Beijing Travel Guide: Everything I Wish I Knew (2024)
Planning to visit Beijing, China for the first time or revisiting and need a refresher? Here’s essential Beijing travel guide tips and basic information to know before you go.
These are all the things I wish I knew when I first visited and from lessons learned along the way.
Prebook before your trip:
📲 eSIM card from Airalo
🚊 Ride from the airport: prebook a transfer
🎟 Beijing Palace Museum Ticket (The Forbidden City)
🎫 Summer Palace Admission Ticket
🎢 Universal Beijing Resort Ticket
🎫 Browse through dozens of available Beijing tours
Beijing Quick Facts
▢ Beijing is located in northern China.
▢ Beijing is the capital of China.
▢ Beijing is one of China’s largest cities, with over 22 million people.
▢ Beijing is one of the oldest cities in the world, with a rich history dating back over 3,000 years.
▢ Mandarin Chinese is the official language spoken in Beijing.
Why Should You Visit Beijing?
▢ Beijing is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Forbidden City and the Great Wall.
▢ Getting around Beijing is easy, with an efficient and simple subway system.
▢ Streets are generally well-paved, flat and great for leisurely walks.
▢ You can experience a time hop with Beijing’s historical sites and hutongs, which are traditional alleyways that Beijing is famous for.
▢ Visit the many and impressive grand imperial parks and gardens in Beijing.
Some Cultural Differences in Beijing
▢ There is no tipping culture in Beijing, and China in general.
▢ Beijing is largely digital and most people use apps for transactions.
▢ Security guards and ID checks are common throughout Beijing.
▢ Most bathrooms only have one sitting toilet. The rest will be squatting toilets.
▢ Spitting on the ground in public is still quite common.
▢ Even during a lower season, tourist places will be packed. Though, crowds didn’t feel rushed or chaotic.
Main Tips for Visiting Beijing
▢ Bring your passport everywhere you go. You will need it to buy tickets, for checkpoints, and to enter main tourist sites. Locals usually scan their IDs on a machine. You can just hand your passport for them to check.
▢ Most people use apps for everything, especially to pay.
▢ There are public toilets everywhere, usually with one sitting toilet available. Always take tissue paper with you just in case a bathroom doesn’t have toilet paper.
▢ Motorcycles are quiet and pass through alleyways. Be mindful of when walking.
▢ Food is permitted in parks and major tourist sites, including the Great Wall, where trash and recycling bins are provided.
▢ During peak seasons like summer, book tickets to popular destinations ahead of time. You can book most tickets on Klook. Otherwise, book on official tourist sites or buy in person.
Best Times to Visit by Season
- Spring: March to May
- Summer: June to August
- Autumn: September to November
- Winter: December to February
Spring offers mild weather and is cherry blossom season.
Summer reaches hight 20°Cs (80s°F) and is also rainy season, so expect some rainy days.
Autumn is a perfect time to see China’s autumn foliage.
Winter turns Beijing into a winter wonderland with snow and frozen lakes.
Top 5 Places to Visit
For the full post, read my Top Things to See in Beijing China for First-Timers.
These are in order of recommendation:
1. Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China stretches over 21,000 km (13,000 miles), making it the longest wall in the world, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Cost: Varies | Book in advance on Viator
2. Qianmen Street
Qianmen Street is a famous pedestrian street filled with beautiful but modern traditional-style shops, restaurants, and traditional Chinese tea houses.
3. Palace Museum / Forbidden City
The People Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, is served as the imperial palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, from 1420 to 1912.
Cost: $5 USD | Book Tickets on Klook
4. Summer Palace
The Summer Palace in Beijing is a large lakefront palace of Chinese landscape garden design, natural landscapes, pavilions, halls, palaces, temples, and bridges.
Cost: $3-4 USD for general admission, $7-8 USD for pass | Book on Klook
5. Tiananmen Square
One of the largest city squares in the world at 440,000 sq. meters. The square has great cultural significance as it was the site of several key events in Chinese history
Other favorites: 798 Art Zone and Beihua Park.
Apps You Will Need in Beijing
Download and sign up for these apps before you go to China in case you have any issues signing up.
Alipay
▢ Alipay is one of the main apps to pay for tickets, restaurants, subway, etc. To pay someone, you just tap the “Scan” button and scan the vendor’s QR code, then input the amount you’re paying.
▢ It will deduct the amount from the international credit card you input after signing up.
▢ Alipay also includes mini apps, like the Didi taxi app that you can use instead of downloading the separate Didi app. It’s faster and more convenient to sign up for.
VPN
▢ VPN is a must if you want to access apps like Chrome, Google Maps, Instagram, Facebook, etc., which are blocked in China.
▢ I used LetsVPN, which costs $3 USD for one week and was pretty reliable. You can use it on your phone and laptop. Download it before you enter China.
▢ While not absolutely essential, WeChat is one of the main communication and payment apps used in China. It can be especially helpful if you don’t have a local sim card.
▢ Locals also use WeChat to buy tickets and reservations. For visitors, it will be easier to book tickets on Klook or Viator.
▢ However, you will need another WeChat user to scan your QR code in order to verify your account.
Google Translate or Papago
▢ Use translate apps to like Papago to communicate with staff and locals if needed. Papago can be used without a VPN.
Transit Apps
▢ Apple Maps provides accurate directions to use the subway, which can be used without a VPN. Walking directions in Google Maps are not that accurate. And some of the locations in Google Maps are outdated.
▢ Baidu Maps is the most popular transit apps in China, but it’s all in Chinese. Still, it’s not impossible to use if you have the name or address copied in Chinese. It’s especially helpful for walking directions even if you don’t read Chinese.
144-Hour Visa-Free Transit
If you already have a long-term visa, you can skip this part.
This is specifically for Americans and 50+ countries who don’t have a visa to enter China.
You can use for the 144-hour visa-free entry on arrival to visit China.
You will need:
- Proof of stay in Beijing.
- Proof of flight out of China within 144 hours (6 days) upon arrival to a country that is different from the 1st country you flew from.
Some points:
- You cannot have a layover in another China city. The first flight out has to be outside of China.
- You can only travel within certain regions. So if you landed in Beijing, you cannot travel to and fly out of Shanghai.
Getting Around Beijing
Beijing Airport
▢ You can either take the train, bus, taxi or prebook a private transfer out of the airport.
▢ There is no Uber in China. They use DiDi, which you can easily book within the Alipay app.
▢ An hour taxi ride into the city costs around $14 USD.
▢ The DiDi taxi pickup area is not located at the exit. To get there, you cross the street after exiting the airport to a big white building that says “Lost and Found.” Take the elevator to B2 and look for the taxi pickup area.
▢ Don’t trust the pickup spots shown on the Didi App. Taxis will only go to the designated pickup spot in the garage.
Subway
▢ The subway system in Beijing is simple and easy to navigate.
▢ 6 stops on the subway cost 4 yuan, or 55 US cents.
▢ You can use Apple Maps to get subway directions.
▢ There are other apps recommended online like Maps.me and Explore Beijing, but I found Apple Maps the simplest to use. You can download these as a backup.
▢ Once you’re on the platform, you can see which side to take by looking at any of the signs posted, which indicates the next stop.
▢ To use Apple Pay to pay for the subway you need to bypass the requirement for a local China bank account. It did not work for me.
▢ There are ticket machines to buy one-way tickets where you can pay with cash. Select instructions in English, then choose your destination and input the amount.
▢ Some stations had ticket machines where a local ID was required. In that case, you go to a counter, tell or show them your destination, then they will activate a ticket for you. You can pay with cash or Alipay.
▢ Transfers are easy. Just follow the signs for your number line. Apple Maps show which exit to take (written in letters) which are clearly posted on the subway.
▢ Subways can get cramped during peak hours in the morning and around 5pm.
Walking
▢ Sidewalks and paths are generally flat, well-paved, and easy to walk in Beijing. For a lot of my trip, I just walked, even when it was a 40-minute + walk away.
▢ It felt safe walking at night, though some areas are not quite well-lit at night.
Language Tips
▢ English is not widely-spoken in Beijing. It’s best to learn basic phrases and use a translation app like Papago or Google Translate.
Though most locals are willing to help if you ask!
▢ TIP: In case a menu is not in English, use Papago or Google Translate’s camera tool to scan the menu to English, or use the translator to communicate with staff.
Here are the main travel phrases I used in Beijing.
- Hello: Nǐ hǎo (knee how)
- Thank you: Xiè xiè nǐ (sheh sheh knee)
- One please: Yī gè (yee guh)
- Yes/okay/affirmative:
- Yes: Shì (shr)
- Okay: Hǎo (how)
- Affirmative/can: Kěyǐ (kuh-yee)
- No/negative: Bù (boo). Example: I don’t want – Bù yào (boo yow)
- Excuse me: Bù hǎoyìsi (boo how-yee-suh)
- I’m sorry: Duì bù qǐ (dway boo chee)
- How much?: Duō shǎo qián? (dwoh shao chen)
- I don’t speak Mandarin Chinese: Wǒ bù huì shuō pǔtōnghuà (woh boo hway shwoh pu-tong-hwah). This one’s longer to memorize, but can be quite helpful.
What to Pack for Beijing
▢ Beijing uses 220V voltage and 60Hz, with different plug types A, C & I. While some hotels provide USB charging outlets, it’s best to bring or purchase the correct plug or a travel adaptor. I use a universal travel adaptor.
▢ Power Bank, for best practice, especially if you’ll be out all day.
▢ Reusable tote bag and handkerchief (for hot summer months!)
▢ Umbrella, especially during the summer. Rainfall can be unpredictable.
▢ Good walking shoes! You’re most likely going to be walking A LOT. I wear Xero Shoes – I can walk for hours and not have sore feet.
Average Beijing Travel Costs
Beijing travel guide tips for money:
▢ Most restaurants, small shops, and vendors accept digital payment apps like Alipay and WeChat. While I took out some Chinese Yuan at the airport just in case my internet was lagging, I mostly used digital payment apps.
Average Costs:
▢ Basic fare for subway and buses: $0.45 USD.
▢ 5-day + 1GB eSIM for $5 USD, and a local prepaid SIM card for 6 GB / 10 days for $20 USD.
▢ Hostels: $20 USD.
▢ Mid-range hotel: $50 USD.
▢ Higher-end hotel: $75+ USD.
▢ Taxi ride from Beijing Capital International Airport to downtown: $14 USD.
▢ Inner-city taxi ride: Starting from $2 USD.
▢ Food costs will vary. An average meal at a local restaurant may be $7-11 USD per person.
Note: These costs are approximate and can vary based on the specific location within Beijing and the time of year.
I hope this Beijing travel guide was helpful! I’ll be posting more posts and vlogs from China soon.
Have a great trip!
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