Beijing

Beijing has served as China's capital for eight centuries, and the city wears that weight proudly. The Forbidden City anchors the centre, flanked by Tiananmen Square to the south and Jingshan Park to the north, while concentric ring roads trace the old city walls demolished in the 1960s. Beyond the imperial core, hutong alleyways thread through Dongcheng and Xicheng districts, where courtyard houses hide teahouses, dumpling shops and families who've lived in the same siheyuan for generations.

The city moves fast now. Glass towers cluster in Chaoyang, the metro spans 27 lines, and cashless payment through WeChat or Alipay has made paper money nearly obsolete. Yet temple incense still drifts over morning tai chi in the Temple of Heaven park, and the Summer Palace's Kunming Lake reflects willow branches just as it did for Qing emperors. Beijing rewards the visitor willing to navigate both scales — imperial grandeur and neighbourhood life — often within the same morning.

Most travellers need an L tourist visa to enter mainland China, valid for 30 days single-entry or 60–90 days double-entry depending on consulate discretion. As of 2025, Beijing Capital Airport offers a 144-hour visa-free transit for passengers from 54 countries with onward tickets to a third country, covering Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province. Apply through the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in your home country, not at the embassy directly.

When to apply

Apply 3–4 weeks before departure; standard processing takes 4–5 working days, express 2–3 days for an extra fee. Do not book non-refundable flights until you hold the visa, as consulates sometimes request additional documents or interviews.

What you need

Passport valid for six months beyond travel dates, one colour photo, completed application form, round-trip flight bookings, hotel confirmations for every night, and travel insurance. Single-entry fees are around USD 140 for US citizens, EUR 125 for EU nationals. Consulates occasionally ask for employer letters or bank statements if your itinerary looks vague.

By air

Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), 26 km northeast of the centre, handles most international flights, with direct routes from London (10.5 hours), New York (13.5 hours), Tokyo (3.5 hours) and Dubai (8 hours). Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), 50 km south, opened in 2019 and serves a growing number of European and Southeast Asian carriers. For travellers from Australia or North America without direct flights, Hong Kong, Seoul Incheon and Tokyo Narita are the most efficient transfer hubs.

By train

Beijing is the northern terminus of China's high-speed rail network. G-trains from Shanghai Hongqiao reach Beijing South in 4.5 hours for ¥550 second class. From Guangzhou South, the journey takes 8 hours and costs ¥860. Trains from Xi'an North arrive at Beijing West in 4.5 hours for ¥515. All three Beijing stations — Beijing Railway Station, Beijing West, Beijing South — connect to the metro.

Airport to city

The Airport Express train runs from PEK Terminals 2 and 3 to Dongzhimen and Sanyuanqiao metro hubs in 20 minutes for ¥25. Taxis to central hotels cost ¥80–120 and take 40–60 minutes depending on traffic. From Daxing Airport, the Daxing Airport Express reaches Caoqiao metro station in 20 minutes for ¥35; taxis to the centre run ¥120–150 and take over an hour.

Forbidden City

The imperial palace complex opens at 8:30 and sells only 80,000 tickets per day, bookable up to 10 days ahead through the official Palace Museum website or WeChat mini-program. Entry costs ¥60 April–October, ¥40 November–March. Walk the central axis from the Meridian Gate to the Gate of Divine Prowess in two hours, but allow four if you explore the eastern halls where emperors conducted daily business. Arrive at opening to avoid cruise-group bottlenecks at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and skip the Clock Museum unless you love horology — the treasure galleries in the Ningshou Palace hold better Qing jade and porcelain.

Great Wall at Mutianyu

Mutianyu section, 73 km northeast, offers restored Ming-era ramparts with fewer crowds than Badaling. Entry is ¥45, cable car up ¥120 round-trip, toboggan slide down ¥100. Bus 916 from Dongzhimen transport hub to Huairou costs ¥12, then taxi ¥150 round-trip from Huairou to the wall. Alternatively, tour buses from central hotels run ¥200–250 including entry. Arrive by 9 AM to photograph the watchtowers without crowds; Tower 14 offers the best sunrise view if you hike from the car park before the cable car opens.

Temple of Heaven

The circular Qinian Hall sits in a 267-hectare park where locals practice calligraphy, badminton and group singing from 6 AM onward. Park entry is ¥15, the temple interior ¥20 extra. The Echo Wall and Imperial Vault demonstrate Ming acoustic engineering: whispers travel 65 meters along the curved wall. The emperors' twice-yearly prayer ceremonies happened on the winter solstice at the Circular Mound Altar, a three-tiered marble platform aligned to cardinal directions. Visit before 9 AM to watch morning exercise groups, or late afternoon when golden light hits the cobalt roof tiles.

Summer Palace

The lakeside retreat covers 290 hectares, 75% water. Entry is ¥30, interior courtyards ¥60 combined ticket. Walk the 728-meter Long Corridor, painted with 14,000 scenes from Chinese classics, then climb Longevity Hill for views across Kunming Lake to the Seventeen-Arch Bridge. Rent a paddleboat for ¥80 per hour or take the slow ferry to the far shore for ¥10. The Marble Boat at the western end is a Qing folly built with funds meant for the Chinese navy. Late afternoon brings softer crowds and better light on the water.

Hutong neighbourhoods around Gulou

The Drum Tower and Bell Tower mark the northern end of the old city axis. Rent a bike from Meituan for ¥1.50 per 30 minutes and weave through Mao'er Hutong, Beiluoguxiang and the alleys west of Shichahai lakes, where courtyard gates frame glimpses of pomegranate trees and birdcages. Many siheyuan now house teahouses, craft beer bars and dumpling shops. The Great Leap Brewing original location in Doujiao Hutong pours pale ales in a converted courtyard for ¥40 per pint. Weekday mornings show the neighbourhood at its most local — fewer tourists, more residents buying vegetables from tricycle vendors.

• Jingshan Park climbs the hill directly north of the Forbidden City for ¥2 entry; sunset views span the entire palace complex and city skyline.
• 798 Art District in Dashanzi repurposes 1950s Bauhaus factories as galleries, cafes and bookstores; free to wander, open until 6 PM.
• Lama Temple is Beijing's largest Tibetan Buddhist complex, with an 18-meter sandalwood Maitreya Buddha; ¥25 entry, morning prayers start at 8 AM.
• Beihai Park's white dagoba sits on an island in the oldest imperial garden, dating to the Liao dynasty; ¥10 entry, rowboats ¥60 per hour.

Must-try dishes

• Peking duck — lacquered skin sliced tableside, wrapped in pancakes with scallion and hoisin; ¥150–300 per duck at Quanjude or Dadong, order 24 hours ahead.
• Zhajiangmian — thick wheat noodles with fermented soybean paste, cucumber and radish; ¥15–25 at Haiwanju or neighbourhood noodle shops.
• Jianbing — breakfast crepe with egg, crispy cracker, scallion and chili paste; ¥8–12 from street carts near metro exits before 9 AM.
• Douzhi — fermented mung bean milk, sour and polarising, served with jiaoquan fried rings and pickled vegetables; ¥10 at Laocihuitang if you're brave.
• Mongolian hotpot — lamb slices and glass noodles in sesame-chili broth; ¥80–120 per person at Dong Lai Shun in Wangfujing.

Where to eat

Ghost Street stretches along Dongzhimen Inner Street for two kilometres of late-night restaurants open until 2 AM. Spicy crayfish dominate, but you'll also find Sichuan mala hotpot and cumin lamb skewers for ¥60–100 per person. Wangfujing Snack Street caters to tourists with scorpion skewers and candied fruit, but the adjacent Donghuamen Night Market offers better baozi and grilled squid for ¥20–30. For higher-end Peking duck, Dadong in Tuanjiehu charges ¥298 per duck and pairs it with foie gras and truffle sides.

Etiquette and ordering

Most restaurants accept WeChat Pay and Alipay; small noodle shops sometimes take cash only. Tea arrives free at the table, and tipping is not customary. If a dish says la, spice levels run from weila (micro-spicy) to zhongla (medium) and telapractically means numbing Sichuan peppercorns and serious chili heat. Point at neighbouring tables or use a translation app to order; English menus are rare outside hotel restaurants. Sharing dishes family-style is standard, and locals use serving spoons rather than personal chopsticks to take food from communal plates.

Metro

Beijing's metro spans 27 lines and reaches most tourist sights. Line 2 loops the Second Ring Road past Qianmen, Gulou and Yonghegong Lama Temple. Line 1 runs east-west through Tiananmen West, Wangfujing and the central business district. Line 4 connects Beijing South Railway Station to the Summer Palace via Xidan shopping district. Fares range from ¥3 to ¥9 based on distance. Buy a rechargeable Yikatong card at any station for ¥20 deposit plus credit, or link Alipay or WeChat Pay to scan QR codes at turnstiles. Trains run 5 AM to 11 PM, with 3–5 minute intervals during rush hours.

Taxis and ride-hailing

Taxis start at ¥13 for the first 3 km, then ¥2.3 per km. Hailing on the street works during off-peak hours, but drivers rarely speak English — have your destination written in Chinese characters. DiDi is the dominant ride-hailing app and costs 10–20% less than taxis. Register with a Chinese phone number or use the English-language DiDi app, though it requires WeChat Pay or Alipay for payment. Avoid unlicensed black cabs near tourist sites; legitimate taxis display company names and meter rates.

By bike

Shared bikes from Meituan and Hello Bike cost ¥1.50 per 30 minutes via their apps, which require Chinese phone registration and deposit. Bikes cluster near metro exits and parks. Bike lanes exist on most major roads, but cars frequently encroach. Hutong exploration works best by bike — narrow alleys prevent car traffic and distances between sights are 1–2 km. Avoid cycling on Chang'an Avenue or inside ring roads during rush hours.

Dongcheng near Forbidden City

Staying within walking distance of Tiananmen and the palace complex puts you at the tourist epicentre, with Wangfujing shopping street and Jingshan Park minutes away. Metro Lines 1 and 2 intersect here. Mid-range hotels run ¥500–800 per night; the Peninsula Beijing offers luxury for ¥2,800–4,000 near the Forbidden City's east gate. Drawback: evening dining options thin out after 9 PM, and the neighbourhood feels more institutional than lived-in. Budget travellers should look elsewhere — hostels here charge ¥200–300 for dorms due to location premiums.

Gulou and Houhai

The Drum Tower area preserves hutong character with better bar and restaurant density than Dongcheng. Courtyard hotels converted from siheyuan charge ¥600–1,200 per night and offer intimate scale. Metro Line 2 stops at Gulou Dajie, and Line 8 reaches the Bell Tower. The Orchid Hotel in a restored Qing courtyard near Houhai Lake runs ¥900 per night with rooftop views. Drawback: alley addresses confuse taxi drivers, and wheeled luggage struggles on uneven stone paths.

Chaoyang business district

Modern hotels near Guomao or Sanlitun suit business travellers and those prioritising English service, gyms and international restaurants. The Kerry Hotel in Guanghua Road and Park Hyatt in China World Trade Center charge ¥1,500–2,500 per night. Metro Lines 1 and 10 provide quick access to the Forbidden City in 20 minutes. Mid-range chains like Atour run ¥400–600 near Jiangtai metro station. Drawback: you're 8–10 km east of historic sights, and the glass-tower landscape lacks neighbourhood texture.

Qianmen and Temple of Heaven

South of Tiananmen Square, Qianmen has been rebuilt into a pedestrian heritage zone with courtyards and mid-range hotels at ¥500–900 per night. The Temple of Heaven sits 2 km south on Metro Line 5. This area offers cheaper dining than Dongcheng and proximity to Beijing South Railway Station for high-speed train departures. The Qianmen Jianguo Hotel at ¥550 delivers clean rooms in a central location. Drawback: Qianmen's reconstruction feels Disney-fied compared to authentic hutong districts, and evening street life is limited.

Best months

Autumn — mid-September through October — brings clear skies, temperatures between 10–20°C, and the best air quality of the year. The Fragrant Hills northwest of the city blaze with red maples in late October. Spring from late March to May offers similar temperatures, with cherry blossoms in Yuyuantan Park peaking early April and lilacs blooming around the Summer Palace. Both seasons see moderate crowds and stable weather for Great Wall hikes.

Avoid

Winter temperatures drop to -5 to 5°C with occasional sandstorms from the Gobi Desert in March and April. July and August hit 30–35°C with high humidity and afternoon thunderstorms. Chinese New Year in late January or early February closes most restaurants and shops for a week, while metro trains overflow with migrant workers travelling home. The October 1–7 Golden Week holiday floods all major sights with domestic tourists, triples hotel prices, and requires advance Forbidden City bookings months ahead.

Festivals worth timing

The Longtan Temple Fair during Chinese New Year, usually late January, fills Longtan Park with acrobats, folk performances and street food stalls selling tanghulu candied hawthorn and tang mian fried dough. The Mid-Autumn Festival in September sees families gathering at Beihai Park to watch the full moon over the lake while eating mooncakes. Neither festival is unique to Beijing, but the imperial park settings add scale and tradition missing from celebrations in newer cities.

Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and most Western news sites are blocked throughout mainland China, including Beijing. Install a reliable VPN like ExpressVPN or Astrill before you arrive — Chinese app stores remove VPN apps, and downloading them after landing is difficult without already having a VPN. Free hotel wifi and mobile data both encounter the same blocks, so the VPN is essential for accessing Gmail, Google Maps or social media.

Mobile data and SIMs

EsIM options like Airalo or Ubigi offer 1–10 GB China data plans for USD 5–30, activating instantly without needing a physical SIM swap. They work with most unlocked iPhones and newer Android phones. Local SIM cards from China Unicom or China Mobile provide better value for longer stays — 30 GB costs around ¥100 — but require passport registration at airport kiosks or city mobile shops. Tourist SIMs sold at Beijing Capital Airport offer 7-day 5 GB for ¥120 with simpler registration.

Local apps you need

WeChat is unavoidable: restaurants, shops and taxis expect payment through its integrated wallet. Register with your foreign phone number before arrival, then link a credit card or load cash at convenience stores. Alipay serves the same payment function and is equally widespread. For maps, download Baidu Maps or AMap — both work in English and show real-time metro arrivals and bus routes that Google Maps lacks in China. DiDi is the Uber equivalent; the international version accepts foreign credit cards, while the Chinese app requires WeChat Pay.