With a history of over 3000 years and as the capital of China, Beijing is a city with both ancient charm and modern vitality. Beijing is home to eight world heritage sites and is the world's first capital city with Global Geo-parks. At present in Beijing, there are more than 200 tourist attractions open to the public. So which ones should we visit? Here we have selected 7 must-see sights for travelers who come to Beijing for the first time to make a worthwhile trip.
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No. 1: The Great Wall – Most Magnificent Man-Made Wonder
The 21196.18km Great Wall is the landmark of China, one of the most famous man-made wonder in the world. It was constructed by million of ancient people, like a dragon lying atop the steep ridges and mountains, stretching from the desert in the north to the eastern estuary of China's Bohai Sea. >> Which Section of Great Wall to Visit
☛ Great Wall of China Tours | Best 4 Great Wall Tours from Beijing
Opening Hours: Vary from different sections
Tickets: Usually from CNY 20 ~ 60
Recommended Visiting Time: Half day
Address: Beijing surburb, about 3 hours' drive from downtown
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No. 2: Forbidden City – Most Magnificent Imperial Palace in the World
Once forbidden and now permitted. Forbidden City (紫禁城), officially called Gugong (故宫), was the imperial palace for 24 Emperors of Ming (A.D. 1368 - 1644) and Qing (A.D. 1644 - 1911) Dynasties. The cultural richness of China is truly reflected at this 72-hectare historical palace. You can have a panorama view of the Forbidden City from Jingshan Park. >> How to Book Forbidden City (Palace Museum) Tickets
☛ Forbidden City Tours | Beijing Tours including Forbidden City
Opening Hours: Apr to Oct: 8:30 ~ 17:00 / Nov to Mar: 8:30 ~ 16:30 / Closed on Mondays (except for statutory holidays)
Tickets: Apr to Oct: CNY 60 / Nov to Mar: CNY 40
Recommended Visiting Time: 2 - 4 hours
Address: No.4 Jingshan Qianjie, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100000, China
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No. 3: Tiananmen Square - Largest Center Plaza in the World
Tiananmen Square is in the Heart of Beijing. As a site of many important events, Tiananmen Square enjoys a great political, historical and cultural significance. On 1st October 1949, Chairman Mao proclaimed the establishment of People’s Republic of China in Tiananmen Gate. Without any doubt, Tiananmen Square becomes a symbol of national cohesion and prosperity of China.
Opening Hours: 5:00 ~ 22:00
Tickets: Free for Square
Recommended Visiting Time: 1 - 2 hours
Address: Chang’an Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100009, China
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No. 4: Summer Palace – Best Royal Garden in China
Summer Palace is now a public park, but used to be the private garden for Royal families of Qing Dynasty to spend the hot summer days. Constructed around the Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, Summer Palace is a vast complex of gardens, palaces, lakes and hills. It has assembled almost the best design, skill and classic features of traditional gardening architecture of ancient China. >> Summer Palace Boat Guide
Opening Hours: Apr to Oct: 06:00 ~ 20:00 / Nov to Mar: 06:30 ~ 19:00
Tickets: Apr to Oct: CNY 30 / Nov to Mar: CNY 20
Recommended Visiting Time: 3 - 4 hours
Address: No. 19 Xinjian Gongmen Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100084, China
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No. 5: Temple of Heaven – Masterpiece of Architecture and Landscape Design
Temple of Heaven is the best place in Beijing to explore the traditional royal sacrificial culture of ancient China. It served as the holy place for emperors to pay homage to Heaven and to pray for rich harvest. At the same time, it is a pleasant place for leisure stay of walking or sightseeing, and for exploration of local culture.
Opening Hours: Apr to Oct: 06:00 ~ 22:00 / Nov to Mar: 06:30 ~ 22:00
Tickets: Apr to Oct: CNY 15 / Nov to Mar: CNY 10
Recommended Visiting Time: 1 - 2 hours
Address: No.7 Tiantan Road, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100050, China
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No. 6: Hutong - The Vitality & Pulse of Beijing
Beijing Hutong connecting the quadrangle dwellings is more than a tourist attraction, but the pulse of this city. All the over 6,000 long, short, wide, narrow, straight and winding alleys link the whole Beijing from the ancient times. They tell various stories that happened here and show the historic development and cultural change of Beijing city. >> Beijing Rickshaw - Best Way to Explore Beijing Hutongs
Opening Hours: All day
Tickets: Free
Recommended Visiting Time: Half day
Address: The most popular Nanluoguxiang is at Di'anmen East Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing; Yandaixiejie is at Di'anmenwai Main Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
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No. 7: Universal Studios Beijing - Step Into Magical Lands in Flims
Constructed by combining the world’s famous movie theme parks with Chinese elements, Universal Studios Beijing offers massive challenging rides, interactive shows and fantastic events for kids and visitors of all ages. It currently consists of 7 themed lands - The Wizarding World of Harry PotterTM, Jurassic World Isla Nublar, Transformers Metrobase, Minion Land, Kung Fu Panda Land of Awesomeness, WaterWorld, and Hollywood.
Opening Hours: Universal Studios 10:00~20:00; City Walk 08:00~21:30
Tickets: Standard 1-day, CNY 363 to CNY 533
Recommended Visiting Time: 1 - 2 Days
Address: Tongzhou, Beijing, China
How to Plan a Beijing Tour if I Have 5 Days / 4 Days / 3 Days / 2 Days / 1 Day
5 Days Beijing Tour: (Perfect for Family and Friends Travel)
‣ Highlights: Universal Sutdios Beijing, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, JingshanPark, the Great Wall, Olympic Park, Hutong, Beijing Zoo, Summer Palace
If you have 5 days in Beijing, you're highly suggested to have an in-depth trip in Bejing to understand the vivid Beijing with a complex of centur-old historical and cultural aspects with constantly developing modern Beijing trends.
On the first day you will arrive at Beijing and have a good relax. On the seond day, you can visit the most popular city center area surrounding Forbidden City including attractions like Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park and Temple of Heaven. Then end your day with a delightful Kung Fu show at Red Theater. On the next three days, you can get in touch with the authentic Beijingers' life by visiting Beijing Hutongs, hike the marvelous section of the Great Wall and come back to view Olympic Park in the Beijng City, and arrange 1 day for some delights in Universal Studios Beijing to step into Hollywood blockbuster world, and another day for a leisure trip in Beijing Zoo and Summer Palace.
4 Days Classic Beijing Tour:
‣ Highlights: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Hutong, Olympic Park, The Great Wall
If you plan to stay in Beijing for 4 days, you can make good use of your time to visit the most iconic and historically rich sites of Beijing above including Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, JingshanPark, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Hutong, Olympic Park, and the Great Wall or other sections of the Great Wall.
3 Days Beijing Essential Short Stay:
‣ Highlights: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Hutong, Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, Olympic Park
For visitors who have 3 days in Beijing, it's a good idea to make a deep exploration of the most iconic sites in Beijing - the city center area and the must-go Great Wall. You'll reach Beijing on the first day. After that, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, and Summer Palace can be arranged on the same day. On the next day, after watching the locals take part in traditional activities, such as Tai Chi, dancing, water calligraphy, etc. at Temple of Heaven, you can take a Great Wall hiking trip at the Great Wall and come back to the Olympic Park.
2 Days Beijing Layover Highlights Tour:
‣ Highlights: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, Olympic Park
2 days in Beijing can be a tight schedule. You can spend your first day at the city center area to pay a visit to Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park and Summer Palace. On the second day you can head to Temple of Heaven, then transfer to the must-go world wonder - the Great Wall, and come back to Olympic Park to visit Bird's Nest and Water Cube.
1 Day Beijing Tour
Usually, it's not recommended to stay Beijing for only 1 day. But if you only got one day in Beijing and just want to tour around downtown area, it is recommended to get to the Tiananmen Square first and then go to the Forbidden City which is only 1.5km away. Then in the afternoon, you can head to the Temple of Heaven.
Or if you are interested in the Great Wall, you can spend this day hiking on the popular and less crowded Mutianyu section and get back in the afternoon.
6 Most Recommended Beijing Tour Packages
No matter how many days you plan to stay in Beijing, there is always a tour suitable for you. Following are some best Beijing tour packages covering most highlights in Beijing. If you still have no idea where to start, you can design a tailor-made Beijing trip with us.
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4 Days Classic Beijing Tour Package
A classic Beijing tour taking you to visit the best and featured highlights of Beijing in a single trip and explore the glorious past and present of Beijing in one go.
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5 Days Beijing Family Tour with Kids Fun
Spend a quality and enjoyable time with your children with interesting kid-friendly activities and explore the authentic Beijing life by visiting traditional Beijing Hutongs.
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4 Days Beijing Simatai Great Wall Tour
Hike the most beautiful section of Great Wall - Jinshanling, and take in the peaceful and beautiful night view of Simatai Great Wall with round-trip cable cars included.
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4 Days Classic Beijing Tour with Jinshanling Great Wall Hiking
Well explore Beijing city and take a side trip to hike Jinshanling Great Wall, one of the best preserved sections of Ming Great Wall featured in steep mountains, ornate and dense towers.
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3 Days Beijing Essential Short Stay
Specially designed for travelers who meet the Visa-free Transit Policy in Beijing. Hike the less-crowded Mutianyu section of Great Wall with other famous Beijing attractions.
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2 Days Beijing Layover Highlights Tour
Take cable car up to Mutianyu Great Wall and enjoy a leisure hike on the Great Wall, also roam in the imperial Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven.
Travel to Beijing with Other Hot Destinations in China
You can easily travel from Beijing to any other hot travel destination in China by flight or train, such as Xian, Shanghai, Zhangjiajie, Yangtze River, Guilin, Chengdu, Tibet, etc. China Discovery has designed many classic China tour packages including Beijing for you.
☛ 6 Days Classic Beijing Xian High-speed Train Tour (Beijing | Xian)
☛ 8 Days Best of China Tour (Flight/Bullet Train Covered) (Beijing | Xian | Shanghai)
☛ First Touch of China - 10 Days Classic China Tour from Beijing (Beijing | Xian | Guilin | Shanghai)
☛ Travel China at Leisure - 13 Days Classic China Tour with Yangtze Cruise (Beijing | Xian | Guilin | Yangtze Cruise | Shanghai)
☛ Wonders of China - 13 Days China Landscape Tour including Zhangjiajie (Beijing | Xian | Zhangjiajie | Guilin | Shanghai)
Travel to Beijing with China Discovery
As a leading travel agency in China which dedicates to offering high-quality China tours, China Discovery has helped thousands of travelers enjoy their trips to Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, etc., in China. Travel with us in Beijing and you can enjoy worry-free tour services as well as our assistance with Chinese Visa application, convenient airport/train station pick-up & drop-off and transfer between all scenic spots, English-speaking tour guide, safe & licensed private vehicle, satisfactory accommodation and dining and so on. We will provide satisfying Beijing tour packages for you. >> Contact Us Now
Start planning your tailor-made holiday to China by contacting one of our specialists. Once inquired, you’ll get a response within 0.5~23.5 hours.
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