The Perfect Beijing Itinerary (Hour Breakdown + Costs)
During my recent stay in Beijing, China, I tried to explore as many of the city’s top attractions as I could.
Here’s my 3-day and 5-day Beijing itinerary I’d recommend for first time visitors, including tips and costs.
If this is your first time in Beijing and China in general, make sure to read my Beijing travel guide for essential things to know before your trip.
2 or 3 days in Beijing:
If can only spend one or two nights in Beijing, you can visit Beijing’s main attractions like the Forbidden City and famous imperial parks.
In this case I suggest you book a Beijing day tour to maximize time.
4 days in Beijing:
You’ll have time to check out the #1 must-visit site, Great Wall of China, which will require most of the day.
To save time, book a tour. I did this Mutianyu Great Wall tour on Viator and really enjoyed it.
5 days in Beijing:
Along with the Great Wall of China and main Beijing attractions, you can add other sites to your Beijing itinerary like the 798 Art Zone and popular shopping areas.
Book before your China trip:
▢ China eSIM card from Airalo
▢ Ride from the airport: prebook an airport pickup
▢ Book discounted Beijing hotels (what I use)
▢ Beijing Palace Museum Ticket (The Forbidden City)
▢ Book the most popular Beijing day tours
Getting Around Beijing
Beijing is very walkable with lots of flat and paved paths.
To save time, you can:
- Take the subway in Beijing, which is simple and easy to navigate.
- Hire a driver on Viator to take you around Beijing.
- Join Beijing group tours that provide transportation.
- Book a DiDi taxi. There is no Uber in China, but you can easily book Didi taxi rides within the Alipay app.
Make sure to read my Beijing travel guide for more tips on getting around Beijing and what apps I recommend downloading.
Sample Beijing Itinerary Based on # Days
Here’s a summarized sample Beijing Itinerary for different number of days. 2 days = 1 night, 3 days in Beijing = 2 nights, etc.
These are assuming you arrive in Beijing in the earlier part of the day and have an afternoon or late flight out.
You can always switch out locations based on your interests.
Read my Top Things to do in Beijing for more ideas.
2-Day Beijing Itinerary
Day 1: Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, Qianmen Street at night
Day 2: Beihai Park, Wangfujing Avenue
3-Day Beijing Itinerary
Day 1: Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, Jingshan Park, Beihai Park
Day 2: Great Wall, Qianmen Street at night
Day 3: Temple of Heaven, Wangfujing Avenue
4-Day Beijing Itinerary
Day 1: Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, Jingshan Park, Beihai Park
Day 2: Great Wall, Qianmen Street at night
Day 3: Temple of Heaven, Longtan Park, Wangfujing Avenue
Day 4: Summer Palace, 798 Art Zone
5-Day Beijing Itinerary
Day 1: Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, Jingshan Park, Beihai Park
Day 2: Great Wall, Qianmen Street at night
Day 3: Temple of Heaven, Longtan Park, Wangfujing Avenue
Day 4: Summer Palace, 798 Art Zone
Day 5: Qianmen Street for shopping, National Museum of China
Alternatives: Add a Beijing tour to your trip:
🚌 Great Wall of China daily group tour (what I did)
🚙 All-inclusive private day tour of Beijing
🎫 4-Hour small group tour to Forbidden City (tickets included)
Full Beijing Itinerary
Day 1 of Beijing Itinerary
Before Noon (2-4 hours)
The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, is the world’s largest palace complex, and is located north of Tiananmen Square.
It served as the imperial palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, from 1420 to 1912.
Check out the main Meridian Gate, emperor living quarters, imperial garden and large meeting halls.
The area right outside is Tiannamen Square, which is a must-see historic site for your Beijing itinerary.
Afternoon (2-4 hours)
After lunch head to these nearby locations next. If it’s nearing sunset, the sunset views at both parks are beautiful.
2. Jingshan Park
Name in Chinese: 景山公园
Cost: 2 CNY ($0.28 USD)
Jingshan Park is an imperial park located directly north and right across the street from the exit of the Forbidden City.
The park covers 23 hectares. You can roam around the gardens and pavilions, as well as walk up to the viewing decks for panoramic views of Beijing and the Forbidden City.
3. Beihai Park
Name in Chinese: 北海公园
Cost: 5-10 CNY ($0.70 USD – $1.40 USD)
Beihai Park is located to the left of Jingshan Park and is walkable from each other.
It’s one of the oldest and largest ancient imperial gardens in China and was my favorite park I visited in Beijing.
It’s 69 hectares with gardens, palaces, temples, and a lake that covers more than half of the entire park.
Day 2 of Beijing Itinerary
Morning-Afternoon (8am-4pm hours)
1. Great Wall of China
Name in Chinese: 慕田峪长城
Cost: Varies | Book in advance on Viator
Recommended Route: Mutianyu side
The Great Wall of China is the longest wall in the world, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, at 21,000 km (13,000 miles) long.
There’s different areas of the Great Wall to explore. I chose the Mutianyu route, popular for its scenic views and rides like the toboggan slide.
Plus, it’s less packed than the Badaling side.
I booked this tour on Viator that included transportation, entrance fees, and buffet lunch.
Watch my Beijing vlog for more of my Great Wall experience.
Evening (1-2 hours)
2. Qianmen Street (aka Dashilan Street)
Name in Chinese: 前门大街
Cost: Free (they do check IDs/passports so make sure to bring it with you)
Qianmen Street is a famous pedestrian street filled with beautiful and modern traditional-style shops, restaurants, and traditional tea houses.
I loved this hotel I stayed at in Qianmen. It was nice to walk along during the day, and at night, was lively and fun to stroll.
Day 3 of Beijing Itinerary
Morning (2-3 hours)
1. Temple of Heaven
Name in Chinese: 天坛公园
Cost: $3 for general admission, $5 USD for a pass | Book Tickets on Klook
The Temple of Heaven in Beijing is a beautiful complex of buildings where Ming and Qing dynasty emperors held ceremonies to pray for good harvests.
The park spans 2.73 square kilometers and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Prebook your ticket on Klook, especially during peak travel seasons.
Grab a bite or do shopping at Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market), which is just across the street from Temple of Heaven.
Afternoon (2 hours)
2. Longtan Park
Name in Chinese: 龙潭公园
Cost: 2 CNY ($0.28 USD)
Longtan Park is located to the right of the Temple of Heaven and covers 49 hectares.
It’s popular for its large lake, traditional Chinese landscapes, and dragon-shaped boats.
Evening (1-2 hours)
3. Wangfujing Avenue
Name in Chinese: 王府井大街
Cost: Free
Head back to the center to Wangfujing Avenue, possibly the most popular shopping and pedestrian street in Beijing.
It has modern malls, traditional stores, and Snack Street (closed when I went).
Go to different retail outlets with international brands, luxury boutiques, local shops, and large department stores.
Day 4 of Beijing Itinerary
Morning (2-3 hours)
1. Summer Palace
Name in Chinese: 颐和园
Cost: $3-4 USD for general admission, $7-8 USD for pass | Book on Klook
The Summer Palace in Beijing is a large lakefront palace of Chinese landscape garden design, natural landscapes, pavilions, halls, palaces, temples, and bridges.
Built in 1750, it was used as a royal retreat by the Qing Dynasty and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It spans 2.9 square kilometers, with water covering three-quarters of the area.
Afternoon (2-4 hours)
2. 798 Art Zone
Name in Chinese: 798艺术区
Cost: Free (gallery tickets will vary)
The 798 Art Zone, also known as Dashanzi Art District mixes both contemporary art and historical industrial architecture.
There’s lots art galleries, studios, vintage shops, cafes, and museums to explore.
798 Art Zone is closer to the airport, so it may take almost an hour to get there by train.
You can also save this for your last day if you want to go to the airport right after.
Day 5 of Beijing Itinerary
Morning (2-4 hours)
Depending on what time your flight is, head back to Qianmen Street for some last-minute shopping.
If you have a few hours to spare, visit:
The National Museum of China is one of the largest museums in the world and is dedicated to Chinese art and history.
The museum’s collection has over a million artifacts!
Other popular places to visit in Beijing
Here are other Beijing Attractions to visit if you have more time or depending on your interests:
- Universal Studios Beijing
- Lama temple
- Pearl Market for shopping
- Beijing Temple of Confucius
- Prince Gong Mansion Museum
- Ming Dynasty Tombs
- Peking University (requires reservation)
Have a great time in Beijing and hope you love visiting as much as I did!
Beijing Checklist: have you booked these yet?
▢ China eSIM card from Airalo
▢ Ride from the airport: prebook a transfer
▢ Book discounted Beijing hotels (what I use)
▢ Beijing Palace Museum Ticket (The Forbidden City)
▢ Book the most popular tours in Beijing
