City guide · 3-day plan
Beijing in 3 days
北京
Beijing is huge, so this plan groups sights by area and gives the Great Wall its own day. The rhythm: imperial monuments in the mornings, hutong alley life in the evenings — the two halves of the old capital.
Day by day
The imperial core & first hutong night
The largest surviving palace complex in the world — six centuries of Ming and Qing emperors. Enter from the south, exit north.
💡 Book the timed ticket online days ahead (passport required); go right at opening to beat the crowds and heat.
The hill directly north of the palace gives the classic top-down view over its golden roofs.
💡 A short climb; best light is late afternoon looking back south over the Forbidden City.
Lakeside bars and the most famous alley quarter — touristy but lively for a first night.
💡 Wander the side alleys off the main drag for the quieter, more authentic lanes.
Peking duck 北京烤鸭 — The city's signature dish — lacquered roast duck carved into pancakes. Worth a proper sit-down dinner.
The Great Wall
The best balance of dramatic restored wall and manageable crowds — cable car up, toboggan down.
💡 Leave the city early. Mutianyu is far less mobbed than Badaling (八达岭).
Hike a stretch between towers for the long ridgeline views before heading back.
💡 Wear real shoes — the steps are steep and uneven in places.
Recover with dinner and a stroll; Sanlitun for modern Beijing, Wangfujing for the classic shopping street.
Zhajiang noodles 炸酱面 — Beijing's home-style noodles in fermented soybean-and-pork sauce — hearty after a Wall day.
Temples, gardens & contemporary art
Ming-dynasty ritual complex set in a huge park — go early to catch locals dancing, singing and playing in the grounds.
💡 The park life around the temple is half the experience; arrive by 8–9am.
The imperial lakeside garden — Kunming Lake, the Long Corridor, hilltop temples. Spacious and beautiful.
💡 It's large; pick the lake-and-corridor loop rather than trying to see everything.
Galleries, studios and cafés in a Bauhaus-era factory complex — Beijing's contemporary-art hub.
Copper-pot hotpot 铜锅涮肉 — Old-Beijing lamb hotpot in a charcoal copper pot — the local cold-weather classic.
Go deeper
Travel it like more than a checklist
To understand Beijing, leave the monuments for the hutong (胡同) — the grey-brick alley neighbourhoods of single-storey courtyard homes that the avenues were carved through. Morning is when they come alive: elders airing songbirds, breakfast stalls, tai chi in the small parks. A slow walk through Gulou (鼓楼) or around Houhai lake tells you more about daily life than any palace.
Off the beaten path
Less-touristy picks for a second visit or a slower trip.
Unrestored, dramatic and steep — for fit hikers with a guide only, not a casual visit. Stunning and nearly empty.
A quieter, more local alley of indie cafés and small shops near the Lama Temple — less packed than Nanluoguxiang.
Calm, ancient cypresses and exam-stele history right next to the Lama Temple — most tour groups skip it.
Old shops for ink, brushes, scrolls and antiques — a window into literati Beijing.
Getting around
Beijing is enormous; budget real travel time. The subway is extensive and English-signed; DiDi fills the gaps. The Forbidden City and major sights sell timed tickets online and often sell out — book a few days ahead with your passport. The Great Wall is a half- to full-day trip outside the city.
Make it your own trip
Turn this into a dated, day-by-day plan with a readiness checklist.