Beijing Municipality travel guide
Top 10 Places to Visit in Beijing
Also known as Peking
Beijing is the capital of China, a city of about 21.9 million people whose historic core is organised along a north-south central axis of roughly 7.8 kilometres, running from the Yongdingmen gate in the south through Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City to the Bell and Drum Towers in the north.
Updated ·Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted ·How we rank
- Best time
- Apr – May, Sep – Oct
- Time needed
- About 5 days
- 27 hours of sightseeing
- Fly into
- Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)
- Nearest station
- Tiananmen East and Tiananmen West (Line 1) on the north side; Qianmen (Line 2) on the south side
- Free to enter
- 3 of 10
Top things to do in Beijing
Ranked on five published criteria- 1Free entry
Heritage
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is free to enter, as of 2026, but requires a free real-name reservation made in advance through an official WeChat mini-program,…
1 hr
2Palace
Forbidden City (Palace Museum)
The Forbidden City (Palace Museum) charges CNY 60 per adult from 1 April to 31 October and CNY 40 from 1 November to 31 March, as of 2026, and admits…
4 hrsCN¥60
3Heritage
Beihai Park
Beihai Park charges CNY 10 for entry from 1 April to 31 October and CNY 5 from 1 November to 31 March, as of 2026, and covers 69 hectares, of which…
2.5 hrsCN¥10
4Buddhist site
Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)
Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple) charges CNY 25 for entry, as of 2026, and is the largest and best-kept Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Beijing, running for…
1.5 hrsCN¥25
5Free entryHeritage
Nanluoguxiang and the Hutongs
Nanluoguxiang is free to walk, as of 2026, and forms a 787-metre pedestrian lane about 8 metres wide, with eight hutongs branching off each side like…
2 hrs
6Temple
Temple of Heaven
Temple of Heaven charges CNY 34 for a combined ticket from 1 April to 31 October and CNY 28 from 1 November to 31 March, as of 2026, covering the…
2.5 hrsCN¥34
7Palace
Summer Palace
Summer Palace charges CNY 30 for park entry from 1 April to 31 October and CNY 20 from 1 November to 31 March, as of 2026, with a through ticket at…
3.5 hrsCN¥30
8Free entryHeritage
798 Art Zone
798 Art Zone is free to walk, as of 2026, and occupies a former military electronics factory complex in Chaoyang District, in Beijing's north-east.
3 hrs
9Heritage
Mutianyu Great Wall
Mutianyu Great Wall charges CNY 45 for adult entry, as of 2026, with cable car, chairlift and toboggan sold separately, and sits about 73 kilometres…
3.5 hrsCN¥45
10Heritage
Badaling Great Wall
Badaling Great Wall charges CNY 40 for adult entry in the high season, as of 2026, and sits about 60 to 70 kilometres northwest of central Beijing,…
3 hrsCN¥40
Map of places to visit in Beijing
Numbers match the ranking; the top 3 are orange. Tap a pin for its guide. 2 places have no map position yet.
Day trips from Beijing
Worth a day out if you have one to spare, nearest first.
45 km · 1h-1h30
Ming Tombs (Changling and Dingling)
Burial ground of 13 Ming emperors in Changping District, where Changling is the largest tomb complex and Dingling has an underground palace excavated in the 1950s; easy to pair with Badaling on a single day (verify current opening times).
120 km · about 35 min by high-speed train from Beijing South
Tianjin
Port city with a European-style former concession district, a riverside promenade and its own street-food scene, reachable on frequent intercity trains for a comfortable day out.
125 km · 2h-2h30
Jinshanling Great Wall
Ming-era Great Wall with a mix of restored and weathered stretches, quieter than Badaling and Mutianyu and popular with hikers who want a longer ridge walk.
230 km · about 2h by train, 3h by car
Chengde Mountain Resort
Qing dynasty summer retreat of walled lakes, pavilions and Tibetan-style temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that suits an overnight rather than a rushed day trip (verify train times).
About Beijing
The Yongle Emperor moved the Ming capital here from Nanjing in the early 15th century, and the imperial city he built, the moats, altars and hutong grid around it, still shapes the streets. UNESCO recognised the Beijing Central Axis in 2024. Most first-time itineraries cover the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace, plus a day trip to a restored section of the Great Wall.
The subway is the practical way to move around the centre, with fares from CNY 3, and ride-hailing (Didi) fills the gaps. Two airports serve the city: Capital (PEK), linked by the Airport Express to Dongzhimen, and Daxing (PKX), which opened in 2019 and connects to Caoqiao via its own express line. High-speed trains leave from Beijing South, West and North stations, and the Great Wall sections need a bus, train or car rather than the subway.
April, May, September and October give the best weather. July and August are hot and wet, winters are cold and dry, and the 1-7 October Golden Week and Spring Festival fill every site. The Forbidden City and several other sites close on Mondays, and Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City require advance real-name reservations with a passport, so book before you arrive.
Beijing travel FAQs
How many days do you need in Beijing?
Plan about 5 days for Beijing. Its top attractions take roughly 27 hours of sightseeing in total, so 5 days covers the highlights without rushing — you can move faster if you are short on time.
What is the best time to visit Beijing?
The best time to visit Beijing is Apr – May, Sep – Oct.
Is Beijing cheap or expensive to visit?
Entry to Beijing's top attractions ranges from CN¥10 to CN¥60, and 3 of the top 10 are free to enter. Prices are the latest checked on each place's page; always confirm current rates on the official website.
What is Beijing famous for?
Beijing is best known for its top sights, including Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City (Palace Museum) and Beihai Park. The full ranked list of things to do is on this page.
How much time should you spend at Tiananmen Square?
Allow about 1 hr for Tiananmen Square.
Spotted something wrong, or a place we missed?
Tell us and an editor will check it against official sources and fix the page.