Always regarded as China's top tourist destination, Beijing should be included in the itinerary of anyone planning to visit the country. Whether you're interested in exploring UNESCO World Heritage sites, admiring the modern skyline, or indulging in local cuisine and high-level art, you’ll find plenty to engage you during your stay. While three full days are generally recommended to capture the city’s essence, if you want to include your arrival in that timeframe, our 3-day Beijing itinerary can help you maximize your visit.
Don’t miss the Forbidden City (Palace Museum) and the Great Wall, regardless of how many days you have in Beijing. While several sections of the Great Wall are accessible, we recommend visiting Mutianyu for its convenient distance from the city, manageable crowds, varying hiking levels, and available cable cars. Additionally, the Temple of Heaven is a must-see for its imperial altars. Be sure to explore the traditional Hutongs to experience local life. If you have three full days, plus additional time for arrival and departure, consider adding the Summer Palace, one of China’s finest royal gardens, to your itinerary. Alternatively, check out our guide on how to spend four days in Beijing, which includes your arrival and departure days. Here is the Beijing Attractions Map for your better understanding of the top highlights! For all highlights in Beijing, please check the Top 15 Beijing Attractions to plan your detailed Beijing 3 Days Itinerary. You can also simply find a recommended tour from our Top 6 Beijing Tour Packages»
Beijing Tourist Attractions Map (click to enlarge)
If it's your first time to Beijing, and this tour covering Beijing’s best highlights and spare the time for your flights/train arrival and departure.
Day 1: Arrival Airport/Train Station (- Summer Palace) - Your Hotel
Welcome to Beijing! It’s a free day for your arrival, with convenient international and frequent domestic flights available. You can also take a high-speed train to Beijing from several cities: Shanghai (4.5-6 hrs), Xi'an (4-6 hrs), Guangzhou (7.5-8 hrs), Chengdu (7.5-10 hrs), Chongqing (7-9 hrs), and Hong Kong (8 hrs).
If you arrive in the morning, you’ll have time to visit the Summer Palace, a stunning example of classical Chinese garden design. This expansive garden showcases the best features of traditional architectural artistry, including halls, pavilions, rockeries, corridors, and bridges. If the weather permits, consider taking a boat ride on Kunming Lake to admire the surrounding scenery and architecture.
Day 2: Temple of Heaven - Mutianyu Great Wall
Be sure to visit the Temple of Heaven in the morning to experience the vibrant atmosphere as locals engage in activities like dancing and Tai Chi in the park's lush surroundings. The main highlights of the Temple include its stunning architecture, particularly the Qinian Hall (Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests), along with the rich traditions of royal sacrificial culture from ancient China.
After your visit to the Temple of Heaven, drive 1.5-2 hours to the Mutianyu Great Wall, an impressive feat of engineering. Mutianyu is accessible to travelers of all fitness levels and ages, thanks to its cable cars that make ascending and descending the wall easy. The wall is divided into three sections: the east route between Tower 1 and Tower 6, the middle route between Tower 6 and Tower 14, and the west route between Towers 14 and 20. Entrances to the wall are located near Towers 6 and 14. We recommend starting your visit by taking the enclosed cable car to Tower 14 and then hiking eastward. For those seeking a more adventurous experience, you can take the chairlift to Tower 6, explore either direction along the wall, and then enjoy a toboggan ride back down. If you're an avid hiker, challenge yourself to traverse the entire wall!
After your experience at the Great Wall, head back to Beijing. For food lovers, don’t miss the chance to try Peking Roast Duck, or explore one of Beijing Night Markets for delicious snacks. If you’re interested in cultural performances, consider enjoying a Kung Fu show, an acrobatic performance, or a Peking opera.
Day 3: Tiananmen Square - Forbidden City - Jingshan Park (- Beijing Hutongs)
In the morning, head to Tiananmen Square, the vast plaza where Chairman Mao proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China at Tiananmen Gate. Passing through the gate, you’ll find the magnificent Forbidden City, which served as the imperial palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Once off-limits, it was renamed the Palace Museum in 1925 and now welcomes visitors as a public museum. Exploring this stunning palace, with its remarkable architecture and over 600 years of history, offers a unique glimpse into China’s cultural heritage.
After admiring the Forbidden City’s architecture up close, don’t miss Jingshan Park, which provides a panoramic view of the palace. This park is part of Beijing's newly designated World Heritage site, the Beijing Central Axis, and is located just north of the Forbidden City.
AIf time allows, consider visiting one of the hutongs to see the traditional Siheyuan courtyards hidden within the narrow alleys. We recommend booking your flight or train for after 5:00 PM to ensure a manageable itinerary.
Book 【 3 Days Beijing Essential Highlights Tour 】 now!
If you have three full days for sightseeing in Beijing without needing to factor in arrival and departure times, you can explore the city at a leisurely pace while visiting its most iconic sites.
Day 1: Tiananmen Square - Forbidden City - Jingshan Park - Summer Palace
Start your journey at Tiananmen Square, then proceed to the Forbidden City, exploring its vast palaces and courtyards. Afterward, head to Jingshan Park for a panoramic view of the city. In the afternoon, visit the Summer Palace, known for its stunning gardens and serene lakes.
Day 2: Mutianyu Great Wall - Sacred Way - Bird’s NestBegin your day at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, where you can hike or take a cable car to enjoy breathtaking views.
Next, visit the Sacred Way, a picturesque pathway lined with stone sculptures of mythical creatures and imperial guardians, leading to the Ming Tombs. This serene path offers a glimpse into the traditions of the Ming Dynasty, where you can learn about the lives and legacies of the emperors buried here.
On your way back to the city, stop at Olympic Park, home to some of the most iconic modern architecture, like the Bird’s Nest (National Stadium) and the Water Cube (National Aquatics Center).
Day 3: Temple of Heaven - Beijing Hutongs - Lama Temple - Confucious Temple
Visit the Temple of Heaven in the morning, where you can witness locals practicing Tai Chi. After that, explore the traditional Hutongs of Beijing; consider taking a rickshaw for an authentic experience. Later, visit the Lama Temple, an exquisite example of Tibetan and traditional Chinese architecture. Finally, conclude your day with a leisurely stroll through the Confucius Temple, one of the largest Confucius temples in China. Here, you can admire the beautiful traditional architecture, including the Hall of Great Achievement, which houses a statue of Confucius. After your visit, take a walk along nearby Ghost Street where you can savor a variety of delicious local snacks.
Contact us to 【 customize a similar itinerary 】 now!
Haven't found an itinerary that fits your interests? We're here to help! Contact us to customize your own unique itinerary in Beijing. Our team can create a tour package tailored to your specific preferences, travel duration, and budget, ensuring you get the most out of your experience. Whether you're interested in exploring historical sites, sampling local cuisine, or venturing into nature, we can craft the perfect plan for you. You can also explore our top Beijing tour packages or Great Wall tour packages for inspiration and ideas to kickstart your adventure.
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Beijing, altogether with Tianjin and Hebei has implemented 144-Hour Visa-free Transit to visitors from 54 countries with valid travel documents & connecting (flight, ship, trains) tickets to a third country/region. These countries include 25 European Schengen Visa Agreement countries (Austria, Germany, Italy…), 14 Other European countries (Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland…), 6 America countries (United States, Canada, Brazil…), 2 Oceania countries (Australia and New Zealand) and 6 Asian countries (South Korea, Japan, Singapore…).
The itinerary in this tour can be customized according to your own interests and needs. Usually, Mutianyu Great Wall is the top recommended among several sections of Great Wall in and around Beijing, because it's less crowded, fully-restored and quite family-friendly. If you want to explore the primitive appearance of Great Wall and want a memorable hiking experience in lesser known sections, consider hiking less-traveled sections like Jinshanling, Simatai, Huanghuacheng, etc. It is also available to choose some other attractions based on your interest. Besides, you can visit a local family in Beijing Hutongs, or take part in some other interested activities. If you have any personal travel ideas, feel free to tell us.
As China's capital and a top tourist destination, Beijing is equipped with numerous hotels and restaurants for your choice. Undoubtedly, every traveler can stay in Beijing with great comfort. There are enough luxury hotels with good location and best value. It is also easy to find many comfortable 4-star hotels and economical hotels. You can choose one hotel according to your tour itinerary and budget. Beijing also offers a large number of choices of food – from multi-course cuisine to various street food to satisfy your taste bud.
Beijing boasts a well-developed transportation network, making it accessible from both international and domestic cities. There are many daily flights from Europe (London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Amsterdam, etc.), America (Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Washington, etc.), Asia (Singapore, Tokyo, Taipei, Macao, etc.) and Oceania to Beijing. Additionally, domestic flights from over 120 cities in mainland China, including major hubs like Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming, Shenzhen, Chongqing, and Chengdu, make reaching Beijing convenient.
With a temperature monsoon climate, Beijing enjoys four distinctive seasons. It has warm spring (March ~ May), hot summer (June ~ August), cool autumn (September ~ November) and cold winter (December ~ February). Visiting Beijing in different seasons allows you to see different featured scenery, but the best time to visit Beijing is spring and autumn because you can enjoy the most comfortable weather. It is also important to avoid visiting Beijing in China's big festivals, including May Day, Tomb Sweeping Day, Dragon's Boat Day and National Day when most of the scenic areas will be crowded and it will be common to meet traffic jam.
If you have more days in China, you are strongly suggested to extend your tour to another two top tourist destinations - ancient Xi’an and modern Shanghai. This combination provides a comprehensive view of China's historical and contemporary highlights. A tour combining these three cities will help you get a first panoramic view of China. For a more enriching experience, you can visit Guilin for its stunning karst landscapes or take a Yangtze River cruise for a relaxing holiday. Check China Tours from Beijing 2024/2025 >>
Beijing, the massive capital city of China for centuries, offers you much to discover and explore. All of your dreams about the charming Beijing can be true in our Beijing tours. No matter it is your first, or the second or the third trip to Beijing, China Discovery will always find a suitable tour package for you to see and experience Beijing by the best way. If you have no idea where to start, please don't hesitate to contact our travel experts for help.
This is the most popular China tour to Beijing, Xian and Shanghai to visit the most iconic China attractions - Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, The Bund, etc., and explore great of both China’s past and present.
Visit the best and featured highlights of Beijing in a single trip and explore the glorious past and present of Beijing in one go. Apart from Beijing's time-honored landmarks - Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and Great Wall, you will admire the most outstanding architectures in Olympic Park.
Visiting two ancient hearts plus a cozy high speed train experience, you will not only explore the long history of China, but also find out how the time-honored country is like in recent days.
This thoughtfully designed itinerary is perfect for travelers with limited time in Beijing. Whether you're taking advantage of a layover or simply want to make the most of a short trip, this tour provides a comprehensive overview of the city's iconic attractions.
This 4-day tour offers the chance to explore Jinshanling by day, known for its breathtaking vistas, and Simatai by night, celebrated for its enchanting evening views. The itinerary also includes a visit to the charming Gubei Water Town. Of course, essential Beijing landmarks such as the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and traditional Hutongs are covered.
Want a quality but enjoyable time with your children in Beijing? This 5 days Universal Studios Beijing family tour is well-arranged to fulfill your needs. You will have a sightseeing trip involving a full-day adventure to Universal Studios Beijing. Apart from offering entertainment, this tour helps them learn, grow and gain a better understanding of China.
Visit the top travel destinations in vast China, Beijing, Xian and Shanghai, with the fabulous trip to Zhangjiajie and Guilin with stunning natural miracles.
Coverinng top highlights in China to please your eyes, ease your spirit, witness grand and beautiful landscape in special ways.
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