Both Bird's Nest and Water Cube easily accessible through subway. Take Subway Line 10 and get off at Beitucheng Station. Then interchange for Subway Line 8 and get off at Olympic Park.
The successful Beijing 2008 Olympic Games has left a deep impression on people’s mind in the world. For many foreign visitors, the temptation is great to visit the Bird’Nest (Beijing National Stadium ) and Water Cube (Beijign National Aquatics Center). Well, how, when to visit the two fancy Olympic sites? What do you expect from them? Any tips for visiting the two Olympic buildings?
Personally I’ve been to the Olympic Park twice. Below are some of my tips for visiting the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube. Hopefully these tips are useful for you.
Tip # 01: Subway is highly recommended
Both Bird’s Nest and Water Cube ( Olympic Sites ) are easily accessible through subway, cheap and fast. Take Subway Line 10 and get off at Beitucheng Station. Then interchange for Subway Line 8 and get off at Olympic Park ( Olympic Green ). Once you come out from the subway, you are inside the Olympic Park. The park is free to the public. If you are familiar with Beijing public bus system, taking a bus is also advisable due to its numerous buses available:
Bus 409, 426, 645, 653, 656, 658, 660, 689, 694, 740, 740, 753, 758, 803, 839, 849, 850, 858.
Taxi is not recommended mainly due to the fact it is hard to find a parking lot. So very often your driver has to stop in a parking area far from the Olympic Park and you have to walk a long distance before you get to the park.
Tip # 02: An evening tour better than a daytime visit
Of course, during the daytime, you can have a close look at their true faces. But the bird’s nest is so much concrete and the water cube looks lifeless. Just too little shade and shelter provided by trees, very hot in summer! If you come here in the evening, things are a world of difference! The Water Cube displays a different color pattern each evening, looking like a fantastic magic box. It is said that solar panel inside the nest collects the sun’s rays by the daytime and light the bird’s nest by night. A illuminated bird’nest gives you much for thinking!
Tip # 03: Outside or inside?
Many people just take some pictures from their outside; some prefer to go inside exploring. Which is better? It all depends. If you have limited time, or you are not interested in what is going on inside, then just have a glimpse. That’s all right. If you are more curious about the inner structures of the two buildings, inside visiting is high recommended if you have sufficient time.
Opening time and Entrance fee for Bird’s Nest:
09:00 – 18:00
RMB 50
Water Cube: RMB30
Water Park: RM 200
Swimming only: RMB 50
Tip # 04: Avoid public holiday or weekend
If you are not interested in the people-watching, just avoid coming here on public holiday and weekend. On the tourist season, tickets are hard to get. You have to line up for quite some time before you buy entrance tickets. The Olympic Sites don’t serve Beijing public very well in terms of restaurants, drinkable water, shade shelters. They look solid, a little lifeless and empty. Don’t expect too much from the fancy buildings.
Tip # 05: More than sightseeing
It is estimated that every weekday there are about one hundred and thirty thousand visitors and three hundred thousand visitors on weekends coming to Olympic Park each day. 5000 people will go inside either Bird’s Nest or Water Cube ( Olympic Sites ) each day! Most of the income of two buildings comes from the tickets selling and other comprehensive management, which just meets the cost for maintaining the two buildings. To make the two buildings more lucrative, local government and management company are going to gradually change the two sports building into a leisure center including eating, playing, entertaining, meetings and conference, hotels and sports events as well.
It is said that a trendy and high-end Olympic Theme Restaurant has been set up in Bird’s Nest. In Winter, the bird’s nest will be made a ski resort for a winter festival. After 9-month closed-door renovation, the Water Cube was now reopen as a world-class water amusement park in later July. The entrance fee for the newly built water amusement parks costs RMB 200 per person. The entrance fee for the water cube still keeps at RMB 30.
Tips # 06: More than Bird’s Nest and Water Cube
The Bird’s Nest and Water Cube (Olympic Sites ) are just two most important Olympic Buildings in the park. Other Olympic venues including Beijing National Indoor Stadium, the archery range, tennis courts and hockey rink in North Olympic Forest Park.
Beijing by Night Illuminations Tour (including Bird’s Nest and Water Cube)
New Beijing New Experience Day Tour! (including Bird’s Nest and Water Cube)
Inside Beitucheng Subway Station and wait for the interchange for Subway Line 8
Water Cube at Night
Birds Nest at Night
Olympic Green Park Station of Subway Line 8
Hi
May I know is it we have to pay the entrance fee even we just want to take a walk outside the Bird Nest?
and also i dont understand this. Why there is difference for the entrace fee?
Opening time and Entrance fee for Bird’s Nest:
09:00 – 19:00
RMB 50
Opening time and Entrance fee for Bird’s Nest:
09:00 – 21:45
Entrance fee: RMB 30
Water Park: RMB 200
Swimming only: RMB 50
Dayang, thanks for your posted question. Now the bird’nest entrance tickets stop selling at 18:00. That means people are not allowed to enter the bird’nest after 18:00. The entrance ticket fee is RMB 50, no more discouted prices. Thanks again for your question!
It is free to walk around and even touch the bird’nest if you are not going to enter the nest itself.