Key Contents: attractions + activities + itinerary + directions + where to stay + what to eat + where to eat in Beijing

(This guide has been written by the creator of the China online travel guide, YenKid In China. It covers the central districts of Beijing).

Introduction

Beijing is best known for

Being the historic, cultural, and political capital of China
Landmarks such as the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City
Hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics, the only city ever to host both.

A Few Facts about Beijing

It’s over 3,000 years old, founded around 1045 BC during the Zhou dynasty, and served as China’s capital for 6 dynasties
Beijing has 8 World Heritage Sites, more than any other city in the world
Its name literally means “northern capital”, which contrasts with Nanjing “southern capital”

What I liked particularly about Beijing 👍🏻

The richness of the history is like no other city I’ve encountered before and I visited over 100 cities across 19 countries. Makes me want to time travel back to ancient times
Best Peking duck in the world here (obviously!). I could eat it several times a week.
The Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube are as iconic as ever. Don’t miss it!

3 Things To See + Photographic Spots Not To Be Missed 📷

Ascending the Great Wall of China
Walking through the marvellous Forbidden City
Grabbing a photo in front of the spectacular Temple of Heaven

3 Things To Do 🚶🏻

Climbing to the top of Jingshan Park + seeing the Beijing skyline from high up
Riding on a rickshaw + exploring Hutong neighbourhoods for traditional architecture and hidden restaurants
Strolling through the stunning gardens + taking in the architecture of the Summer Palace

Unique Experiences to Consider ⭐

Taking a chair lift up + tobogganing down the Great Wall. This is only available at the Mutianyu section. Remember to choose this section if you want to do either of these.
Taking a cable car up the Great Wall. This is available at the Mutianyu, Badaling, and Jinshanling sections.
Watching an acrobatics, Peking opera, or martial arts show
Cycling around the city. Beijing is one of the best cities to cycle in.
Going on a food tour.

Points of Interest / Attractions to Visit 🌆

Must-See Attractions

Great Wall 长城 - I think you all know this one. It’s 21,196km long and the first section was built in 7th century BC. What you need to consider is the section you’re gonna visit.
Mutianyu offers the most unique experiences. Badaling is the closest section to the city but also the most crowded. Jinshanling is praised for its scenic views but is quite far from the city.
Forbidden City 故宫 - the exquisite grand palace for over 500 years during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1420-1924), built during the reign of Yongle Emperor.
Contains over 9,000 rooms, courtyards, gardens, and millions of artifacts. Simply historic. Definitely one for repeat visits.
Temple of Heaven 天坛 - one of the most iconic temples in China, built at the same time as the Forbidden City.
The most famous building has circular, three-tiered eaves, a pointed top, and dark blue tiles. I think it’s impossible to get a bad picture here.
Summer Palace 颐和园 - picturesque site of imperial gardens, lakes, hills, bridges, palaces, temples, pavilions, and covered walkways.
It was a summer resort during the Qing Dynasty, first built in 1764 by the Qianlong Emperor. A fabulous place to relax.
Tiananmen Square 天安门广场 - one of the biggest city squares in the world with capacity to fit 0.5 million to 1 million people.
Home to Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, Chairman Mao’s Memorial Hall, the National Museum of China, Tiananmen Gate, and Zhengyangmen Gate.
Ruins of Old Summer Palace 圆明园 - the historic ruins of the Qianlong Emperor’s main residence, destroyed and looted by British and French invaders in 1860.
Contains gardens and lakes. Estimated over 1 million artifacts were stolen, the majority still haven’t been returned, scattered in museums across Western countries.
Jingshan Park 景山公园 - the hill north of the Forbidden City, with spectacular views of the Forbidden City and the central axis of Beijing.
Beihai Park 北海公园 - a large imperial Chinese garden originally built as part of the Imperial City and considered by many to be a masterpiece.
Its centrepiece is the white Tibetan-style stupa, in addition to the Five Dragon Pavilions, the Nine-Dragon Wall, and various Buddhist temples.
Nanluoguxiang 南锣鼓巷 + Shichahai 什刹海 - historic bustling alleys with courtyard homes, shops, cafes, street food.
Drum Tower 鼓楼 + Bell Tower 钟楼 - ancient towers that functioned as the city’s timekeepers from 1272 to 1924, with the ringing bell at dawn and the beating drums at dusk
Bird’s Nest 鸟巢 - the famous eye-catching venue at the heart of the 2008 Summer Olympics + the world’s largest steel structure, weighing 42,000 tons
Water Cube 水立方 - the iconic venue which hosted the Olympic swimming, diving, and curling. So many world records were broken here.
Wangfujing Pedestrian Street 王府井 - the main bustling pedestrian street in the city, lined with restaurants, cafes, and shops.
You’ll probably find street food that you’ve never seen before, such as scorpions. It’s your time is to be spontaneous and try new things!

Attractions to Consider

Yonghegong Lama Temple 雍和宫 - one of the major Tibetan Buddhist monasteries with unique multi-ethnic architecture and huge Buddha statues
Ming Dynasty Tombs 明十三陵 - a historical burial site for 13 emperors from the Ming Dynasty, with ancient tombs and large statues
Zhoukoudian Site Museum 周口店北京人遗址 - the site of the Peking Man, an early ancestor of humans over 500k years ago. You can see ancient fossils, stone tools, and exhibits
798 Art Zone 798艺术区 - an industrial-themed district housing tons of art galleries, street art, sculptures, independent shops, cafes, and restaurants. It used to be a district of military factories. A nice contrast from other parts of the city.
Beijing Zoo 北京动物园 - oldest zoo in China with over 10,000 animals, including giant pandas, red pandas, golden snub-nosed monkey, South China tiger, and Chinese giant salamander.
Universal Beijing 北京环球度假区 - the world’s largest Universal Studios park, unique for the Kung Fu Panda Land and Transformers Metrobase, as well as Harry Potter.

The Beijing Icons

CCTV Headquarters 中央电视总部 - one of the most unique looking buildings in the world. It certainly twists my mind a bit. The architects and engineers have done an unbelievable job here.
China Zun 中国尊 - tallest building in Beijing (528m) and the 10th tallest building in the world in 2025. The design is influenced by an ancient wine vessel.
Central Radio & TV Tower 中央广播电视塔 - world’s 9th tallest TV tower with several observation decks and rotating restaurant with 360 degree views of the city

My Suggested Itinerary

Day 1 - Tiananmen Square ➡️ Forbidden City ➡️ Jingshan Park ➡️ Nanluoguxiang ➡️ Shichahai ➡️ Drum Tower + Bell Tower ➡️ Wangfujing Pedestrian Street
Day 2 - Great Wall ➡️ Temple of Heaven
Day 3 - Summer Palace ➡️ Old Summer Palace ➡️ Bird’s Nest Stadium ➡️ Water Cube ➡️ 798 Art Zone ➡️ CCTV Headquarters ➡️ Sanlitun

Summary of Attractions 🎟️

Attraction | Ticket Price | Metro Station Exit

Great Wall | varies by section, ~35-45rmb | take a bus or hire car to Mutianyu OR high speed train from Beijing North to Badaling
Forbidden City | 40-60rmb | Line 1, Tiananmenxi, Exit B OR Tiananmendong, Exit A
Tiananmen Square | free | Line 1, Tiananmenxi, Exit C OR Tiananmendong, Exit D
Temple of Heaven | 28-34rmb | Line 5, Temple of Heaven East Gate, Exit A
Summer Palace | 20-30rmb | Xijiao Line, Summer Palace West Gate, any exit
Ruins of Old Summer Palace | 10-25rmb | Line 4, Yuanmingyuan Park, Exit A
Jingshan Park | 2-10rmb | Line 8, Shichahai, Exit C
Beihai Park | 5-20rmb | Line 6, Beihaibei, Exit B
Nanluoguxiang | free | Line 6/8, Nanluoguxiang, Exit E
Shichahai | free | Line 8, Shichahai, Exit A
Drum Tower + Bell Tower | 50rmb | Line 8, Shichahai, Exit A2
Bird’s Nest | free | Line 8, Olympic Sports Center, Exit B
Water Cube | free | Line 8, Olympic Sports Center, Exit B
Wangfujing Pedestrian Street | free | Line 1/8, Wangfujing, Exit B1/C2/F1
Yonghegong Lama Temple | 25rmb | Line 2/5, Yonghegong Lama Temple, Exit F
Ming Dynasty Tombs | varies depending on site and season | Changping Line, Ming Tombs, take bus or taxi outside station
Zhoukoudian Site Museum | 30rmb | Yanfang Line, Raole Fu, take bus or taxi outside station
798 Art Zone | free | Line 12, Gaojiayuan, Exit B
Beijing Zoo | 10-19rmb | Line 4, Beijing Zoo, Exit C1
Universal Beijing | check here for latest prices | Line 1/7, Universal Resort, any exit
CCTV Headquarters | free | Line 10, Jintai Xizhao, Exit C
China Zun | free | Line 1/10, Guomao, Exit F/G

Note: most museums closed on Mondays. Even if the attraction is free, it is likely to require online booking. Please check the official museum mini-program for info.

(Information last checked in Oct 2025)

Recommended Days in Beijing 📅

3-5 days, additional days if you want to visit resort parks.

Best Time to Visit ☀️

April to June + September to October for the most comfortable temperatures.
Temperatures can rise to high 30s in the summer months and drop to well below 0C in the winter months
See my Weather Dashboard for temperature ranges by month.

How to Get There ✈️

By air:

Land at Beijing Capital International Airport (closer to the centre of the city)
OR
Land at Beijing Daxing International Airport (probably the most stunning airport in China).
See my article The 9 Best Airports To Fly Into China in 2025 - Pros and Cons to help you decide!

By land:

Take the high speed train to Beijing South or Beijing West station. Beijing is around 4-5hrs from Shanghai and Xi’an and 7-8hrs from Guangzhou.

How to Get Around 🚇

Beijing Subway is the world’s longest metro network. It has 29 lines, as of 2025. You can reach most tourist spots using the metro. In the central districts, you will almost always find a metro station within 1km of any location.
City taxis or DiDi are widely available.
Beijing’s central districts are mostly flat and have a lot of cycle lanes. It is perfect for cycling and you can hire a shared bike - see this article
Check out these articles if you’re stuck:
How to Ride the Metro in China: Ultimate Guide to Getting Around the City (2025)
How to Hail a DiDi Driver in China (2025 Guide)

Where Should You Stay 🛏️

Dongcheng district if you want quick access to majority of attractions. Wangfujing is right in the centre of it.
I stayed in this hotel, which was one of the best I’ve ever stayed in. The rooms are huge! It’s in a super convenient location, just south east of Forbidden City and north of Temple of Heaven. Lots of restaurants nearby.
Xicheng district if you want quick access to majority of attractions + to stay in a more traditional area
Chaoyang district if you want to stay in a more modern, international district with nightlife
Haidian district if you want to stay near the Summer Palace, the universities, or the tech districts
I recommend you use Trip, since it is the top hotel booking platform in China and has the bigger range of hotels. Always cheaper for me as well.
Check out my articles How to Get The Best Deal For Hotels in China and Things To Consider When Booking a Hotel in China.

What Should You Eat 🥢

Beijing has a very diverse food scene, since its residents are from all over China.
Major Beijing specialties are:
- Peking duck | běi jīng kǎo yā | 北京烤鸭
- noodles with fried bean sauce | zhá jiàng miàn | 炸酱面
- meat or vegetable dumplings | jiǎo zi | 饺子🥟
- mutton hotpot | shuàn yáng ròu | 涮羊肉
- candied hawthorns | táng hú lu | 糖葫芦
- pan fried crepe | jiān bing | 煎饼
Check out my list of 60 dishes to eat in China and 31 classic breakfasts to try in China.
Don’t forget to try cuisines from other provinces in China such as Cantonese and Sichuan food! Look for regional restaurants.

Where Should I Eat 🧑🏻‍🍳

Wangfujing - the main pedestrian street and side streets lined with restaurants and street food
Qianmen - pedestrianised dining district with many top restaurants, street food, shops in a historic Qing Dynasty setting
Sanlitun - a lively nightlife district with plenty of restaurants, cafes, and shops offering various Chinese cuisines and international cuisine
Nanluoguxiang + Shichahai - local street food and small independent restaurants

You can use Dianping to find restaurants and check out the food and reviews. Check out my articles

How to Find Great Restaurants in China - A Simplified Guide to Dianping and RedNote.

How to Order Food and Drink in China? A Mini-Guide with Key Phrases

How to Order Food Delivery in China - A Simplified Guide