Beijing is where most first trips to China begin, and it rewards planning more than almost any other Chinese city. The palace, the square and the Great Wall are all spectacular, but they are also all gated by reservations. The Forbidden City does not sell tickets on the day and is closed on Mondays, Tian'anmen Square needs a reservation, and every Great Wall section we checked sells named tickets in advance. This guide shows the booking rules first, then the neighbourhoods, the sights, how to get from the airports and when to go. Official figures were checked on 17 October 2026 where we say so, and anything we could not verify is marked.
For entry rules, payments, internet limits and trains across the country, see the China hub; we do not repeat them here. When you are ready to choose a base, go to where to stay in Beijing. Dedicated pages cover the Forbidden City, the Mutianyu Great Wall and the Summer Palace.
How many days, and in what order
Beijing is a huge capital with its sights spread along a north-south axis and out into the suburbs. For a first visit we think in three blocks: the centre (Tian'anmen, the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park), the parks and temples (Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace), and a half to a full day on the Great Wall. This is our own planning advice from the sources, not an official figure.
| Trip length | Best for | Suggested shape |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | A first visit with limited time | Day 1 Tian'anmen and the Forbidden City. Day 2 Great Wall. Day 3 Summer Palace or Temple of Heaven |
| 4 to 5 days | Hutongs and contemporary Beijing | Add a day around Gulou and Houhai and half a day at the 798 Art Zone |
| 5+ days | Linking onward to other cities | Continue to Xi'an, Chengdu or Chongqing by high-speed train or flight |
If the Forbidden City is on your list, pick a day that is not a Monday (the official site says it is closed on Mondays except on national holidays) and check the museum's closure notices before you go.
The city in words: districts that matter to visitors
Wikivoyage splits Beijing into districts, and these are the ones visitors use most.
- Dongcheng is the heart of tourism: the Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square, the Wangfujing pedestrian street and the Temple of Heaven to the south. To the north of the district are the Drum Tower and the Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple).
- Xicheng lies west of the central axis, with Beihai Park and the Houhai lakeside lanes.
- Chaoyang is the business and expatriate district, with Sanlitun, the CBD and the 798 Art Zone.
- Haidian is in the north-west and holds the Summer Palace and several universities.
- Outer districts: Mutianyu is in Huairou, Badaling in Yanqing and Juyongguan in Changping, per Wikivoyage and Visit Beijing.
The main sights in town
Tian'anmen Square and the flag ceremony
Visit Beijing quotes an announcement from the Tian'anmen area management committee: to watch the flag-raising ceremony you must reserve 1 to 7 days ahead on the square's reservation platform by selecting the flag-raising slot, and carry ID. People who arrive on a different day from their reservation are asked to leave. On 13 October 2026 the flag was raised at 06:22 and lowered at 17:39; the times change daily, so use the daily notice.
We found two different numbers on the same site. An October 2024 article says to book 1 to 9 days ahead; the October 2026 announcement says 1 to 7 days. Use the newer figure, and follow whatever the reservation platform actually shows. The 2024 article also says that if you already hold a booking for the Forbidden City and some other sites, you can enter the square that day with that booking record and do not need a separate square reservation. That comes from the 2024 article, so check it on the platform. We did not reopen the booking platform itself.
The Forbidden City
The official site says it is closed on Mondays (except public holidays), sells no same-day tickets, and charges CNY 60 from 1 April to 31 October and CNY 40 from 1 November to 31 March. Entry is only through the Meridian Gate, and you book under your real name with your passport. We re-opened the museum's English visit page on 17 October 2026 and the fees and hours above matched. Full detail, including exit gates, cancellation rules and closure notices, is on the Forbidden City page.
The Temple of Heaven
Visit Beijing (June 2025 article) gives the peak-season fee, 1 April to 31 October, as CNY 15 for the basic ticket and CNY 34 for the combined ticket, which covers the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Circular Mound Altar and the Echo Wall. From 1 November to 31 March the basic ticket is CNY 10, and children and discount holders pay half. We could not open the park's own official site, so we publish no official opening hours or booking rules. Search results from other sites contradicted each other, so we do not use them. Check the park's announcements before you go.
The Summer Palace
Visit Beijing (August 2025) lists, for 1 April to 31 October, opening at 06:00, last entry at 19:00 and closing at 20:00, with CNY 30 for the basic ticket and CNY 60 for the combined ticket that adds the gardens inside the garden. See the Summer Palace page for the breakdown and routes.
Hutongs, Houhai and the Drum Tower
Wikivoyage places the Drum Tower and the Nanluoguxiang lane in the Gulou area, north of the Forbidden City. The ibis Beijing Guloudajie hotel's own page says it sits north of the Bell and Drum Towers and about 900 metres from the Houhai bar street and Nanluoguxiang. We have not checked opening hours or ticket prices for the Drum Tower or the lanes against an official source, so we show none.
The 798 Art Zone
Wikivoyage lists the 798 Art Zone in Chaoyang, and Rosewood Beijing's own site offers a contemporary-art tour of 798. We did not open an official 798 site, so we show no hours or prices; each gallery sets its own.
The Great Wall: which section?
Visit Beijing's comparison of five sections (a 20 September 2024 article, so dated) is the starting point below. We list the extra detail only where we found an official page or a recent notice.
| Section | District | Adult ticket (2024 article) | Booking window (2024 article) | Newer information we found |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mutianyu | Huairou | CNY 40 | 30 days | Official site: named tickets, 07:30 to 18:00 Monday to Friday and 07:30 to 18:30 on weekends from 16 March to 15 November (re-checked 17 October 2026) |
| Badaling | Yanqing | CNY 40 peak, 35 off-peak | 16 days | Beijing government notice: reopened normally on 13 August 2026, named booking |
| Juyongguan | Changping | CNY 40 peak, 35 off-peak | 14 days | Nothing newer |
| Simatai | Miyun | CNY 40 | 16 days | Nothing newer |
| Huanghuacheng Water Great Wall | Huairou | CNY 60 | 30 days | Nothing newer |
Mutianyu and Badaling are the two sections with an official site or government notice and a route from the airport that we can check. Which one is "less crowded" or "more beautiful" is opinion from travel articles; we did not measure crowds.
- Mutianyu: the official site says only towers 1 to 20 are open to walkers, and there is a cable car and a shuttle. See the Mutianyu page.
- Badaling: Capital Airport runs a bus to Badaling at 10:00 and 12:00 for CNY 80, per the airport's website, and the Beijing government announced the pass reopened normally on 13 August 2026. One Thai travel article (KTC) quotes CNY 40 to 45 and 08:00 to 17:00 hours, but places the pass in Changping and routes you to the Ju Yong Guan stop, which is a different pass, so we do not use its numbers.
Getting to Beijing
Beijing has two international airports on opposite sides of the city: Capital (PEK) and Daxing (PKX). Both are listed as eligible ports for the 240-hour transit rule on the NIA's port table (see the China hub). Check which one your flight uses before you book your hotel, because the transfer to the centre is very different.
We tried to confirm direct flight schedules on airline and airport sites, but several would not load or give readable timetables, so we do not state which airlines fly where. Aggregators, which are not official sources, differ slightly: Roame lists direct Bangkok to Capital flights by several airlines, and Flightsfrom lists a direct Bangkok to Daxing service by China Eastern with a flight time of roughly 4.5 to 5 hours. Always check the airline you plan to buy from.
By rail, Beijing has several big stations. The airport's bus list alone names Beijing West, Beijing South, Fengtai, Chaoyang and Qinghe, so check which station your 12306 ticket uses. Booking trains is covered on the China hub.
From the airport to the city
Capital Airport's figures are from its own site and were re-checked on 17 October 2026. We could not open Daxing's official site, which renders with scripts, so its row uses Wikivoyage and is unofficial.
| From | Option | What we checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital (PEK) | Airport Express train | CNY 25 per person, 5 stops (T2, T3, Sanyuanqiao, Dongzhimen, Beixinqiao), about every 10 minutes. First train from T3 at 06:22 and last at 22:52; from T2, 06:36 to 23:10. Subway tickets for onward lines are bought separately | Capital Airport site |
| Capital (PEK) | Airport bus to the city | Routes to Beijing West and South stations among others, CNY 15 to 35 depending on the route | Capital Airport site |
| Capital (PEK) | Taxi | Flag fall CNY 13 for 3 km, then CNY 2.3 per km, plus CNY 1 fuel surcharge per trip; the passenger pays expressway tolls | Capital Airport site |
| Capital (PEK) | Bus to Daxing | CNY 65, at 07:00, 12:00 and 15:00 from Terminal 3 | Capital Airport site |
| Daxing (PKX) | Daxing Airport Express to Caoqiao | Wikivoyage says CNY 35 to Caoqiao and about 22 minutes; elsewhere on the page it gives CNY 10 to 35 by distance. Check the fare at the ticket machine | Wikivoyage, not official |
| Daxing (PKX) | Taxi to the centre | Around CNY 200 with tolls, 60 to 90 minutes | Wikivoyage, not official |
Wikivoyage warns that some Daxing Express ticket machines accept only Chinese ID or a foreign permanent-resident card, so passport holders should buy from the staffed counter. This is unofficial information too.
Getting around the city
Wikivoyage says the Beijing subway has 29 lines with bilingual signs, running from about 05:15 to 22:45 (check the actual times at station entrances), with typical fares of about CNY 3 to 7 and tickets valid on the day you buy them. At some stations, for example Tian'anmen East, ticket machines accept only Chinese ID or a permanent-resident card, and passport holders buy at the service window. The official subway site blocks automated reading, so we did not verify these numbers there.
When to go
Wikivoyage says the best time is September to October. Spring can bring dust storms from the Gobi that make the air poor, summer is hot and the busiest season, and winter is cold and dry. The figures below are monthly highs and lows read from Wikivoyage's climate chart.
| Month | High / low (deg C) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 / -7 | Cold and dry |
| Apr | 21 / 9 | Warming up |
| Jul | 32 / 23 | Hot and humid, the wettest month, about 170 mm of rain |
| Oct | 19 / 9 | Cool; Wikivoyage calls it the golden autumn |
| Dec | 4 / -5 | Cold |
Visit Beijing also publishes autumn-colour notices at this time of year, and Mutianyu's official site wrote about the Mongolian oak leaves turning red on 9 October 2026. We did not check the peak colour dates ourselves.
Hand-picked places to stay
Examples of established Beijing hotels, spread across areas and budget bands. Every fact below was checked against the hotel's own website or a reputable source on 2026-10-16 and links to that source. We have not stayed at these places and give no ratings; we show no prices because rates change daily. The band is the property class (hostel or guesthouse, mid-range, upscale), not a live price.
| Hotel | Area | Band | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sofitel Beijing Central | Jianguomen / Beijing Railway Station | Upscale | It suits travellers who want an upscale base next to a railway station and a subway line, within reach of the central sights. |
| Mercure Beijing Qianmen | Qianmen / Dashilar | Mid-range | It suits travellers who want an old-lane setting south of Tiananmen Square and are happy with small rooms in a historic building. |
| ibis Beijing Guloudajie Metro Station Hotel | Gulou / Houhai | Budget | It suits budget travellers who want a subway-side base near the Drum Tower, Houhai bars and the hutongs. |
| ibis Beijing Sanlitun Tuanjie Lake Hotel | Sanlitun / Chaoyang | Budget | It suits budget travellers who want to be in Chaoyang near Sanlitun rather than in the old city. |
| Swissotel Beijing Hong Kong Macau Center | Dongsishitiao / Chaoyangmen | Upscale | It suits travellers who want an upscale hotel on the subway between the old city and Sanlitun. |
| Mercure Beijing Downtown | CBD / Guomao / Baiziwan | Mid-range | It suits travellers who want a quieter garden-style hotel in the CBD with subway access. |
| Grand Mercure Beijing Central | Xidan / Financial Street | Mid-range | It suits travellers who want a mid-range hotel on three subway lines on the west side of the centre with shopping nearby. |
| Mercure Beijing Dongzhimen | Dongzhimen / Lama Temple | Mid-range | It suits travellers who want a small hotel on the north-east side of the centre, near the Lama Temple and Dongzhimen. |
| Rosewood Beijing | Hujialou / CBD East | Upscale | It suits travellers who want a luxury hotel with a large indoor pool and a dining focus, in the eastern business district. |
Sofitel Beijing Central
- The hotel page says it is inside the 2nd Ring Road, a 5-minute walk to the subway and next to Beijing Railway Station. [Source]
- It gives a 40-minute drive to Capital Airport. [Source]
- Rooms start at 50 square metres. [Source]
- The address is No 2 Jianguomen South Avenue, Chaoyang District. [Source]
- Western breakfast is served at Kwee Zeen Restaurant. [Source]
Suits: It suits travellers who want an upscale base next to a railway station and a subway line, within reach of the central sights.
Keep in mind: The page says the Forbidden City is easily reachable but gives no walking time, so check the route yourself.
Official site Check rates on Booking.com Checked 2026-10-16
Mercure Beijing Qianmen
- The page places the hotel on Meishi Street in Dashilar, close to Tiananmen Square and hutongs. [Source]
- It says the building keeps its original wooden structure. [Source]
- Check-in is from 12:00 and check-out up to 12:00. [Source]
- The page lists a lobby bar on the first floor. [Source]
- The page lists the hotel as wheelchair accessible on site. [Source]
Suits: It suits travellers who want an old-lane setting south of Tiananmen Square and are happy with small rooms in a historic building.
Keep in mind: The standard rooms listed are around 20 square metres, and the page gives a 23-minute drive to Beijing Railway Station, so plan luggage and transfers.
Official site Check rates on Booking.com Checked 2026-10-16
ibis Beijing Guloudajie Metro Station Hotel
- The page says the hotel is next to exit G of Gulou Street station on subway lines 2 and 8. [Source]
- It places the hotel north of the Bell and Drum Towers in the hutong district. [Source]
- Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out up to 12:00. [Source]
- The page says the hotel does not take part in the ALL loyalty programme. [Source]
Suits: It suits budget travellers who want a subway-side base near the Drum Tower, Houhai bars and the hutongs.
Keep in mind: The page says guests do not earn Accor loyalty points here, and the room listing shows no room sizes.
Official site Check rates on Booking.com Checked 2026-10-16
ibis Beijing Sanlitun Tuanjie Lake Hotel
- The page describes the location as the Yansha and CBD business area. [Source]
- It gives about 50 minutes to the capital airport and 20 minutes to Beijing railway station. [Source]
- The address is Building 17, Tuanjiehu Road, Chaoyang District. [Source]
- Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out up to 12:00. [Source]
Suits: It suits budget travellers who want to be in Chaoyang near Sanlitun rather than in the old city.
Keep in mind: The page names no subway station or walking time, so check the nearest line on a map before booking.
Official site Check rates on Booking.com Checked 2026-10-16
Swissotel Beijing Hong Kong Macau Center
- The page says the hotel is steps from Dongsishitiao station, exit C. [Source]
- It says the hotel is 1 minute from Metro Lines 2 and 3. [Source]
- It says the hotel reopened in March 2023. [Source]
- It lists 467 guestrooms and suites. [Source]
- It says the hotel is next to the China National Opera House. [Source]
Suits: It suits travellers who want an upscale hotel on the subway between the old city and Sanlitun.
Keep in mind: The page says Lines 2 and 3 in one place and Dongsishitiao exit C in another, so check which line and exit you will use.
Official site Check rates on Booking.com Checked 2026-10-16
Mercure Beijing Downtown
- The page places the hotel on Xi Da Wang Road in the CBD of Chaoyang District. [Source]
- It gives about 40 minutes by car to the airport and Beijing railway station. [Source]
- It lists itself as a low-density garden hotel. [Source]
- It gives an 8-minute walk to Hopson One shopping mall. [Source]
- The page lists a Junior Suite with a king bed. [Source]
Suits: It suits travellers who want a quieter garden-style hotel in the CBD with subway access.
Keep in mind: The same page lists subway lines 1, 7 and 14 in one place and lines 1, 7, 10 and 14 in another, so confirm the nearest station on a map.
Official site Check rates on Booking.com Checked 2026-10-16
Grand Mercure Beijing Central
- The page says the hotel is next to the Financial Street business district. [Source]
- It says subway lines 1, 2 and 4 are a 5-minute walk away. [Source]
- It gives a 50-minute drive to Capital Airport. [Source]
- It says the hotel is adjacent to Xidan Shopping Center. [Source]
- It says Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City are within a 30-minute walking radius. [Source]
Suits: It suits travellers who want a mid-range hotel on three subway lines on the west side of the centre with shopping nearby.
Keep in mind: The page gives 30 minutes on foot to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, so most visitors will use the subway.
Official site Check rates on Booking.com Checked 2026-10-16
Mercure Beijing Dongzhimen
- The page says the hotel has 51 rooms and is next to Dongzhimen station on Line 13. [Source]
- It says the Lama Temple and Nanluoguxiang are easy to reach. [Source]
- It says it is a 30-minute drive to Tiananmen Square. [Source]
- It lists a breakfast delivery service and a lobby bar. [Source]
Suits: It suits travellers who want a small hotel on the north-east side of the centre, near the Lama Temple and Dongzhimen.
Keep in mind: With only 51 rooms the hotel is small, and the page gives a 30-minute drive, not a walk, to Tiananmen Square.
Official site Check rates on Booking.com Checked 2026-10-16
Rosewood Beijing
- The footer gives the address Jing Guang Centre, Hujialou, Chaoyang District. [Source]
- The page describes an 830-square-metre heated indoor pool. [Source]
- The page lists The House of Dynasties as a Michelin one-star restaurant in the Beijing guide for 2025-2026. [Source]
- The page lists a 798 Contemporary Art Tour. [Source]
Suits: It suits travellers who want a luxury hotel with a large indoor pool and a dining focus, in the eastern business district.
Keep in mind: The page gives no walking time to a subway station, so check the route to the nearest station yourself.
Official site Check rates on Booking.com Checked 2026-10-16
Frequently asked questions
Is the Forbidden City closed on Mondays, and can I buy tickets there?
The official site says it is closed on Mondays except public holidays and sells no tickets on the day. Booking opens 7 days ahead at 20:00 and is under your real name, with your passport for visitors without a Chinese ID card.
Do I need to book Tian'anmen Square?
Visit Beijing, citing the square's management committee, says you must reserve 1 to 7 days ahead (October 2026 notice), and select the flag-raising slot if you want to watch the ceremony. Check the live reservation platform before you go.
Which Great Wall section is best for a foreign visitor?
We have official or government information for Mutianyu (hours, booking rules, shuttle, cable car) and for the reopening of Badaling. The airport runs a direct bus to Badaling for CNY 80. Which is "better" is opinion we did not measure. Pick the one whose bus you can catch and whose date you can book.
What is the cheapest way from Capital Airport to the city?
The Airport Express costs CNY 25, and airport buses cost CNY 15 to 35 depending on the route, per the airport site. For Daxing, check the fare at the machine, because sources disagree (CNY 35 or CNY 10 to 35).
When is the best time to visit Beijing?
According to Wikivoyage, September to October. Spring can have dust storms, summer is hot and busy, and winter is cold and dry.
Are there direct flights from Bangkok to Beijing?
We could not confirm schedules on official airline sites. Aggregators say there are direct flights to both Capital and Daxing, but the airlines named differ between sites. Check your airline and which airport the flight uses.
Do I need a visa for Beijing?
Possibly not. Check the China hub for the 30-day visa-free list and the 240-hour transit rule, both of which apply at Beijing's airports where you qualify.
When were these facts checked?
On 16 and 17 October 2026 against the Forbidden City, Mutianyu and Capital Airport official sites, the Beijing government and Visit Beijing. Sites we could not open (the Temple of Heaven's official site and Daxing Airport's) are named in the sections above.
How this guide compares
We read Beijing guides from China Highlights, Travel China Guide and Lonely Planet as benchmarks. China Highlights' guide is a strong planning hub with itineraries and tour packages, and Travel China Guide has plain fact pages. Lonely Planet's Beijing destination page is a hub of stories and links. Our edge is the booking rules (named tickets, Monday closure, Tian'anmen reservation), exact airport fares with sources, and honest labels where a figure is unofficial or missing. One Thai-language guide we read said the Forbidden City is open every day, which conflicts with the official site.
Links on this page and our earnings
The booking box on this page opens the providers' own search pages for Beijing hotels. As of 17 October 2026 we have no registered affiliate link for Beijing and earn nothing from them. We do not compare prices for you. The Forbidden City page carries no ticket-sales buttons because the museum says it has not authorised third-party sellers.
Official sources and further reading
- Palace Museum (Forbidden City) booking site: tickets, booking rules, closure notices
- Palace Museum, English visit page: hours, prices, 40,000 daily cap
- Visit Beijing (Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism): Tian'anmen Square booking notice, October 2026
- Visit Beijing: earlier Tian'anmen booking article, October 2024 (says 1 to 9 days)
- Visit Beijing: five Great Wall sections, fees and booking windows (September 2024)
- Mutianyu Great Wall official site: ticket rules, hours, shuttle
- Visit Beijing: Mutianyu attraction page, CNY 40 ticket, bus 867
- Beijing government: Badaling reopening notice, 13 August 2026
- Beijing Capital International Airport: how to get to and from the airport
- Visit Beijing: Temple of Heaven fees (June 2025)
- Visit Beijing: Summer Palace fees and hours (August 2025)
- Wikivoyage: Beijing (districts, seasons, Daxing Express, subway; not official)
- Roame: BKK to PEK flight map (aggregator, not official)
- Flightsfrom: BKK to PKX (aggregator, not official)
- China Highlights: Beijing Travel Guide (benchmark)
- Travel China Guide: Beijing facts and city guide (benchmark)
- Lonely Planet: Beijing (benchmark)
Prices, schedules and entry rules change. Figures here are approximate as of 2026; always confirm on the official or operator page before you book. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
