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How to Plan a Trip to Beijing (Tips, Photos & Map)

Thursday, May 12th, 2022

If it is your first time to visit Beijing, we hope, this short travel guide will help you plan your long-expected Beijing tour.

We try to offer you some practical advice on when to go and where to stay, how to allocate your time and choose the major attractions in Beijing.

When to Go

Maybe “When to go” doesn’t seem a practical question since most of us are unable to match our visit time with the so-called the best time to visit Beijing or any other particular destination. But nevertheless getting ourselves well informed of “When to go” is very much useful preparing a coming trip.

Beijing has clearly cut four seasons with longer winters and shorter springs. Beijing’s winter lasts officially from November 15 to March 15 ( official winter indoor heating period) : dry and cold outside. But visiting Beijing in winter is not a bad idea given the discounts offered by airlines, hotels and sites, plus numerous winter activities in Beijing.

Though Beijing’s official spring time starts from March 15 to May 15, its warmer springtime only lasts one month from early April to early May. Beijing’s March is very often chilly and sandstorm hits Beijing periodically in March. So traveling Beijing in early April through early May is relatively relaxing and comfortable. But try to avoid visiting Beijing during the 3-day public holiday May 01 to 03.
How to Visit Beijing in March
How to Visit Beijing in April
How to Visit Beijing in May

Beijing’s summer lasts from May 15 to September 15. The first two months ( May 15 – July 15) are a bit hot and dry with relatively comfortable weather, not a bad time to visit Beijing.

July and August are Beijing’s rainy season, hot and humid. July and August are also the school summer vacation season with lots of domestic tourists flocking major attractions in Beijing.
How to visit Beijing in June
How to visit Beijing in July
How to visit Beijing in August

Autumn (September 05 to November 15) is oft-lauded as the best time to visit Beijing, blue and clear sky and mild temperature. October 01-07 period should be avoided to keep from the hordes of domestic tourists on China’s National Holiday.
How to Visit Beijing in September
How to Visit Beijing in October
How to Visit Beijing in November

Beijing’s winter starts from December to February next year. The major attractions in Beijing are open all year around and basically you are able to visit Beijing at any time of a year. Choosing your own best time per your own time, budget and personal taste. For Beijing winter activities, check out Beijing winter tour for more information.
How to Visit Beijing in December
How to Visit Beijing in January
How to Visit Beijing in February

For information on Beijing Climate, please check out the link: Beijing Climate; for Beijing’s daily weather photos, past and present, please check out the link: Beijing timely weather photos.

What to See

It takes time to enjoy everything that Beijing city has to offer. If you only have a few days to spare, you can highlight your Beijing trip by visiting the major attractions in Beijing.

Check out the Top 10 Things to Do in Beijing based on our past 20 years’ travel data, just for your information.

Beijing Tour Maps

There are numerous scenic spots and historical sites in Beijing. Some of them are walkable. Some of the attractions are a little far from the city centre.

Around Beijing, there are eight major sections of the Great Wall, including Badaling, Juyongguan, Huanghuacheng, Jiankou, Mutianyu, Gubeikou, Jinshanling, and Simatai. All the sections of the Great Wall around Beijing fall into three categories – restored sections, partially restored and unrestored..

Check out Beijing tourist maps to get yourself familiar with the places you are going to visit or explore.

Where to Stay

Where to stay in Beijing? That’s a common question when you are planning your Beijing, considering that Beijing has hundreds of star-rated hotels, plus numerous hostels, courtyard hotels, B&B hotels and boutique hotels.

Generally, Beijing is divided into 6 areas – 1. Central Beijing; 2. Houhai & North Beijing; 3. South Beijing; 4. Northeast Beijing; 5. West Beijing and 6. Northwest Beijing, where you can find where and in which hotel you want to stay per your personal taste and budget.

Five Suggested Steps to finalize Your Hotel booking in Beijing
1. Choose the area where you want to stay
2. Compare the hotels and prices in the same area
3. Use google to map the exact address of the hotel
4. Use google and hotel review websites to assess the hotel
5. Book your hotel directly or use the hotel booking engines.

Check out the link: Where to Stay in Beijing for more hotel information in Beijing.

How to Get Around

Generally speaking, getting around or out of town, is quite easy in Beijing. In the past 30 years, Beijing transportation has been improved greatly – widened roads, lengthened subway lines, much cleaner buses, more environmentally friendly taxis etc.

But like any other metropolitan cities worldwide, you will hit a traffic snag in a peak hour. So try to avoid rush hours and well plan your airport transfer to keep from possible delay.

Check out the following links for more information on Beijing city transportation

How to take subway in Beijing
Beijing Public Buses
Beijing Taxis
Badaling Great Wall by train
Badaling Great Wall by Bus
Mutianyu Great Wall by Bus
Bus & Train to Gubei Water Town & Simatai Great Wall

How to Visit Beijing

We put together 4 options ranging from one day tour to four day tours which can generally meet the travel needs of the first time visitors to Beijing.

1) Beijing in One Day:
Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Mutianyu Great Wall ( Or Badaling Great Wall )

Check out the link: How to Visit Beijing in One Day.

2) Beijing in Two Days:
Day 01: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace, Beijing Opera
Day 02: Ming Tombs and Badaling Great Wall ( or Mutianyu Great Wall )

Check out the link: How to Visit Beijing in Two Days.

3) Beijing in Three Days:
Day 01: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace
Day 02: Ming Tombs and Badaling Great Wall ( or Mutianyu Great Wall )
Day 03: Hutongs, Lama Temple and Olympic Sites, Silk Market, Beijing Opera

Check out the link: How to Visit Beijing in Three Days.

4) Beijing in Four Days:
Day 01: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace
Day 02: Ming Tombs and Badaling Great Wall
Day 03: Hutongs, Lama Temple, Olympic Sites, Silk Market, Beijing Opera
Day 04: Beijing Capital Museum, Panda House, CCTV headquarters Building, Grand National Theatre, 798 Space
Check out the link: How to visit Beijing in Four Days.

Where to Eat

The big difference between Chinese and Western eating manner is that in the West, everyone has their own plate of food, while in China people share the dishes placed on the table.

A typical Chinese meal starts with cold dishes. These are followed by the main courses, hot meat and vegetable dishes. Finally a soup is brought out, which is followed by principal food, usually including rice or noodles or sometimes dumplings.

Check out the link Beijing Dining for more information on where to eat in Beijing.

Where to shop

Shopping in Beijing is becoming more and more convenient. New shopping centers, plazas and malls have been sprouting up all over the capital. 30 years ago there were only a few department stores and small bazaars, but now there are many superstores, mega-malls and markets and boutiques where you can buy just about anything you need.

Check out Top 10 Markets in Beijing and Top 10 Shopping Malls in Beijing for information.

There are many places to go for shopping in Beijing, depending on what you expect and the prices you are prepared to pay; there are a rich variety of things waiting for you to explore and buy.

Beijing Nightlife

Beijing nightlife is very colorful. Beijing nightlife has more to offer! If you travel with your kids, then enjoying Kung Fu show in the evening is a must.

If you are young and energetic, you may go to disco or live jazz. If you like to know more about old Beijing and enjoy Chinese tea, you can go to tea houses.

Check out the link: Beijing Nightlife and Top 10 Things to Do at Night in Beijing for more information.

How to Visit the Great Wall

Visiting the Great Wall is a delightful must for the first-time visitors to Beijing China. The Great Wall was built in different times and dynasties, largely constructed in the three dynasties – Qin Dynasty (221 B.C to 206 B.C); Han Dynasty (206 B.C.– 220 A.D ) and Ming Dynasty (1368 A.D – 1644 A.D).

The most powerful Yuan Dynasty (1271 A.D – 1368 A.D) and the last Qing Dynasty (1644 A.D – 1911 A.D) did nothing about the building of the Great Wall since they were “barbarians” against whom the Great Wall of China had been built.

For historical and geographical reasons, the Great Wall of China doesn’t form a continuous line and in fact exits in different sections. The official survey shows the Great Wall now totals 21196 km long with the Great Wall built in Ming Dynasty ( 1368A.D – 1644 A.D ) as long as 8851 km.

Check out the link: How to Visit the Great Wall of China.

144 Hour Visa Free Transit in Beijing

For Beijing airport transit passengers, basically you need a Chinese visa to enter Beijing if you want to exit from Beijing Capital Airport for a few hour’s layover tour or 2 or 3 days short stay in Beijing. But currently, 51 countries are entitled to 114 hours free visa transit stay in Beijing. So Visa-free travel to Beijing is possible now!

1. Prerequisites for getting the 114 hours transit free visa
The Eligible 51 nationalities include:24 Schengen Countries in Europe:

A. 24 Schengen countries in Europe:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovak, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

B. 13 other European countries:
Russia, Great Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania.

C. 6 American countries:
The United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile.

D. 2 Oceanian countries:
Australia and New Zealand.

E. 6 Asian countries:
Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

2.Travelers must have valid passports.

3. Travelers must have confirmed tickets to a third country or regions (Hong Kong and Macau).

Check out Beijing 144 Hours Free Visa Transit for more information.

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Beijing:

Car Rental in Beijing
Beijing Day Tour
Beijing Tour Packages
Great Wall Tour
Beijing Winter Tour
Beijing Tours
China City Tours
China Tour

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Beijing guided tours:

Beijing Day Tour
Beijing Tour Packages
Beijing Winter Tour
Beijing Autumn Tour
Great Wall Tour
Car Rental in Beijing
Beijing Tours
China City Tours
China Tour

_______________________________________________________

Top 10 Attractions in Beijing.
How to Visit Forbidden City.
How to Visit Temple of Heaven.
How to Visit Summer Palace.
How to Visit Ming Tombs.
How to Visit the Great Wall of China.
How to Visit Tiananmen Square.
How to Visit Hutongs.
How to Visit Olympic Sites.

Top 10 Markets in Beijing.
Top 10 Shopping Malls in Beijing.
Wangfujing Night Snack Street.
Qianmen Commercial Street.
Beijing Huguosi Street.

Any questions, just drop a line.

Posted in Beijing Travel, Travel Tips | No Comments »

10 Non-Touristy Things to Do in Beijing

Tuesday, March 29th, 2022

As a first-time visitor to Beijing, you probably rely heavily on travel guide books or online travel information, making obligatory pilgrimage to the must-see attractions such as Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Houhai Hutong, Lama Temple, Summer Palace and Mutianyu Great Wall.

But if you have already crammed these above-mentioned great sites into your travel plan, or if you want to escape the hoards of tourists and or if you want to mix with the locals and see the authentic side of Beijing, you still have many hidden gems to discover in Beijing.

These non-mainstream things are good alternatives to the classic must-see sights, and equally significant in terms of enjoying and understanding the metropolitan city of Beijing.

Today, we’ve rounded up 10 of the non-touristy things to do in Beijing to get you started. Hopefully these off-the-track treasures are useful in planning your Beijing tour.

1. See the Whole of Beijing in Miniature

Before kicking off your visit to Tiananmen Square, why not start up a day of sightseeing by having a panoramic view of the city in miniature with vivid knowledge of the city you are going to visit.

Located just on the east of Tiananmen Square, Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall is designed to introduce the long history of the immortal city of Beijing, with 16,000 square-meter floor space distributed on 4 floor levels in the Hall, with 8,000 square meters for exhibits.

It has a large model of the entire Beijing metropolitan area, as well as multimedia exhibits depicting the history, present situation, and future of urban planning in Beijing.

Add: No.20 Qianmen East Street, on the east of Tiananmen Square in Beijing
Opening Hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm ( Ticket selling stops at 4:00pm )
Monday: Closed
Entrance fee: 30 yuan

2. Hike from Jiankou Great Wall to Mutianyu Great Wall

Most of international travelers would choose Mutianyu Great Wall when planning their trip to the Great Wall of China since it ranks as the Top 1 attraction in Beijing by Tripadvisor.

But it will be more gorgeous if you take a walk from Jiankou Great Wall to Mutianyu Great Wall instead of Mutianyu Great Wall only.

You don’t have to venture the most treacherous part of Jiankou Great Wall. There is a hiking trail skipping the risky parts of Jiankou, allowing you to appreciate the wild and original side of the Great Wall. See Walk from Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall for more travel information.

3. Go to Poly Art Museum

Poly Museum is designed to develop and display traditional national culture and art, and to rescue and protect Chinese cultural relics lost abroad. The museum mainly consists of two parts of the exhibition: bronze and stone carvings.

Most of the exhibits have been retrieved from abroad, and a considerable part has especially high historical and artistic value as they are quintessence or the only existing versions.

It is a well hidden gem in Beijing. Just do not expect any large museum shop or souvenirs, this small museum is really about the collection itself.

Add: 9th floor New Poly Plaza, 1 Chaoyangmen Bei Dajie Dongcheng District
Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday 9: 30-16: 30；close on state holidays
Tel: 6500 8117
Admission: 20RMB
How to get there:
Metro: Take subway line 2 and get off at Dongsishitiao and exit from Exit D.

4. Take English Mass at St. Joseph’s Parish

Do you fancy the idea of going to church in Beijing? The every 4pm English Catholic mass on Sunday provides the wonderful lyrics, chords and melody at St.Joseph’s Church or Wangfujing Church in Beijing.

A large square outside the church is a public city park with 1.2 hectares, a good spot for wedding photos and Roller board skating. The square’s north end is adjacent to Wangfujing Street.

After attending church service, have a stroll along Wangfujing Street, rubbing with the locals and delved into the shopping and dining world. The part of the wangfujing Street (810m) has been transformed into a pedestrian street since 1999.

St. Joseph’s Church
Address: 74 Wangfujing St, Dongcheng, Beijing
Phone: +86 10 652406346 (English), or 65212162 (English)

Mass Schedule at St. Joseph’s Parish

English Mass Time
4:00pm on each Sunday afternoon

5. Take a Stroll Along the Outer City’s Southern Moat

Exiting from the northern gate to Forbidden City, you will find the city moat circling the exterior wall. There used to 4 kinds of moat systems in Beijing – the city moats for the Palace (Forbidden City), Imperial City, Inner City and Outer City ranging from Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

In 1950’s, Beijing’s moat system was still measured at over 40 kilometres. Today, parts of the inner city’s northern moat system, the outer city’s southern moat system, the imperial city’s moat system and the forbidden city’s moat system still remain, and the remaining moats total 31 kilometers.

Click “Where to do distance running or walking in Beijing?” for more information on the walking trail along the city moat.

The local governments have made great efforts in the recent years to protect and preserve the remaining city moats. A major preservation project for the city moats is still on the way, largely improving the walking trails along the banks of the city moats, especially on the Outer City’s Southern Moat.

Walking along the Outer City Southern Moat, you can feel the vibe of the metropolitan Beijing. Yongdingmen Gate Tower is a good starting point for a leisure and informative stroll along the city moat.

6. Explore Less Touristy Hutong Area

“Hutong” refers to the vernacular buildings ( the old narrow alleys and courtyards ) and traditional residential areas in Beijing.

With the fast urban development of Beijing, more and more “Hutong” is torn down, either going through gentrification or making way for new modern buildings.

The people living in the real Hutong areas decrease, but currently still a decent proportion of the Beijingers live in crowded alleys and courtyard homes. Strolling though these hutong areas is an eye-opener for you to see a real Beijing.

The more gentrified Nanluoguxiang or Houhai hutongs are good choices for viewing the traditional life in Beijing. Another better alternative is the walk from Liulichang antique street to Dazhalan. See Old Beijing Walking Tour.

7. Walk through Dongjiaomingxiang (Dong Jiao Min Xiang)

Dong Jiao Min Xiang is a historic site worth your short stroll and glimpse of the European-style buldings left over by the late 19th century and early 20th century foreign powers.

Dong Jiao Minj Xiang ( or Dong Jiao Min Alley ) literally means “East Foreign Residents Alley”, which is the longest alley ( hutong ) in Beijing with a total length of 1550 meters.

In the English travel guidebooks, Dong Jiao Min Xiang is popularly known as Former Legation Quarter. It was once home to the former 11 foreign embassies including UK, France, Germany, Japan, the US, Russia, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium and Dutch. See: How to visit Dong Jiao Min Xiang.

8. Be Immersed into Fayuan Temple

Most travel guide books would recommend you to explore Lama Temple, also called “Yonghegong”, the most important Lamasery in Beijing. Lama Temple was originally built as the residence of Emperor Yongzheng when he was still a prince.

After he came to the throne (Emperor Yongzheng), he changed his old residence into a temporary palace called “Yonghegong” in 1725. In 1744, his successor, Emperor Qianlong turned the palace into a lama temple. This Tibetan Buddhist Lama Temple is still popularly called Yonghegong.

Fayuan Temple is much older than Lama Temple, built in 645 AD during Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is situated at the south of Jiaozi Alley in the southern downtown of Beijing.

It is not only the oldest Buddhist temple, but also the location for the China Buddhism Institution and China Buddhism Library and Relic Centre, as well as an important venue for nurturing young monks and Buddhism research.

Fayuan Temple
Entrance fee: 5 yuan
Add: East of the Southern end of Jiaozi Hutong, Xicheng, Beijing
Bus: Bus 6 and 109 and get off at Jiaozi Hutong or Metro Line 4 and get off at Caishi Kou and exit from Southwest Ext.

9. Have a Family Visit

While visiting the primary scenic and historical sites is your main purpose of your trip to Beijing, paying a visit to a Chinese family offers you a chance to better understand its people and their life.

Beijing Family Visit1 — Beijing Family Visit

Family visit adds something interesting and meaningful to your leisure trip – chatting with family hosts, tasting home made lunch, getting a good feel of its people of China. See Beijing Family Visit for more information.

10: Haggle at Silk Market

So the old silk market has been demolished long before. The present Silk Street Market is actually a department store with a floor area of 28,000 square meters.

There are now over 500 booths in the building. According to the developer of the building, the advantages of the old market are still kept available in the present market, targeting the international tourists and local white-collar workers.

Dahongmen Clothing Wholesale Market — Silk Street Market

Location: 8 Xiushui East Street, Jianwai Dajie, Chaoyang, Beijing 北京市朝阳区建外大街秀水东街8号
Tel:：(010) 51699003, 56767766, 56767768
Opening Hours: 9am-9pm
Subway: take subway line 1 and get off at the station of Yonganli (永安里), and exit from Exit A
Public Transport: Bus No.1,9,28,37,43,120,126,403,639,640,668,728,and 729, arrival at Yonganli Station

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Beijing guided tours:

Beijing Day Tour
Beijing Tour Packages
Beijing Winter Tour
Beijing Autumn Tour
Great Wall Tour
Car Rental in Beijing
Beijing Tours
China City Tours
China Tour

Archive for the ‘Travel Tips’ Category

How to Plan a Trip to Beijing (Tips, Photos & Map)

When to Go

What to See

Beijing Tour Maps

Where to Stay

How to Get Around

How to Visit Beijing

Where to Eat

Where to shop

Beijing Nightlife

How to Visit the Great Wall

144 Hour Visa Free Transit in Beijing

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

Further Readings

Why hire a tour guide in Beijing?

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

10 Non-Touristy Things to Do in Beijing

1. See the Whole of Beijing in Miniature

2. Hike from Jiankou Great Wall to Mutianyu Great Wall

3. Go to Poly Art Museum

4. Take English Mass at St. Joseph’s Parish

5. Take a Stroll Along the Outer City’s Southern Moat

6. Explore Less Touristy Hutong Area

7. Walk through Dongjiaomingxiang (Dong Jiao Min Xiang)

8. Be Immersed into Fayuan Temple

9. Have a Family Visit

10: Haggle at Silk Market

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

Further Readings

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