Beijing in 3 Days
A realistic first-trip itinerary. The Forbidden City, the temple altars, the hutongs and one day on the Great Wall - planned with times, prices and honest advice.
Beijing does not introduce itself politely. It is vast, imperial and traffic-choked, and it rewards the visitor who plans the big things and leaves room for the small. This is that plan.
How to spend 3 days in Beijing?
Day 1: Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in the morning, Jingshan Park for the view from above, then the hutongs around Houhai in the evening. Day 2: the Temple of Heaven at sunrise hours, Qianmen for lunch, and a slow cycle through the Drum and Bell Tower neighbourhood. Day 3: the Great Wall - Mutianyu for the best balance, or Badaling if you want the high-speed rail there and back.
Book the Forbidden City up to seven days ahead, buy wall tickets online the night before, and expect Beijing distances to be bigger than they look on a map.
The itinerary at a glance
Three days, three very different Beijings.
| Day | Theme | Highlights | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | The Imperial City | Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park | Houhai hutongs, hotpot |
| Day 2 | Temples & Hutongs | Temple of Heaven, Qianmen, Drum Tower | Peking duck |
| Day 3 | The Great Wall | Mutianyu or Badaling | Sanlitun or a last walk |
Before you land
Four things to sort before the plane touches down.
1. Book the Forbidden City now
Tickets are ¥60 in high season and must be reserved online through the official WeChat mini-programme, up to seven days ahead, by passport name. There are no same-day tickets and no ticket booth. If your dates are fixed, book the moment you read this - slots for popular days go quickly. See the What to Do in China guide for the booking walkthrough.
2. Set up Alipay
Same drill as everywhere in China: download Alipay, add your foreign card, verify with your passport. It pays for the Metro, the Wall tickets, every meal. WeChat Pay is the sensible backup. Beijing's Metro now accepts Alipay's transport QR at the gates - no separate card needed.
3. Plan for two airports
Beijing has two: Capital (PEK), the big one, and Daxing (PKX), the beautiful one. Check which one you fly into before booking transport. The Capital Airport Express is ¥25; Daxing is a 35-minute train from Caoqiao at about ¥35. Both connect to the Metro network.
4. Expect distance
Beijing is a capital built on a grid at a scale Shanghai does not have. Sightseeing days are 15,000-step days. Wear shoes that survive cobblestones and palaces, and treat the Metro as your spine - single rides are ¥3-9.
Day 1: the imperial city
One square, one palace, one hill. The spine of Beijing.
Tiananmen Square
The largest public square in the world is also one of the most surveilled, and entry is through security checks that take a passport and a metal detector. It is worth the queue: stand in the centre, face the Forbidden City gate, and feel the scale. Allow 30 minutes. Photography is fine; loitering is not.
The Forbidden City
Nine hundred and ninety-nine rooms of imperial China, entered through the Meridian Gate and exited through the Gate of Divine Might. Three hours is the honest minimum. Walk the central axis first - the Hall of Supreme Harmony will do the talking - then peel off to the eastern or western side galleries, which are emptier and just as beautiful. An audio guide or the palace museum app makes the difference between walking and understanding.
Jingshan Park
Exit the palace through the north gate, cross the street, and climb the artificial hill of Jingshan. From the pavilion at the top you get the single best view in Beijing: the entire Forbidden City laid out beneath you, roof by roof, to the south. Two yuan has rarely bought more. Ten minutes up, twenty minutes of looking.
Hutongs around Houhai
The hutongs - narrow lanes of grey courtyard houses - are where Beijing lives when the palaces close. Walk from the Drum Tower south towards Houhai lake: Yandai Xiejie (烟袋斜街) is the touristy artery, but the lanes that cross it are the real thing. Give yourself two hours to get lost, find a courtyard café, and watch the light change on the lake.
Dinner: hotpot
Beijing's cold climate built its two great cuisines, and hotpot is the winter one. Look for a restaurant with a queue of locals - a bubbling pot of broth, plates of lamb, and a sesame sauce that is the point of the whole exercise. A proper dinner for two lands around ¥200-300. The QR-ordering ritual is covered in our Dining Guide.
Day 2: temples and hutongs
The geometry of prayer, and the neighbourhoods around it.
Temple of Heaven
China's greatest piece of sacred architecture is not a temple but a perfect geometry of circles: the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a triple-eaved cone of blue tiles on a white marble terrace. Go early, before the tour groups. Locals exercise in the surrounding park - tai chi, badminton, the abacus-like balls - and the old men writing calligraphy with water on the paving stones are a show of their own. Two hours.
Qianmen & Dashilan
The old commercial axis of Beijing, restored and walking-friendly. Dashilan (大栅栏) is the famous shopping lane; the quieter streets around it hold century-old shops, teahouses and the odd courtyard restaurant. Have lunch here - duck or noodles - before the afternoon.
Drum & Bell Towers
The Drum and Bell Towers marked time for imperial Beijing, and the district around them is now the most pleasant quarter of the old city: courtyard cafés, vinyl shops, and rooftop bars with the hutongs spread out below. Climb the Drum Tower for the view, then walk the diagonal lanes south of it - they are the best-preserved hutong grid in the city.
Dinner: Peking duck
Peking duck is Beijing's ceremony. Da Dong and Siji Minfu are the reliable modern names, with branches across the city; book through Trip.com or the restaurant's mini-programme. The duck comes with pancakes, spring onion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce, and the ritual is half the meal. Expect ¥150-250 per person with sides.
Day 3: the Great Wall
One day, one section. Choose deliberately.
| Section | Travel | Admission | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutianyu (慕田峪) | 90 min by car/bus | ¥45 | Best balance: restored, moderate crowds, cable car + toboggan |
| Badaling (八达岭) | 22 min by high-speed rail | ¥40 | Easiest to reach, most crowded, wheelchair-friendly |
| Simatai (司马台) | 2 hr by car/bus | ¥40 | Wilder wall, night visits, pairs with Gubei Water Town |
Where to stay
Four areas, four characters. Prices are indicative market ranges for a standard double room.
| Area | Character | Best for | Indicative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wangfujing (王府井) | Central, tourist hub, near the palace | First-timers | ¥600-1,500 |
| Qianmen (前门) | Old Beijing, walking distance to Tiananmen | History, atmosphere | ¥500-1,200 |
| Shichahai / Gulou (什刹海·鼓楼) | Hutongs, courtyard hotels | Slow mornings, charm | ¥700-1,500 |
| Sanlitun / CBD (三里屯·国贸) | Modern, restaurants, nightlife | Food, bars, business | ¥800-2,000 |
Getting around and money
Metro
- One of the world's biggest networks, ¥3-9 per ride. Tap the Alipay transport QR at the gates.
- Stations are huge - transfers mean real walking. Add ten minutes to any journey you plan.
- Last trains run around 22:30-23:00.
Didi
- City-centre rides ¥25-60. Beijing traffic is heavy; the Metro is usually faster across town.
- For the Great Wall, a Didi to Mutianyu costs roughly ¥300-450 each way - split with a friend and it beats the tour bus for flexibility.
Money
- Alipay covers everything including most wall tickets. Carry ¥200-300 cash for the smallest vendors and older taxis.
- Foreign credit cards work at international hotels and upmarket restaurants only.
Connectivity
- An eSIM (Airalo, Holafly, Nomad) provides data everywhere. Hotel Wi-Fi sometimes asks for a Chinese number - ask reception for a one-time code if it does.
Quick hacks
The details that decide a good trip.
Tap water
Do not drink from the tap. Bottled water is ¥2-5 at any convenience store - Beijing's weather is dry, so drink more than you think you need.
Air quality
Check the AQI before a long outdoor day. Over 150, favour indoor plans; over 200, wear an N95 - available at any pharmacy ("kǒu zhào", 口罩). Good days in autumn are genuinely clear.
Museum Mondays
State museums including the National Museum close Mondays. The Forbidden City is closed on Mondays too - plan the imperial day accordingly.
Tissues
Many public toilets do not stock paper. Carry a small pack; malls and hotel lobbies are the exception.
Emergency numbers
Police: 110. Ambulance: 120. Fire: 119. Operators may not speak English. For medical help, United Family Hospital and Beijing United have English-speaking staff. Full detail in our Hospital Guide.
Five phrases worth knowing
Pronunciation is optional. Showing a willingness helps.
If you have more than 3 days
Beijing rewards a fourth day more than most cities.
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Add a day: the Day Trips from Beijing guide - the Summer Palace, Ming Tombs and Tianjin by high-speed rail.
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Add a night at the wall: Simatai and Gubei Water Town light up after dark - a night visit is a different wall entirely.
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Plan the whole trip: browse What to Do in China and Where to Go in China for the longer view.
Landing at night? → Airport to City Transport Guide
Frequently asked questions
Is 3 days in Beijing enough?
Three days covers the essentials with one deliberate sacrifice: the Forbidden City, a temple or two and the hutongs on days one and two, and the Great Wall on day three. You will miss the Summer Palace unless you swap something out. It is the honest minimum for a first visit.
Which section of the Great Wall should I visit for a first visit?
Mutianyu is the best balance: restored, relatively uncrowded, 90 minutes from the city, with a cable car and a toboggan ride. Badaling is the easiest to reach (22 minutes by high-speed rail) but the most crowded. Simatai offers night visits combined with Gubei Water Town. Full comparison in the EVENTURUS Great Wall Guide.
Do I need to book the Forbidden City in advance?
Yes, and it cannot be stressed enough. Forbidden City tickets cost 60 RMB in high season but must be reserved online through the official WeChat mini-programme up to seven days ahead, by passport name. There are no same-day tickets. Book the moment your dates are fixed.
What is the best time to visit Beijing?
October is the classic window: clear skies, 10-20 degrees and the autumn colour at the Great Wall and the Summer Palace. April and May are good too, though dust storms occasionally arrive in spring. July and August are hot and humid; December to February is cold but strikingly clear and uncrowded.