How Many Days in Beijing? A 4-Day Route and How to Get Around

The big picture: route and where to stay

Four to five days suits Beijing. This plan follows the 4-day route in our Beijing guide: Day 1 is Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Jingshan Park; Day 2 the Mutianyu Great Wall; Day 3 the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and Houhai; Day 4 the hutongs, 798 Art District and Sanlitun.

Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City both require advance real-name booking with your passport, and the Forbidden City is closed on Mondays except holidays. So it is easiest to make the day you secure a booking your Day 1 and fit the other days around it.

From Beijing Capital (PEK), the Capital Airport Express (about 20-30 min, about 25 yuan) runs to Sanyuanqiao, Dongzhimen and Beixinqiao, where you change to the subway. From Beijing Daxing (PKX), the Daxing Airport Express (about 20-40 min, about 35 yuan) runs to Caoqiao for the subway; allow about an hour to the center including transfers.

• Wangfujing / Dongcheng: first visit, sightseeing base. Close to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen, with shopping and dining; always busy
• Qianmen / Dashilar: old Beijing feel. Historic shopping streets south of Tiananmen Square, near the Temple of Heaven
• Houhai / Nanluoguxiang: hutongs, evening strolls. Lakeside bars and courtyard guesthouses in the alleys; can be noisy at night
• Sanlitun / Chaoyang: modern city, nightlife. Near the embassy district; farther from the historic sites

• Full Beijing travel guide →
• China's cities compared: Beijing, Shanghai or Qingdao? →

Day 1: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Wangfujing

Start the morning at Tiananmen Square, one of the world's largest squares. Advance real-name booking with your passport is required, and there is a passport and security check at entry. Check the official booking guide.

Pair the square with the Forbidden City (Palace Museum), the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing emperors. Advance real-name booking with your passport is required and it often sells out. It is closed on Mondays except holidays, so don't put this day on a Monday.

At sunset, climb Jingshan Park, the hill just north of the Forbidden City, for the classic view over its roofs. Entry is cheap and it is lovely at sunset. Finish with Peking duck near Wangfujing; at about 200-400 yuan per duck, it is best shared.

Day 2: a full day on the Mutianyu Great Wall

Give the whole second day to the Great Wall. The guide's route uses Mutianyu, which is less crowded and has a cable car, so you can choose between the cable car and a hike.

Badaling is easier to reach but very busy. Our guide does not cover how to get to either section or how long it takes, so check the official source. Private car tours fall into the guide's high budget level (about 2,000 yuan+ per person per day).

Back in town in the evening, have mutton hotpot (shuan yangrou): thin lamb slices dipped in a copper pot and sesame sauce, Beijing-style hotpot, at about 100-150 yuan per person.

Day 3: Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Houhai and Nanluoguxiang

Head to the Temple of Heaven in the morning. This is where emperors prayed for good harvests, famous for the Hall of Prayer, and morning visits show locals doing tai chi in the park.

The afternoon is for the Summer Palace, a vast imperial garden around Kunming Lake that takes at least half a day, so wear comfortable shoes. Check the route from the Temple of Heaven to the Summer Palace in a map app beforehand.

In the evening, stroll around the lakeside at Houhai and Nanluoguxiang. With its lakeside bars, the area can be noisy at night.

Day 4: hutongs by bike, 798 Art District, Sanlitun

Spend the morning cycling the hutongs around Nanluoguxiang. These old residential alleys are best explored by bike or rickshaw, and the side lanes are quieter than the main street. Shared bikes unlock by scanning the QR code with Alipay or similar.

In the afternoon, walk the galleries and cafes of 798 Art District, a former factory area. Closing days vary by gallery, so check before you go. End the trip with dinner and shopping in Sanlitun, near the embassy district.

Short on time? For 3 days, follow Days 1-3 only. With a fifth day, give the Summer Palace (at least half a day) its own unhurried slot, or add the historic shopping streets of Qianmen / Dashilar near the Temple of Heaven.

Getting around and budget: subway, transit QR codes, daily costs

The subway is the backbone of getting around: a huge network with cheap fares and English signs. Every station has a bag check, so allow extra time, and don't carry lighters or knives.

You can ride the subway and buses with the transit QR code inside Alipay or WeChat Pay, or buy a single ticket with cash. A ride-hailing app can also be booked inside Alipay, so you don't need to explain your destination verbally. For taxis, showing your hotel address in Chinese makes things easier.

Per person per day, the guide puts the budget at about 300-400 yuan with a hostel, local eateries and the subway; about 800-1,000 yuan with a 4-star hotel and a duck dinner; and about 2,000 yuan+ with a 5-star hotel and private car tours. A jianbing breakfast crepe is about 10-15 yuan, zhajiangmian about 25-40 yuan a bowl and dumplings about 20-40 yuan a plate. There is no tipping.

• Connection: some foreign apps and services may be restricted in China. Sort out roaming, an eSIM or similar and a Chinese map app before you go
• Payment: mobile payment dominates. Foreigners can link international cards to Alipay and WeChat Pay, and the guide says to set them up and verify before you arrive
• Watch out: avoid friendly strangers inviting you to tea tastings or art exhibitions, a common tourist scam

When to go: September-October, avoiding the holiday rush

September-October is clear and mild, the best time to visit Beijing. April-May is also good but can bring dust storms. Summer is hot and rainy, and winter is very cold and dry.

National Day week (around October 1) and Chinese New Year are extremely crowded. Bookings for sights that often sell out, like the Forbidden City, can get harder, so if you go in autumn, check the National Day dates when you pick your days.

• Normals (Beijing station, 1991–2020; China Meteorological Administration submission · WMO normals collection, NOAA NCEI), highs/lows: about 21/9°C in April, 27/15°C in May, 27/16°C in September, 19/9°C in October
• Monthly precipitation normals: about 22mm in April, 36mm in May, 54mm in September, 29mm in October
• Midsummer July reaches highs of about 32°C, and midwinter January drops to lows of about -7°C
• The wettest month is July (about 170mm)
• Entry and visas: visa rules change often, so check the latest policy with an official source before you travel

• Beijing's two airports: Capital PEK vs Daxing PKX →
• eSIM vs pocket Wi-Fi vs roaming →
• Incheon → Beijing (Capital) flights →

FAQ

Related reading

Comparison · ChinaBeijing's Two Airports, Capital PEK vs Daxing PKX: Where to Land?Beijing has two airports, Capital (PEK) and Daxing (PKX). Compare airport express lines…Comparison · ChinaChina's Cities Compared: Beijing, Shanghai or Qingdao?Beijing for history, Shanghai for skylines, old lanes and food, or seaside Qingdao for…ComparisoneSIM vs Pocket Wi-Fi vs Roaming vs Local SIM: Which Travel Data Option Wins?Compare the four ways to get mobile data abroad by cost, setup and trade-offs, plus how…

All articles →