How to Plan Beijing Trip (Itinerary, Best Time, Travel Cost)

Written by Sally Guo Updated Sep. 20, 2024

Beijing is a city rich in history and culture, and it's home to the Great Wall. It offers many famous landmarks and delicious Peking Duck. Beijing is definitely worth visiting!

Whether you are spending a few days in Beijing or just have a short layover, this article will help you prepare for your Beijing trip with local knowledge and expert guidance.

Top 7 Things to Do in Beijing

As an ancient capital, Beijing holds countless stories within its thousands of years of history, waiting for you to explore. Here are some of the highlights:

Read Beijing's Best Things to Do to discover more exciting activities in Beijing.

How Many Days to Spend in Beijing - 4 Days Are Suggested

If you're planning your first visit to Beijing, 4 days are enough to experience its highlights. Here is a recommended 4-Day Essential Beijing Tour for you:

Day 1. Check in and adjust to the time zone; enjoy Peking Duck for dinner.

Day 2. Explore Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Hutongs.

Day 3. Watch local people doing morning exercises at the Temple of Heaven, and climb up the Mutianyu Great Wall in the afternoon.

Day 4. Visit the Summer Palace, and depart Beijing for your next destination.

Start China Trip from Beijing

If this is your first time visiting China, we highly recommend exploring Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai. This Golden Triangle route offers a perfect blend of Old and New China. Check out our 8-Day China Classic Tour.

Another popular choice is our 10-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Zhangjiajie-Shanghai Tour, which mixes culture and natural beauty.

If you're traveling with family, consider our 13-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Guilin/Yangshuo-Shanghai Tour. It includes pandas, cultural activities, outdoor adventures, and iconic landmarks.

Our guests in the Forbidden City

If the above tours don't catch your eye, just let us know your needs. Our professional travel advisors can create a custom tour tailored to your interests and requirements.

Beijing Travel Itinerary from 1 Day to 5 Days

Beijing is the capital of China and was the center of many ancient dynasties. It is rich in history and culture and is home to the Great Wall, one of the World's Seven Wonders. No matter how many days you stay in Beijing, this city will not disappoint you. There is so much to see!

For your reference, we have listed several suggested itineraries for different lengths of stay in Beijing.

Beijing Itinerary 1 Day

Option 1: Visit the Forbidden City in the morning, then explore the Mutianyu Great Wall in the afternoon.

Option 2: Visit the Temple of Heaven in the morning, then explore the Forbidden City and enjoy a panoramic view from Jingshan Park in the afternoon.

Recommended Tour: 1-Day Trip to the Forbidden City and the Great Wall

Our guests in Jingshan Park

Beijing Itinerary 2 Day

Day 1. Visit the Temple of Heaven in the morning, then explore the Forbidden City and enjoy a panoramic view from Jingshan Park in the afternoon.

Day 2. Visit the Mutianyu Great Wall in the morning, and stroll through the Hutongs in the afternoon.

Our guests in the Great Wall of China

Beijing Itinerary 3 Day

Day 1. Visit the Forbidden City in the morning, then explore the Temple of Heaven in the afternoon. End the day with a Peking Duck dinner.

Day 2. Visit the Mutianyu Great Wall in the morning, then enjoy exterior views of the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube in the afternoon, and watch a kung fu show in the evening.

Day 3. Visit the Summer Palace, take a boat ride on Kunming Lake in the morning, and stroll through the Hutongs like Nanluoguxiang or Yandaixie Street in the afternoon.

Our guests in the Summer Palace

Beijing Itinerary 5 Day

Day 1. Visit the Forbidden City in the morning, then explore the Temple of Heaven in the afternoon. End the day with a Peking Duck dinner.

Day 2. Visit the Mutianyu Great Wall in the morning, enjoy exterior views of the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube in the afternoon, and watch a kung fu show in the evening.

Day 3. Visit the Summer Palace and take a boat ride on Kunming Lake in the morning, then stroll through the Hutongs like Nanluoguxiang or Yandaixie Street in the afternoon.

Day 4. Visit the Lama Temple, Guozijian, and the Temple of Confucius in the morning, walk along Qianmen Street in the afternoon, and shop at Wangfujing in the evening.

Day 5. Depart Beijing.

Best Time to Visit Beijing

Beijing is a destination that can be visited year-round. However, the best time to visit Beijing is during the spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) seasons.

During these months, the weather is generally mild and pleasant, with clear skies and comfortable temperatures ranging between 10°C to 25°C (50°F to 77°F).

Spring brings blooming flowers and lush greenery, while autumn offers vibrant fall foliage and fresh air, making outdoor sightseeing very enjoyable.

The Best Time to Visit Beijing
The Best Time to Visit Beijing

For more detailed information on the weather and advice on what to wear in different months, read the Beijing Weather Guide.

Beijing Travel Cost

The reference price of a private Beijing tour for a group of 2-4 people is about USD180-200 per day per person. This price doesn't include the cost of international flights and it will vary according to your accommodation choice, type of transportation, dining, and other expenses.

Reference Travel Costs for a Beijing Trip

International Flight Costs to Beijing:

Economy one-way flights from the Americas or Europe range from USD 700 to 1,000.

Domestic Travel Costs to Beijing:

Accommodation Costs in Beijing:

Note: Hotel prices may increase by 50% to 100% during major holidays such as Labor Day (May 1-5) and National Day (October 1-7).

Dining Costs in Beijing:

Transportation Costs in Beijing:

Attraction Costs in Beijing:

How to Travel to Beijing - Flight or Train?

Beijing boasts advanced transportation networks, making it a major center for railway, highway, and air travel in China.

For international passengers, Beijing is often the first choice as the gateway city, given the abundant inbound and outbound international flights provided by its two international airports daily.

For those traveling within China, it's very easy to reach Beijing by plane or high-speed train as there are many options every day.

Travel to Beijing by Flight

Beijing has two major airports - Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX).

Beijing Airport Location Map
Get to the City Center from Beijing Airport

These two airports in Beijing connect to numerous global cities, including Hong Kong, London, San Francisco, Boston, Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok, and more. If you're flying from overseas, you will probably land at Beijing Capital Airport.

Many domestic flights connect Beijing to other cities like Xi’an, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Guilin, Guiyang, Zhangjiajie, Huangshan, and Lhasa. Most of these direct flights take about 2 to 4 hours.

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Travel to Beijing by High-speed Train

Beijing has several major train stations, including Beijing Railway Station, Beijing West Railway Station, and Beijing South Railway Station.

Here are the main departure directions from several different train stations in Beijing:

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Recommended Tour: 3-Day Beijing Highlights Tour from Shanghai by Bullet Train

How to Get Around Beijing

Beijing's public transport system is well-developed. You can take a subway, bus, taxi, or even a rickshaw to travel around the city.

Get Around Beijing by Subway

The quickest and cheapest way to travel around Beijing is by Beijing subway. The ticket price is RMB3-9 (Capital Airport Line is RMB25, Daxing Airport Line is RMB10-50, Xijiao Line, and Yizhuang Line T1 are separately charged).

You can purchase metro tickets from either manned ticket windows or self-service machines. These self-service machines offer a variety of payment options including cash, Alipay, and WeChat Pay.

Beijing Subway Map

Get Around Beijing by Taxi

A taxi ride in Beijing starts at RMB13 for the first 3 kilometers. From there up to 15 kilometers, it's RMB2.3 per kilometer. Beyond 15 kilometers, the price goes up by 50% to RMB3.5 per kilometer. 

A 20% surcharge is added to the base fare for services operating from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following day.

When the passenger asks a taxi to stop and wait, or when the speed is less than 12 km/h due to road conditions, an additional fare is charged. During morning and evening rush hours (from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM and from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM), this is equivalent to the fare for 2 kilometers every 5 minutes. Other times, it's the fare for 1 kilometer every 5 minutes.

Get Around Beijing by Private Transfer with Us

Opting for a private tour is truly the most convenient way to explore Beijing.

We'll pick a cozy, spacious vehicle that's just right for your group size. No sharing with strangers - the vehicle and driver are just for you! Our drivers are familiar with local traffic conditions, you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy as much of the city as possible in your own sweet time.

Here are our popular transfer packages and car rental services.

Where to Stay in Beijing

Beijing is a huge city with many places to stay, fitting all budgets. You can choose from standard hotels, boutique hotels, hostels, and traditional hutong courtyards.

Here we recommend three popular areas for you to consider when choosing where to stay in Beijing. These areas each offer something special, making sure you have a great stay in Beijing.

Where to Stay in Beijing
Where to Stay in Beijing - Beijing Accommodation Map

1. Wangfujing Street Area

2. Qianmen Street Area

3. Hutong Area

Find more top hotel recommendations on Where to Stay in Beijing.

What to Eat in Beijing

As the capital of China, Beijing brings together food from all over the country and incorporates the culinary traditions of northern ethnic minorities.

Beijing Food mixes traditional imperial flavors and popular street food. Here are some popular foods we suggest you try when you visit Beijing.

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Do I Need a Visa for Beijing

You may benefit from a visa-free stay of up to 240 hours (10 days) while transiting through Beijing.

Here is the list of 54 countries eligible for the 240-hour visa-free transit in China.

To qualify for this visa-free policy, your departure and destination cities must be different. For example, traveling from London to Beijing and back to London does not qualify, but traveling from London to Beijing and then to Hong Kong is acceptable.

Read the visa-exemption policy in Beijing for more detailed requirements.

Travel Beijing With Us

We offer customized private tours in Beijing with no fixed itineraries, no big buses, and no groups. Enjoy the comfort of a personal guide, driver, and private van, allowing you to sit back and relax!

Please feel free to share your travel ideas with us. Our popular Beijing tour package might inspire you:

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