Beijing Travel Guide
As one of the world's great ancient capitals, and the capital city of the world's upcoming second superpower, Beijing is the most important and interesting Chinese city, both for tourism and for appreciating China.
Top Reasons to See Beijing for Yourself
- Ancient reasons: Since Beijing has been the main power center in the region for the last 600 years, it has six UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Three stand out for popularity: the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven.
- Modern reasons: Beijing has an air of prestige that you have to go there to understand. Great power and wealth is concentrated there, as shown by the monumental modern buildings.
-
Cultural reasons: Beijing is one of China's cultural hubs, with its own duck dish, opera, housing style, dialect...
- Ease of access: Beijing has a huge international airport from which you can tour the area for 6 days visa-free. Though traffic congestion is notorious, good planning and a good subway can avoid it. From Beijing, it is easy to travel by plane or direct bullet train to most major China destinations. See more on Beijing Transport.
The Great Wall is the No. 1 reason to come to Beiing.
More Reasons to Visit Beijing>>>
Top Things to Do in Beijing
- Walk the Great Wall: On Trip Advisor in 2018, the top #1 and #3 things to do in Beijing are visiting the Mutianyu and Badaling Great Wall sections.
- Explore the Forbidden City: the second most popular attraction in Beijing. It is hard to get an idea of the great size of the imperial palace until you are in it.
- Savor the Summer Palace — where one palace was forbidding, this one is inviting! Wander where the royals relaxed in the warmer months.
- Discover the enchanting hutongs. Sightsee, shop, and dine in ancient residential and shopping streets.
- Enjoy entertainment that's some of the best in the East — acrobatics and martial arts performances, Beijing opera, ...
-
Dine on duck, Peking style, and other tasty Beijing cuisine.
Discovering the hutongs the good old way.
More top things to do in Beijing>>>
Good Times to Visit Beijing
Summers in Beijing are hot and humid, and winters are cold and dry. Although you could travel Beijing throughout the year, autumn is the most recommended season to visit for the relatively comfortable temperatures and the scenic beauty.
Beijing's air quality is notorious in the winter, so if you have asthma or other respiratory issues, go at other times of the year. Spring dust storms are also a nuisance.
Walking the Great Wall in late spring is beautiful before the heat and crowds of summer arrive.
See more on Beijing Weather and What to Do on a Low Air Quality Day in Beijing.
Travel Beijing Your Way
Beijing is such a large and complex city that going with a tour guide and driver helps make your visit less stressful and more rewarding.
Our well-designed tour plans cover the highlights of Beijing in ways that experience and customer feedback shows are best. They can all be customized to your interests and travel style.
Our Beijing guide relates the history of the Forbidden City, whilst avoiding the crowds.
Recommended Beijing Itineraries
- 1-Day Beijing Highlights Tour — Visit the Forbidden City and the Great Wall at a your pace.
- The Essence of Beijing — This 4-day tour plan is designed to be flexible, without missing the must-sees.
- The Golden Triangle — Variations on the 8-day Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai itinerary are our most-chosen first-time China trip over 20 years.
Or you could just fill in a 4-minute Create-My-Trip form with your interests and requirements, and we will send you a quote and proposed itinerary within 24 hours.
