Things to Do in Beijing
Prices, opening hours, best times to visit and the stuff nobody tells you, everything you need for a first trip to Beijing, plus one pigeon's opinions on all of it.
Right, Beijing. Imperial capital for centuries, a wall you can genuinely see stretching to the horizon, and a city that hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics, the first ever to manage that. This is the proper, no-nonsense guide to things to do in Beijing: what things actually cost, how to actually book tickets, when to go, and which bits are worth the queue. Six main stops below, plus a quiz elsewhere on this site to see if you were paying attention.
The Forbidden City
Beijing is home to the Forbidden City, the former imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, home to two dynasties' worth of emperors for nearly 500 years, entirely off-limits to commoners the whole time. Now the Palace Museum, 980 surviving buildings across 72 hectares, the largest surviving wooden palace complex anywhere in the world.
Tickets are online-only, tied to your passport, released exactly seven days ahead, and they sell out, there's no ticket window for walk-ups, so plan around this rather than hoping to buy on arrival. Enter through the Meridian Gate in the south and allow at least three hours for the central axis alone.
Hours 8.30am–5pm peak season, shorter in low season; closed Mondays
Address 4 Jingshan Front Street, Dongcheng, Beijing
Official site en.dpm.org.cn
The Great Wall at Badaling
The section of the Great Wall closest to Beijing, and the most visited, is Badaling, the most restored and accessible stretch, a popular and properly easy day trip from the capital. Steep in places, proper stairs rather than a gentle stroll, but the views along the ridgeline stretching to the horizon are exactly what you came for.
It gets crowded, being the easiest section to reach. Mutianyu or Jinshanling, further out, offer a quieter, more atmospheric stretch of wall if crowds bother you and you have the extra travel time.
Hours Roughly 7.30am–5.30pm, shorter in winter
Getting there About 1.5 hours from central Beijing
Olympic Park & the Bird's Nest
Beijing hosted the Summer Olympics in 2008, then became the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Games when the Winter Olympics returned in 2022. The National Stadium, universally known as the Bird's Nest for its lattice steel exterior, and the Water Cube next door are both still open to visitors, with interior access available for those interested in the architecture or the Games themselves.
Many visitors just walk the plaza between them, free, and properly striking in the evening when the buildings light up against the sky.
Hours Plaza always accessible; venues typically 9am–7pm
Address Olympic Green, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Temple of Heaven
A vast imperial complex where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties came to pray for good harvests, one of the best examples of traditional Chinese religious architecture anywhere. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the triple-tiered circular building that ends up on half the postcards of Beijing, is built entirely without a single nail.
Come early morning and the surrounding park is full of locals doing tai chi, playing traditional instruments, and gathering for group dance, a properly good slice of everyday Beijing life alongside the imperial history.
Hours Park 6am–9pm; main halls 8am–5.30pm
Address 1 Tiantan East Road, Dongcheng, Beijing
Hutongs
Narrow, historic alleyways that once made up most of old Beijing, increasingly rare as the city's modernised, but still very much alive in neighbourhoods like Nanluoguxiang and around the Drum and Bell Towers. Courtyard houses, small shops, and a completely different pace from the wide boulevards elsewhere in the city.
A rickshaw tour is the classic way to see them, though wandering on foot works just as well and costs nothing, go for the atmosphere and street food rather than any single fixed destination.
Best area Nanluoguxiang, or around the Drum and Bell Towers
Peking Duck at Quanjude or Dadong
Beijing's signature dish, and worth having at least once from a proper duck restaurant rather than a random spot near your hotel. Quanjude has been roasting ducks since 1864, the historic choice; Dadong is the newer, slightly more refined take that locals rate just as highly.
A full duck, carved tableside, feeds two to three people comfortably and comes with the pancakes, spring onion, and hoisin sauce you wrap it all in yourself. Book ahead for dinner at the more popular branches, they do get busy.
Hours Varies by branch, generally 11am–9pm
Best time to visit Beijing
Spring (March through May) and autumn (September through October) give the best weather for the Great Wall and outdoor palace complexes, clear skies and comfortable temperatures without summer's heat or winter's cold.
Avoid the first week of October if you can, Golden Week, a major national holiday when domestic tourism surges and every major sight, the Great Wall especially, gets uncomfortably crowded.
Getting around Beijing
Beijing's subway is extensive, cheap, and the easiest way to cover long distances across the city, download a translation app if your Mandarin's not up to reading station names. The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Temple of Heaven are all close enough to pair in a day; the Great Wall needs a dedicated half-day or more given the travel time out and back.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Beijing worth visiting?
- Yes, easily, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall alone justify the trip, and the hutong neighbourhoods and food scene add real depth beyond the headline sights.
- How many days do you need in Beijing?
- Four full days covers the highlights comfortably, with a full day set aside just for the Great Wall given the travel time.
- Is Beijing expensive?
- Not especially by major-city standards, entry fees are genuinely low and food is excellent value, the main cost is usually flights getting there.
- What is Beijing famous for?
- The Forbidden City, the Great Wall, being the host city for both the 2008 Summer and 2022 Winter Olympics, and centuries as China's imperial capital.
That's everything I've got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
