Beijing is beautiful, decent, lovable and leisure. It is China’s cultural and political center, also one of the busiest transportation hubs, as well as the No. 1 tourist destination in China with numerous places to visit, innumerable things to do and a lot of delicious food to try . Here you can enjoy the historical glory and wonders of China at Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven, unlock the luxurious and chic living style of royal families in Summer Palace, measure the walls, towers and bricks of the Great Wall personally, savor at an authentic dinner of Peking Roasted duck. Or marvel at Beijing’s another face of Modernity and fashion by visiting the CCTV Tower, Bird’s Nest, Water Cute, China Zun Tower, etc. It may be somewhere more relaxed and diverse than Shanghai or Hong Kong.
Latest Travel News: 1) Beijing’s second international airport, also the largest airport in the world – Beijing Daxing International Airport has completed construction on June 30. It is scheduled to open officially on September, 2019; 2) Beijing applies to the 144-Hour Visa Free Transit policy. Travellers who holding valid passport and connecting flight/cruise to the third country or region (HK, Macao) can travel in Beijing without visa up to 6 days.
Following are the top useful travel information about things to do, activities, transportation, maps, photos and popular tour packages of Beijing. Since we China Discovery are professional and rich experienced for providing tour service for international traveler guests, you can totally rely on us to travel Beijing and its surrounding areas. Please contact us to Plan Your Own Trip to Beijing!
To explore Beijin's highlights, such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall (with Mutianyu as the top recommendation), the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and the Beijing Hutongs - plan for about 4 days, including arrival and departure. If you have extra days, consider hiking the scenic Jinshanling Great Wall, enjoying the stunning night views of Simatai Great Wall, or visiting other sections like Huanghuacheng, Gubeikou, and Juyongguan. Families with children should not miss Universal Beijing Resort, while museum enthusiasts should visit the National Museum of China, home to the nation's most valuable treasures. As a major transportation hub, Beijing offers easy access to other top destinations in China by flight or train, such as Xi'an, Shanghai, Guilin, Chengdu, and Tibet. China Discovery provides a variety of tour packages from Beijing.
As the No. 1 tourist destination in China as well as the current capital, Beijing is full of places to explore. Below is the Top 14 Attractions in Beijing. You can also check more attractions by visiting All Things to Do in Beijing.
The Great Wall of China stretches through 16 provinces, cities and autonomous regions in China, including Shandong, Henan, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Liaoning, Ningxia, Beijing, Tianjin, Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, Qinghai, Jilin and Hubei. Beijing possesses the most highlighting part on which there are the world famous Mutianyu, Badaling, Simatai, Jiankou, etc. To learn more details, please check Ultimate Great Wall Trip Planning Guide and Best Great Wall of China Tours!
Jiankou Great Wall
Located in northern China, and at the same latitudes of Newyork, Madrid, Istanbul, Washington, Beijing has a temperate continental monsoon climate, and usually no exteme weathers, like heavy snowfall, heavy snow, hurricane, etc. It is hot and rainy in summer, cold and dry in winter, and sunny in spring and autumn. Check below detailed Beijing weather information and travel guide.
Beijing has a temperate continental monsoon climate. The coldest month is January (average temperature is -4 °C/24.8°F), and the hottest moonth is July (at an average of 26 °C/79°F) with most rainfalls.
Generally speaking, Beijing is a city you can go to visit whenever you want and the best time to visit Beijing is from mid-September to November and May to June. Try to avoid visiting Beijing during Chinese holidays.
Beijing used to be notorious for its bad air quality. What about the air quality in Beijing now? It's much better now. The "good and moderate" days in Beijing have reached a record of 226 days in 2017.
Beijing usually has no extreme weathers. Spring (March to May) / 43°F ~ 68°F; Summer (June to August) / 69°F ~ 79°F; Autumn (September to November) / 41°F ~ 68°F; Winter (December to February ) /25°F ~ 40°F.
| Spring (Mar~May) | Summer (Jun~Aug) | Autumn (Sept~Nov) | Winter (Dec~Feb) |
Below are some helpful articles written by our Beijing travel experts to help you learn the essential things to know before you go, regarding tour planning, visa, airport layover, accommodation, etc. If you have any question or tour idea, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are always ready to help.
Visiting Beijing for the first time? Does trip planning exhaust so much of your effort and time? Have no idea where to start? Our Beijing Trip Planner is the best tool which aims to help to focus on where to go, where to stay, where to eat, when to go and more vital travel information you need to know before you go, such as Visa-free Policy, city transfer, etc.
Beijing belongs to one part of the Jing-Jin-Ji (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei 京津冀地区) Metropolitan Region which enjoys 144-Hour Visa-free Transit Rule. Thus, you may apply for 144-Hour Visa-free Transit to enter and visit Beijing & specified area for not exceeding 6 days, if you have a layover in Beijing and are eligible for all the requirements.
Layover tour itineraries can be tailor-made according to your layover schedule. Simply choose your favorite places to visit and let us know. Here are out popular layover tour plans: 1 Day Beijing City Highlights Tour, 1 Day Mutianyu Great Wall Layover Tour from the Airport, 1 Day Mutianyu Great Wall Layover Tour from the Airport if your schedule meets the required duration.
Among thousands of Beijing hotels, we have carefully selected the following hotels and hostels for its good location and best value for money. No matter you want a luxury stay in a 5-star hotel, or want a special experience in local featured hostel, we will help you find the best hotel according to your needs and budget.
Beijing ranks the first among the most popular tourist destinations in China and is also the gateway to other cities in China. A trip to Beijing usually takes 2 to 5 days, but there's no need to worry about where to stay in Beijing since there are lots of hotels. However, due to the layout of most Beijing sight spots, you're highly recommended to stay in four areas - 3 areas in Beijing inner city (Wangfujing Area, Qianmen Area, Hutong Area), and the Great Wall Area in the suburb.
Generally, most of the popular hotels are located in Wangfujing Area, Hutong Area and Qianmen Area which are all locaded close to some top attractions, like Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Bell Tower, Jingshan Park, Beihai Park, etc. Wangfujing Area offers a great convenience for shopping, Qianmen Area is close to Tian'anmen Square, and Hutong is more exotic.
Walking is a great way to explore Beijing. You have a lot of opportunities to go for a walking in Beijing. You can walk through the magnificent palaces of Forbidden City, wander in the narrow hutongs to seek for the different life styles, or enjoy a trekking on the wild sections of Great Wall...
Beijing is paradise for shopping of Chinese specialtie especially souvernirs. There are numerous desirable items put on the shelf every day. No matter you need an archaistic tea set or want some featured specialties, you can easily find a place to buy. There are plenty of shopping streets, store and markets.
Do I need a visa to travel to Beijing? What is Beijing 144/72/24-hour transit visa exemption policy? How can I get to Beijing? How can I get to Beijing? What are the top places to visit in Beijing? What are the top places to visit in Beijing? Where can I go during a Beijing layover? How can I get to Beijing downtown from Beijing Capital International Airport?... Get answers here.
Hunting for local food is an unmissable part of your Beijing trip. Beijing has developed its own unique cuisine. The most famous and popular food of Beijing Cuisine is no doubt the Peking Roasted Duck. There are hundreds of Peking Roasted Duck restaurants in Beijing. Here we have prepared the best food guide for you!
① Peking Roast Duck ② Instant-boiled Mutton ③ Chinese Imperial Cuisine ④ Jiaozi - Dumplings ⑤ Zhajiangmian - Noodles with Soybean Paste ⑥ Fermented Mung Bean Juice & Fried Chinese Doughnut ⑦ Dalianhuoshao - Fried Wheaten Pancake with Fillings ⑧ Luzhuhuoshao - Wheaten Cake Boiled in Meat Broth ⑨ Chaoganer - Fried Liver ⑩ Baodu - Boiled Lamb Tripe ...
① Hua's Restaurant - Local Beijing Food with Courtyard Performance ② Donglaishun Restaurant - The most Authentic Beijing Hot Pot ③ Haidilao - The First Sichuan Hot Pot Restaurant Served by Robots ④ Choy's Seafood Restaurant - Authentic Cantonese Buffet & Seafood ⑤ Black Sesame Kitchen - Learn to Cook and Try the Homemade Chinese Food at Hutong ...
① Wangfujing Food Market ② Qianmen Food Street ③ Shichahai Food Street (Houhai Food Street) ④ Guijie Night Market (Ghost Street) ⑤ Niujie Muslim Food Market ⑥ Longfusi Food Street. Among all the food streets and night markets, Wangfujing Food Street is the most popular one for its convenient location and a great variety of snacks.
Where should you go to hunt for the best Peking duck? Here are 5 popular Peking Roast Duck restaurants that we recommended for you - Dadong Roast Duck 大董烤鸭店 Huajia Yiyuan (Hua's Restaurant) 花家怡园 Huajia Yiyuan (Hua's Restaurant) 花家怡园 Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant 全聚德 Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant 全聚德
Beijing has a widely connecting international air lines network and the largest domestic transportation network combing flight, railway, bus and other transportations. Most foreign travellers get to Beijing by flights, arriving at Beijing Capital International Airport. There are also several international trains, coming from Russia, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and North Korea. A few travellers drive by car or ride motorbike to Beijing from other countries, but it requires permits take several months to obtain. Tianjin Port is the nearest port which is about 30mins’ bullet train ride from Beijing downtown. It operates international cruises to South Korea and Japan. There is no international bus operated to Beijing. Beijing also can be reached by plane and train from most provincial cities in China, such as Shanghai, Xian, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Guilin, etc. To know more transportation information of Beijing, please check how to get to & around Beijing!
-Private tour: traveling with a private tour arranged by China Discovery is strongly recommended if you want to explore in a worry-free and leisure way. Itinerary and tour service can be customized according to your requirements.
-Subway: recommended for independent travellers. Connected to all train stations and airports in Beijing as well as most of famous attractions. Usually operating from 6am to 11pm.
-Bus: Need to do a lot of homeworks if you can’t read and speak Chinese. Usually slow and crowded, but very cheap. Most sections of Great Wall can only be reached by bus.
-Taxi: Cheap by Western standards, and sufficient when it is not rush hours. Recommended for short distances ride.
-Cycling: It is easy to cycle in Beijing because most place are flat. But only take the wide and less crowded roads.
-Car rental and motorcycle: not recommended, as it is much challenging and hazardous for foreigners who are not aware of the complicated Chinese road conditions and driving rules.
-Rickshaw: Rickshaw ride is usually provided near Forbidden City and Hutong. Much leisure and interesting experience, but should negotiate prices before riding to prevent from overpriced scam.
To help you know better about location, airports, railways, train stations, subway, Great Wall and other popular tourist attraction of Beijing, here we have prepared some useful Beijing maps for you. Please click links to get more detailed maps.
Beijing is one of the perfect places for photography in China. Even common travelers without professional knowledge of photography skills can take many amazing photos. Here we sort out some beautiful photos of the top sites recommended for photography in Beijing, including Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Hutong, etc. To appreciate more beautiful images, please check all Beijing photo galleries!
No matter how many days you plan to stay in Beijing, there is always a tour suitable for you. You can visit the Forbidden City to witness the royal buildings of the ancient China empire, hike on the incredible Great Wall, and wander along the traditional hutongs to experience the authentic local life...all of your dreams about Beijing can be tangible in our Beijing tours. We are also specialized in tailor-made tours that fit you best according to your own interests, requirement, traveling time, etc. So pleaste don't hesitate to contact us if you don't know where to start. Besides, if you are interested in extending your trip to travel more other hot destinations in China, such as Xian, Shanghai, Yangtz River, Zhangjiajie, Chengdu, Yunnan, etc.
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.
Visit the top travel destinations in vast China, Beijing, Xian and Shanghai, with the fabulous trip to Zhangjiajie and Guilin with stunning natural miracles.
This is a comprehensive trip to the 8 most popular travel destinations in China - Beijing, Xian, Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Chengdu, Chongqing, Yangtze River Cruise, and Shanghai.
Coverinng top highlights in China to please your eyes, ease your spirit, witness grand and beautiful landscape in special ways.
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