The Perfect Beijing Itinerary (Top Places + Costs)
After spending time exploring Beijing, I learned which attractions are worth prioritizing on a short trip and how to fit them into 3 or 5 days.
Here’s my recommended 3-day and 5-day Beijing itineraries for first-time visitors, with stops like the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, plus tips on timing and costs.
How Many Days in Beijing?
For most tourists who want to see just the highlights, 4 days and 3 nights in Beijing would suffice.
If you have more time, five days in Beijing is good to see the most popular attractions without rushing anything.
I spent 5 full days and took a leisurely time visiting all of the attractions I wanted to see.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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
Book Before your China Trip:
Here are my recommendations based on my visit to Beijing:
📶 China eSIM card — most popular option for easy connection
🚐 Airport ride — schedule a pickup for stress-free arrival
🏨 Best hotels in Beijing: Booking.com | Reserve on Agoda (what I use)
🎫 Top Beijing day tours — most popular picks for first-timers
Here are the tours and tickets you can book beforehand.
These are the tours and tickets I recommend based on my own experience and what books out fastest.
- Great Wall of China daily group tour (what I chose)
- Forbidden City ticket — book in advance (lines can get LONG)
- All-inclusive private Beijing day tour (Great Wall + Forbidden City with a private guide)
- Join a 4-Hour group walking tour of Forbidden City (tickets included)
My Complete Beijing Itinerary for First-Time Visitors
Day 1 — Historic Sites
1. Palace Museum (Forbidden City)
Name in Chinese: 故宫博物院
Cost: $5 USD | Book Tickets on Klook
Time: 2-4 hours in the mid-morning
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.
➡️ Forbidden City ticket — book your entry ticket in advance
2. Jingshan Park
Name in Chinese: 景山公园
Cost: 2 CNY ($0.28 USD)
Time: after lunch
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.
It’s popular for its sunset views, which I went for, but it does get quite packed on every viewing level.
3. Beihai Park
Name in Chinese: 北海公园
Cost: 5-10 CNY ($0.70 USD – $1.40 USD)
Time: early evening
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.
While I enjoyed the sunset at Jungshan Park, I wish I had visited Beihai Park a bit earlier to see the park fully before it got dark.
If you don’t mind walking back and forth, head to this park first.
Day 2 — Great Wall of China
1. Great Wall of China
Name in Chinese: 慕田峪长城
Cost: Varies | Book in advance on Viator
Recommended Route: Mutianyu side
Time: 8am-4pm
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.
The tour was a highlight of my Beijing trip and I’d do it again!
🎥 Watch my Beijing vlog for more of my Great Wall experience.
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)
Time: 1-2 hours in the evening
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. The streets were nice to walk along during the day, and at night, was lively and fun to stroll.
Day 3 — Parks and Shopping
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
Time: 2-3 hours in the morning
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.
You can 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.
I’m not much of a shopper so I sped through the market, but you might find something you like.
2. Longtan Park
Name in Chinese: 龙潭公园
Cost: 2 CNY ($0.28 USD)
Time: 2 hours in the afternoon
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.
While parks open late and I felt completely safe as a solo female traveler, I found the parks could use more lighting at night!
3. Wangfujing Avenue
Name in Chinese: 王府井大街
Cost: Free
Time: evening
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 — Cultural and Modern Sites in Beijing
1. Summer Palace
Name in Chinese: 颐和园
Cost: $3-4 USD for general admission, $7-8 USD for pass | Book on Klook
Time: morning for 2-3 hours
The Summer Palace in Beijing is a large lakefront palace of Chinese landscape garden design, natural landscapes, pavilions, halls, palaces, temples, and bridges.
It was built in 1750 and was used as a royal retreat by the Qing Dynasty. It’s now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It spans 2.9 square kilometers, with water covering three-quarters of the area.
I don’t remember walking the whole lake, but I definitely took some time to relax on a bench to enjoy the view of the lake.
2. 798 Art Zone
Name in Chinese: 798艺术区
Cost: Free (gallery tickets will vary)
Time: afternoon for 2-4 hours
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.
This was nice switch-up from historic sites and I’d come back here again to check out more exhibits and displays.
Day 5 — Last Day in Beijing
We’ve covered all of the must-see attractions in Beijing.
Here are some options to spend your last day in Beijing.
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!
More options:
- Universal Studios Beijing
- Lama temple
- Beijing Temple of Confucius
- Prince Gong Mansion Museum
- Ming Dynasty Tombs
- Peking University (requires reservation)
How to Get Around Beijing (Metro, Taxi, or Private Driver?)
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.
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: schedule a pickup
▢ Find the best hotels in Beijing for your trip
▢ Beijing Palace Museum Ticket (The Forbidden City)
▢ Add a guided day tour to your Beijing trip
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- Booking.com (flights / hotels)
- Agoda.com (hotels)
- Trip.com (flights / hotels)
- Viator (tours)
- Klook (tours)
- Get Your Guide (tours)
