khan built Dadu here in 1267. The consequence is a city planned as a diagram of political cosmology: a north–south axis running through the Bell and Drum Towers, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen and out to the Temple of Heaven, with the emperor at the exact centre and everything else arranged around him in descending order of rank.
Almost all of it survives. That is what makes Beijing unlike any other capital.
How long you need#
Three nights minimum, four is right. Day one for the Forbidden City and the Tiananmen area, a full day for the Great Wall, a day for the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace or a hutong wander. The fourth buys you the 798 art district, the Lama Temple, or a second, quieter Wall section.
The Forbidden City#
The largest surviving palace complex on earth — 720,000 m², 980 buildings, home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing from 1420 to 1912.
Booking is mandatory and it sells out. Tickets are released roughly seven days ahead through the official WeChat mini-program (search 故宫博物院) and are tied to your passport number. Peak season slots for weekends disappear within minutes. Book the moment they open.
- Price: ¥60 (Apr–Oct), ¥40 (Nov–Mar). The Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery are ¥10 each and both are worth it.
- Closed Mondays outside the peak summer period.
- Enter at the Meridian Gate (south), exit at the Gate of Divine Prowess (north). One direction only.
- Time needed: three hours to walk the central axis, a full day to see it properly.
Do not simply walk the axis. The central halls are ceremonial and vast; the interesting life of the palace happened in the smaller eastern and western palaces, the concubines' quarters and the Qianlong emperor's retirement garden, which most tour groups never enter.
Exit north and climb Jingshan Park (¥2) for the view back over the golden roofs. It is the single best photograph in Beijing and takes fifteen minutes.
The Great Wall: which section#
The most consequential decision of a Beijing trip.
| Section | Distance from centre | Character | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutianyu | 70 km, ~1.5 h | Fully restored, cable car, toboggan down, forested | Best for most people |
| Badaling | 70 km, ~1.5 h | Fully restored, rail link, extremely crowded | Skip unless mobility-limited |
| Jinshanling | 130 km, ~2.5 h | Partly restored, dramatic, hikeable, quiet | Best for hikers |
| Simatai | 120 km, ~2.5 h | Steep, timed entry, night visits possible | Good, more logistics |
| Huanghuacheng | 80 km, ~2 h | Partly ruined, meets a reservoir | Beautiful and quiet |
| Jiankou | 90 km | Unrestored, crumbling, dangerous | Experienced hikers with a guide only |
Mutianyu is the right default: 5.4 km of restored wall on a forested ridge, a cable car up (¥120 return), a toboggan slide down, and enough length that the crowds thin out if you walk fifteen minutes in either direction. Entry ¥45 plus ¥15 for the shuttle bus from the car park.
Getting there: a DiDi is ¥350–450 each way; the tourist bus from Dongzhimen is cheapest; a hired car for the day (¥600–800) is the sane option for two or more people. Leave by 07:00 to beat the tour buses.
The rest of the essentials#
Temple of Heaven (¥34 through-ticket). Go at 07:00, when the surrounding park fills with retired Beijingers doing tai chi, ballroom dancing, jianzi, calligraphy with water brushes and — memorably — group opera singing. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the postcard; the park is the experience.
Summer Palace (¥30–60). The Qing imperial retreat: a huge lake, a 728 m painted corridor, and Cixi's marble boat, built with money earmarked for the navy. Half a day. Best in autumn.
Lama Temple (Yonghegong) (¥25). The most important Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet, active, full of incense smoke, and home to an 18 m Maitreya carved from a single sandalwood trunk.
Tiananmen Square. Requires advance booking and a passport, and security is thorough. Worth crossing once for the scale. Mao's mausoleum has its own queue and its own rules (no bags, no cameras).
798 Art District. A decommissioned Bauhaus-designed East German factory complex turned contemporary art quarter. Uneven, commercialised in parts, and still the best contemporary art concentration in China.
National Museum of China (free, book ahead, closed Mondays). The Ancient China permanent exhibition in the basement is a complete material history of the country and is the single best museum visit in Beijing.
The hutongs#
Beijing's grey-walled alley neighbourhoods, built around courtyard houses (siheyuan), are what remains of the pre-modern city. Many were demolished in the 1990s and 2000s; the survivors are protected and, in places, gentrified.
- Nanluoguxiang — famous, central, and now essentially a shopping street. Go for the side alleys running east and west off it, not the main drag.
- Wudaoying and Fangjia Hutong — cafés, small bars, independent shops, still lived in.
- Around the Drum and Bell Towers — the best atmosphere, especially at dusk.
- Shichahai and Houhai lakes — swimming in summer, skating in winter, bar street noise in between.
Rent a bike (¥1.5 per 30 min via Alipay) and simply ride. The hutongs are flat, quiet and disorienting in the best way.
Food#
Beijing food is northern: wheat rather than rice, lamb and mutton, strong garlic and vinegar, and heavy imperial dishes alongside cheap street snacks.
- Peking duck — the dish. Siji Minfu is the reliable mid-price choice with duck as good as anywhere; Dadong is the modern, leaner, more expensive interpretation; Bianyifang does the older closed-oven style. Book ahead.
- Zhajiangmian — thick wheat noodles with fermented soybean pork sauce, the everyday Beijing dish.
- Instant-boiled mutton hotpot — copper pot, clear broth, sesame sauce. Best in winter.
- Jianbing — the breakfast crêpe with egg, crisp cracker and sauce, ¥8 from a cart.
- Baodu, luzhu, douzhi — the hardcore local dishes (tripe, offal stew, fermented mung bean drink). Douzhi in particular is an acquired taste that most visitors do not acquire.
- Ghost Street (Guijie) — a kilometre of restaurants open late, famous for spicy crayfish.
Getting around#
The metro is excellent, bilingual, ¥3–10 a ride, and covers everything except the Great Wall. Pay by scanning the Alipay transport QR at the gate. Avoid 07:30–09:30 and 17:30–19:30 on lines 1, 2, 5 and 10.
Beijing is enormous and its blocks are long — a "short walk" on the map is regularly 1.5 km. Shared bikes are the best way to cover the gaps.
Two airports: Capital (PEK), closer, served by the Airport Express (¥25, 20 min to Dongzhimen); Daxing (PKX), the Zaha Hadid-designed starfish 46 km south, served by its own express line (¥35, 20 min to Caoqiao). Check which one your flight uses — they are 70 km apart.
Frequently asked questions#
How many days do you need in Beijing?#
Three nights is the practical minimum: one day for the Forbidden City and Tiananmen, one full day for the Great Wall, and one for the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace or hutongs. Four nights allows the 798 art district or a second Wall section without rushing.
Which Great Wall section is best from Beijing?#
Mutianyu for most visitors — restored, forested, 1.5 hours from the centre, with a cable car and enough length to escape the crowds. Jinshanling is better for serious hikers. Badaling is the most crowded and the least rewarding.
Do I need to book Forbidden City tickets in advance?#
Yes. Tickets are released about seven days ahead through the official WeChat mini-program, are tied to your passport number, and sell out — sometimes within minutes for peak weekends. There is no meaningful on-the-day option.
Is the Forbidden City closed on Mondays?#
Yes, outside the peak summer period. Several other major Beijing museums, including the National Museum of China, also close on Mondays, so avoid planning a museum day for a Monday.
Where should I stay in Beijing?#
Around Qianmen, Dongsi or Nanluoguxiang — all walkable to the Forbidden City, with hutong atmosphere and good metro access. Wangfujing is convenient but characterless; Sanlitun suits nightlife over sightseeing.
What food is Beijing famous for?#
Peking duck above all, plus zhajiangmian noodles, instant-boiled mutton hotpot, jianbing breakfast crêpes and a set of local offal dishes. Siji Minfu and Dadong are the two best-known duck restaurants and both require booking.