Beijing, China’s vibrant capital, is a city where ancient history meets modern innovation. This 3-day Beijing itinerary covers the city’s top highlights—from imperial palaces to the legendary Great Wall.
In this Beijing Itinerary
Pre-trip Essentials/Must-knows
Download Necessary Apps
Downloading apps like Alipay and Amaps will help ensure a smoother trip as China is heavily reliant on technology. Many shops also do not accept cash anymore, or even if they do, will not have enough change.
Read: Apps to download before your China trip
Passport
For most ticketed attractions, the tickets will be tied to your passport number, so you will require your passport to enter the attractions. Always carry your passport with you or you will not be allowed entry.
Day 1: Temple of Heaven – Summer Palace
Temple of Heaven 天坛
Start your day early at the Temple of Heaven, an architectural masterpiece where Ming and Qing Dynasty emperors prayed for good harvests. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, with its stunning blue-tiled roof, is the most iconic structure.
Arrive before 9 AM to see locals doing all sorts of recreational activities like tai chi and dancing in the surrounding park.
Tickets can be bought on site.
Opening Hours:
Park: 6am – 10pm (Apr–Oct), 6.30am – 10pm (Nov–Mar)
Main Temples: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM (Apr–Oct), 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Nov–Mar)
Entrance fee:
Park only: ¥15 (Apr–Oct), ¥10 (Nov–Mar)
Full access (including temples): ¥34 (Apr–Oct), ¥28 (Nov–Mar)
Address: Tiantan Road, Dongcheng District, Beijing 北京市东城区天坛内东里7号
Recommended time: 3 hours
Summer Palace 颐和园
The Summer Palace is a UNESCO-listed royal retreat with scenic lakes, pavilions, and gardens. Stroll along the Long Corridor, admire the Marble Boat, and take a boat ride across Kunming Lake. For the best panoramic views, hike up to Longevity Hill.
Tickets can be bought on site.
Opening Hours:
April – October: 6am – 6pm
November – March: 7am – 5pm
Entrance fee:
Entry only: ¥30 (peak), ¥20 (off-season)
Combo ticket (for all attractions): ¥60 (peak), ¥50 (off-season)
Garden of Virtue and Harmony: ¥5
Palace Museum: ¥20
Tower of the Fragrance of Buddha: ¥10
Suzhou Street: ¥10
Address: 19 Xinjian Gongmen Road, Haidian District, Beijing
Recommended time: 3 hours
Tip: Suzhou Street was under construction works so most of it was covered up when we were there. Despite that, visitors could still purchase tickets to Suzhou Street. It’s best to ask the staff if anything is under construction/restoration works before purchasing tickets to the specific sites in the compound.
Day 2: Tiananmen Square – The Palace Museum
Tiananmen Square 天安门
Begin your day at Tiananmen Square, one of the world’s largest public squares. Here, you’ll see the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, and Mao Zedong’s Mausoleum. Arrive early to witness the flag-raising ceremony at sunrise.
NOTE: You have make a reservation at least 1 day in advance. Without a reservation, you will be allowed anywhere near.
Tip: The area is filled with barricades and is very confusing to walk. Arrive early as it is early to get lost. There are many guards around the area so you can ask for directions, but it is still a relatively long and confusing walk.
Opening Hours: Open 24 hours
Entrance Fee: Free
Address: Dongcheng District, Beijing
Recommended time: 1 hour
The Palace Museum/Forbidden City 故宫博物馆
Just across from Tiananmen Square lies the Forbidden City, Beijing’s most famous imperial palace. This massive complex, home to Chinese emperors for over 500 years, features the stunning Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Imperial Garden, and countless ornate halls filled with treasures.
NOTE: Tickets must be bought in advance as there is a limit to the number of visitors allowed in daily. Foreigners can book it through The Palace Museum website.
Tip: exit from Gate of Divine Prowess (神武门) so that you can cross the street to get to the next location.
Opening hours:
Apr–Oct: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (last entry 4:00 PM)
Nov–Mar: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (last entry 3:30 PM)
Entrance fee: ¥60 (Apr–Oct), ¥40 (Nov–Mar)
Recommended time: 4 – 5 hours
Jingshan Park (景山公园)
After exiting the Forbidden City, cross the street to Jingshan Park, a former imperial garden with a great panoramic view of the city. Climb up to Wanchun Pavilion, where you’ll get a bird’s-eye view of the Forbidden City.
Tip: Wear comfortable shoes, as there is quite a large flight of stairs leading up to Wanchun Pavilion.
Opening Hours:
Apr – Oct: 6am – 9pm
Nov – Mar: 6.30am – 8pm
Entrance fee: ¥2
Recommended time: ~1 hour
Day 3: Great Wall of China
No trip to Beijing is complete without visiting the Great Wall of China. The Mutianyu section is one of the most scenic and less crowded parts of the Wall, perfect for a day trip.
Mutianyu Great Wall 慕田峪长城
There are many sections of the Great Wall of China that are open to the public but 2 sections, Badaling and Mutianyu are particularly popular due to their accessibility from Beijing. Badaling is very popular with the locals and is usually very crowded due to it’s proximity to Beijing (around an hour drive). Mutianyu on the other hand, is around 1.5 hours drive from Beijing; hence less crowded than Badaling, making it a popular option with tourists.
The main attraction at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is definitely the toboggan, which allows visitors to slide down the Great Wall. To get to the tobboggan, choose the cableway (chairlift) route up.
Alternatively, you can also choose to hike or take the cable car up.
We book a private car hire via Klook and the driver promptly picked us up from out hotel at 8am as requested. Our driver also got the tickets sorted for us once we arrived, and we didn’t have to lift a finger. It was on the expensive side, costing us SGD70/pax for 2 of us excluding the tickets.
If you would prefer a cheaper way of getting to Mutianyu, there are various public transport options and also tour buses. This option will be much cheaper as the tour bus option costs around SGD 30-40/pax. Tickets can be bought on site as well.
Opening hours:
Peak season (16 Mar – 15 Nov): 7.30am – 6pm (weekdays), 7.30am – 6.30pm (weekends)
Off-peak season (16 Nov – 15 Mar): 8am – 5.30pm
Ticket Prices:
Shuttle bus: Round trip ¥15, One way ¥10
Cableway (one way): ¥100
Tobbogan (one way): ¥100
Cable car: Round trip ¥140, One way ¥100
Buy tickets on Trip.com: Shuttle bus + Cable car | Cableway + Toboggan
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When is the peak and off peak season in Beijing?
Generally, peak refers to the months April – October, and off peak refers to November – March. Some attractions such as Mutianyu have specific dates for when the peak and off peak period starts.
When is the best season/time to visit Beijing?
The weather in April to May and September to October are the best, because it is not too cold or too hot. However, this also means that attractions will be very crowded as many others will likely be travelling as well.
Is 3 days enough for Beijing?
3 days is enough to cover the highlights. I would personally recommend 5 days if you want to explore at a more leisurely pace and it would also allow you to visit theme parks such as Universal Studios or Popland.
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