Introduction
Beijing is a city full of history, culture, and delicious food. In this 5-day travel guide, we’ll take you through the best places to stay, eat, and visit in Beijing. Whether you’re interested in trying the famous Beijing ducks or want to explore the Summer Palace, we’ve got you covered.
First, let’s start with the basics. We’ll show you the best Beijing hotels for your stay, including options for every budget. Next, we’ll take you on a culinary journey through the city, introducing you to the most famous dishes like Beijing noodles and hot pot.
We’re confident that our 5-day travel guide will inspire you to pack your bags and head to Beijing. So why not bookmark this page, share it with your friends, and start planning your next adventure? Let’s get started!
Best Time to Visit
It is recommended to visit during the autumn months of September to November in China when the temperature is cool and you can enjoy the ancient city’s ginkgo trees at the Forbidden City.
5-Day Travel Guide
DAY 1 Tiananmen Square – Chairman Mao Memorial Hall – Forbidden City – Jingshan Park
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is the main gate of the Beijing Imperial Palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was first built in 1417, the 15th year of Emperor Yongle’s reign in the Ming Dynasty. Originally named “Chengtian Gate”, it implies “receiving a heavenly mandate to start a new era”.
Chairman Mao Memorial Hall
The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall was built in memory of the founding leader Mao Zedong. It is located in Tiananmen Square, south of the Monument to the People’s Heroes, and sits on the site of the former Zhonghua Gate.
Forbidden City
The Palace Museum in Beijing, also known as the Forbidden City, was the imperial palace of China during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It consists of over seventy palaces and more than nine thousand rooms. The Palace Museum is one of the largest existing ancient wooden architectural complexes in the world that has been well-preserved.
Ticket: ￥60
Jingshan Park
Jingshan Park was built in 1928, with a total area of 23 hectares. The flower and lawn area covers 1,100 square meters. This park is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, featuring scenic spots such as Qiwang Tower, Wufang Pavilion, Shouhuang Palace, Yongsi Hall, and Peony Garden.
Ticket: ￥2
Transportation:（These routes are based on our hotel guide）
- Beijing Station – Tiananmen Square
(Subway Line 2 Inner Loop, Qianmen Station B Southeast Exit, 8-minute walk) [Approximately 14 minutes and CNY3]
Tiananmen Square – Chairman Mao Memorial Hall
(3-minute walk)
Chairman Mao Memorial Hall – Forbidden City
(Subway Line 1 Batong Line, Tiananmen West Station B Northeast Exit, 15-minute walk) [Approximately 35 minutes and CNY3]
Forbidden City – Jingshan Park
(Bus No.124, get off at Jingshan East Gate Stop, 3-minute walk) [Approximately 20 minutes and CNY2] - Dongzhimen Station – Tiananmen Square
(Subway Line 2 Inner Loop, Qianmen Station B Southeast Exit, 8-minute walk) [Approximately 24 minutes and RMB 4 yuan]
Tiananmen Square – Chairman Mao Memorial Hall
(3-minute walk)
Chairman Mao Memorial Hall- Forbidden City
(Subway Line1 Batong line, Tian’an men west station B northeast exit,15 minutes walking distance) [Approximately 35 minutes、RMB 3 yuan]
Forbidden City-Jingshan Park (Bus No.124, get off at Jingshan East Gate Stop, walk for about three minutes ) [Approximately 20 minutes， RMB 2 yuan]
Total transportation cost for the day: Approximately RMB 8-9 yuan (one way).
DAY 2 Beijing National Stadium – Beijing National Aquatics Centre
Beijing National Stadium
Beijing National Stadium (Bird’s Nest) is the main stadium of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, with a seating capacity of 91,000 spectators. It has hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics and Paralympics, athletics competitions, and football finals. After the Olympics, it became a large professional venue for sports activities and entertainment for Beijing citizens, as well as a landmark sports building and an Olympic legacy.
Ticket: ￥50
Beijing National Aquatics Centre
The Water Cube National Swimming Center is a center that integrates swimming, sports, fitness, and leisure at the international advanced level. It will become the water entertainment center for Beijing citizens.
Ticket: ￥30
Transportation:
- Beijing Railway Station – National Stadium / Bird’s Nest
(Take Subway Line 2 Outer Ring, transfer to Line 8 at Guloudajie Station, exit at Aoti Zhongxin Station B2, and walk for 12 minutes) [Approximately 45 minutes, ¥4]
Bird’s Nest – National Aquatics Center / Water Cube
(Walk for 15 minutes) - Dongzhimen Station – National Stadium / Bird’s Nest
(Take Subway Line 2 Outer Ring, transfer to Line 8 at Guloudajie Station, exit at Aoti Zhongxin Station B2, and walk for 12 minutes) [Approximately 35 minutes, ¥4]
Bird’s Nest – National Aquatics Center / Water Cube
(Walk for 15 minutes)
Total transportation cost of the day: ¥4 (one way).
DAY 3 Summer Palace – Old Summer Palace
Summer Palace
The Summer Palace is a royal garden from the Qing Dynasty in China. Its predecessor was the Qingyi Garden, and it covers an area of 3.009 square kilometers (with the World Heritage Site of the Summer Palace covering an area of 2.97 square kilometers), with water accounting for about three-quarters of its total area.
Ticket: ￥20
Old Summer Palace
Yuanmingyuan was a large imperial garden in the Qing Dynasty of China, covering an area of more than 350 hectares, with a water surface area of about 140 hectares. It consisted of three parts: Yuanmingyuan, Qichunyuan, and Changchunyuan. Among them, Yuanmingyuan was the largest, so it was commonly referred to as Yuanmingyuan.
Ticket: ￥10
Not only did Yuanmingyuan gather many famous scenic spots from gardens in the Jiangnan region but also transplanted Western garden architecture. It brought together the achievements of gardening art from ancient and modern times both at home and abroad, making it one of the treasures of human culture and the world’s largest museum at that time.
Transportation:
- Beijing Station – The Summer Palace
(Take subway line 2 inner loop, transfer to line 4 at Xuanwumen Station, exit at North Gate of Beigongmen Station D Southwest Exit, and walk for 7 minutes) [Approximately 55 minutes, ¥6]
The Summer Palace – Old Summer Palace
(Take subway line 4, exit at B Northeast Exit of Yuanmingyuan Station, and walk for 5 minutes) [Approximately 20 minutes, ¥3] - Dongzhimen Station – The Summer Palace
(Take subway line 2 outer loop, transfer to line 4 at Xizhimen Station, exit at North Gate of Beigongmen Station D Southwest Exit, and walk for 7 minutes) [Approximately 50 minutes, ¥5]
The Summer Palace – Old Summer Palace
(Take subway line 4, exit at B Northeast Exit of Yuanmingyuan Station, and walk for about five minutes) [Approximately twenty minutes,¥3]
Total transportation cost per day: ¥8-9 (one way).
DAY 4 Temple of Heaven – Nanluoguxiang Hutong
Temple of Heaven
Temple of Heaven Park is surrounded by two sets of walls and divided into the “Inner Altar” and “Outer Altar”. The northern part is circular while the southern part is square, symbolizing the concept of “round heaven and square earth”.
Ticket: ￥15
It mainly consists of four ancient architectural complexes: the “Altar for Praying for Good Harvests” used in spring to pray for a good harvest, the “Circular Mound Altar” used on Winter Solstice Day to worship heaven, the fasting palace where emperors lived before offering sacrifices, and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests where ritual music was practiced.
Nanluoguxiang Hutong
It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Beijing, and it is a traditional residential area with preserved courtyard layout from the Yuan Dynasty. It has the largest scale, highest grade, and most abundant resources among all similar areas in China. It is also one of the most charming streets that embodies old Beijing culture.
Transportation:
- Beijing Railway Station – Temple of Heaven Park
(Take subway Line 2 inner loop, transfer to Line 5 at Chongwenmen Station, exit at the A2 gate of Tiantan Dongmen Station, and walk for 5 minutes) [Approximately 15 minutes and CNY3]
Temple of Heaven Park – Nanluoguxiang
(Take subway Line 8, exit at E Northwest Gate of Nanluoguxiang Station, and walk for 3 minutes) [Approximately 20 minutes and ￥4] - Dongzhimen Station – Temple of Heaven Park
(Take subway Line 2 inner loop, transfer to Line 5 at Chongwenmen Station, exit at the A2 gate of Tiantan Dongmen Station, and walk for 5 minutes) [Approximately 26 minutes and CNY4]
Temple of Heaven Park – Nanluoguxiang
(Take subway Line 8, exit at E Northwest Gate of Nanluoguxiang Station, and walk for 3 minutes) [Approximately 20 minutes and ￥4]
Total transportation cost per day: Approximately￥7-8 (one way).
DAY 5 The Great Wall at Badaling
The Great Wall
The Great Wall at Badaling is an important part of the ancient Chinese defense project, the Great Wall, and it is a pass of the Ming Dynasty’s Great Wall. The Great Wall at Badaling serves as an important outpost for Juyongguan Pass and was once known as ‘The danger of Juyong lies not in the past but in Badaling’.
Transportation:
- Beijing Station – Badaling Great Wall
(Recommended to take a taxi) [Approximately 90 minutes journey, starting from ¥200] - Dongzhimen Station – Badaling Great Wall
(Recommended to take a taxi) [Approximately 90 minutes journey, starting from ¥200]
Total transportation cost for the day: Starting from ¥200 (one way)
Beijing Cuisine
Beijing Hotel Guide
1. Beijing Railway Station (a station in the central area of Beijing)
[Accommodation prices around 500￥~800￥/per night]
Capital Airport – Beijing Station
Take the Capital Airport Line subway, exit at Dongzhimen Station E, transfer to Subway Line 2, and get off at Beijing Station (50 minutes, 28￥)
Daxing Airport – Beijing Station
Take the Daxing Airport Bus Express from the bus stop and
get off at Beijing Station (60 minutes, 40￥)
Recommended hotel: (able to accommodate foreigners)
Beijing Baochen Hotel
(270 meters walk from Beijing East Railway Station)
Address: No. 18, Jianguomennei Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Contact: 010-65266688
Beijing Pudi Hotel (630 meters walk from Beijing East Railway Station)
Address: No. 7 Jianguomen South Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Contact: 010-58118888
Beijing Jinlong Jianguo Hotel (710 meters walk from Beijing East Railway Station)
Address: No. 5, Jianguomen South Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Contact: 010-65286688
2. Dongzhimen Station (a place where many foreigners choose to live)
[Accommodation prices around 500￥~800￥/per night]
Capital Airport – Dongzhimen Station
Take the Capital Airport Line of the subway and get off at Dongzhimen Station (35 minutes, 25￥)
Daxing Airport – Dongzhimen Station
Take the Daxing Airport Line of the subway, transfer at Caoqiao Station to Line 19, transfer at Jishuitan Station to Line 2, and get off at Dongzhimen Station (60 minutes, 40￥)
Recommended hotel: (able to accommodate foreigners)
Beijing Qianyuan Hotel (720 meters walk from Dongzhimen Station)
Address: No. 19 Dongzhimen Inner Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Contact: 010-84001999
Beijing Baifuyi Hotel (920 meters walk from Dongzhimen Station)
Address: No. 19, South Erli Zhuang, Dongzhimen Outer Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Contact: 010-56518888
Beijing Zhixuan Holiday Hotel (970 meters walk from Dongzhimen Station)
Address: No.1 Chunxiu Road, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Contact: 010-64169999-1
Travel Expenses
| Departure city | Destination | Price |
| Los Angeles | Beijing Capital/Daxing | ￥ 6,000-9,000 |
| New York | Beijing Capital/Daxing | ￥ 10,000-15,000 |
| Tokyo | Beijing Capital/Daxing | ￥ 2,000-5,000 |
| London | Beijing Capital/Daxing | ￥ 4,000-8,000 |
| Paris | Beijing Capital/Daxing | ￥ 5,000-7,000 |
Note: It is recommended to book air tickets one to two months in advance, as there may be discounts on prices.
When traveling in Beijing, it is recommended to choose the subway. The starting price for a ticket is 2 yuan.
After arriving in Beijing, you can search for “乘车码” (ride code) on Alipay and select Beijing as your location to take most of the public transportation in Beijing.
Before coming to China, exchange about ￥ 30,000-50,000 yuan ahead of time.
This website can search for the Beijing subway, and learning some Chinese may help.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading our Beijing 5-day travel guide! We have provided you with the best recommendations for first-time visitors to Beijing. Of course, there are still many interesting places to explore around Beijing, and we will continue to update our guide with new recommendations to provide you with more detailed information.
We hope you enjoy your trip to Beijing and experience the unique charm of this city. We will keep updating this guide and providing you with more travel tips. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks for your support!
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