At a glance
- Best time
- April–May and September–October (clear, dry, fewer crowds)
- How long
- 4–5 days
- Getting there
- Beijing Capital (PEK) / Daxing (PKX); Beijing, Beijing South and Beijing West rail stations
- Getting around
- Metro lines 1/2/4/8 reach the main sights — tap in with a QR code; taxis start around CNY 13
What to see and do
Forbidden City & the central axis
The largest surviving wooden palace complex on earth, on an axis that runs from the Meridian Gate all the way to Jingshan Hill.
Tip Do not leave from the north gate straight away — climb Jingshan's Wanchun Pavilion for the classic view down the axis, best at sunset.
Cost CNY 60 peak / CNY 40 off-season
Mutianyu Great Wall
Roughly half the crowds of Badaling, with two kilometres of wall rippling along a ridge — cable car up, toboggan down.
Tip Arrive before 8am to miss the 10:00–14:00 coach groups; late October is peak autumn colour.
Cost From CNY 45, cable car and toboggan extra
Temple of Heaven & the hutongs
The Hall of Prayer's blue-tiled roof is one of the most photogenic buildings in China, and the lanes around Shichahai and Nanluoguxiang are still lived in.
Tip Go early to watch locals practise tai chi and opera in the park; cycling beats walking in the hutongs.
Cost CNY 34 combined ticket
National Museum of China
Home to the Houmuwu ding and the Four-goat Square Zun — free, capped daily, and the fastest way to make sense of the country.
Tip Tickets drop 7 days ahead at 17:00; you can register with a passport. Closed Mondays.
Cost Free
What to eat
- Peking duck Crisp skin dipped in sugar, meat rolled in pancakes — locals rate Siji Minfu and Da Dong above the tourist names
- Zhajiangmian Hand-pulled noodles with six vegetable garnishes and fermented bean sauce, the old Beijing home staple
- Luzhu huoshao / douzhi The acquired-taste end of Beijing food: stewed offal with wheat cakes, and fermented mung-bean drink
Common questions
How many days do I need for Beijing, and when is it least crowded?
Four to five days. April to May and September to October are the clear, dry windows with fewer crowds; the Forbidden City and the central axis alone take a full day if you walk the axis properly.
Can a passport get me into the Forbidden City, and how far ahead do tickets go?
Yes — visitors from outside mainland China book on the official international site intl.dpm.org.cn with a passport, and enter with the same document; one ticket per document per day. There are no same-day tickets: tickets, including the Treasure Gallery and the Clock Gallery, drop 7 days ahead at 20:00 and are valid for the selected day only. Peak season (April 1 to October 31) is CNY 60, off-season CNY 40, and each extra gallery CNY 10.
Is the National Museum of China free, and do I still need a reservation?
Free, but still reservation-only — it is real-name, released on its own 7-day window, usually at 17:00, and capped daily with no on-site fallback. That release time is later than the Palace Museum’s 20:00, so the two are booked on separate days rather than in the same hour.
Booking & tickets
🏯 Forbidden City (Palace Museum)
Real-name reservation required — no third-party resellers are authorized. Visitors from outside mainland China book on the official international site intl.dpm.org.cn with a passport; mainland visitors use the Palace Museum WeChat mini program.
What you need to know
- No same-day tickets: tickets (including the Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery) drop 7 days ahead at 20:00 and are valid for the selected day only
- Closed Mondays (except public holidays); peak season (Apr 1–Oct 31) CNY 60, off-season CNY 40, Treasure Gallery / Clock Gallery CNY 10 each
- Visitors from outside mainland China book and enter with a passport or a Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card; one ticket per document per day
- Single entrance at the Meridian Gate (south side); exits are the Gate of Divine Prowess (north) or the East Prosperity Gate (east); morning slots must enter by 12:00
- The Tiananmen Square area is one-way traffic only; if you are heading straight to the Forbidden City, take the East or West Tongzihe (moat-side) road to reach the Meridian Gate directly
How to book
-
intl.dpm.org.cn (official international site)
Passport accepted
Register with your passport, pick a date and time slot, book with the passport number; enter by showing that same passport (no paper ticket). If it is sold out, foreigners can buy at the on-site ticket office with a passport, subject to availability
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WeChat mini program 「故宫博物院」 (Palace Museum mini program)
Passport accepted
The mainland channel; a passport can also be registered and used to book, and entry is by passport plus a face check
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Official website ticket.dpm.org.cn (online booking)
Passport accepted
The museum’s own booking entry, same inventory as the mini program
Sources
🧱 Great Wall: Mutianyu & Badaling
Badaling requires real-name reservations; Mutianyu draws many international visitors and its ticketing is friendly to foreign documents — cable car and toboggan tickets can be bought on site.
What you need to know
- Badaling: book with real-name registration on the official Badaling Great Wall mini program or the official ticketing site; holiday tickets go fast, so grab them as soon as they drop
- Mutianyu: buy on the official website or the official WeChat account, or purchase with your passport at the on-site ticket windows
- Avoid public holidays at both sections; set out early to dodge the 10:00–14:00 crowd peak
How to book
-
WeChat mini program 「八达岭长城」 (Badaling Great Wall mini program)
Passport accepted
Make a real-name reservation and buy tickets with your passport number
-
Mutianyu official website mutianyugreatwall.com
Passport accepted
Your passport works for both online purchase and on-site ticket windows
Sources
ℹ️ Beijing: General Booking Rules
The National Museum of China (free, advance real-name reservation), Tiananmen Square (reservation and security check) and the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall all have separate reservation channels.
What you need to know
- Almost every top sight uses real-name booking through official mini programs or official accounts — there is no on-site ticket fallback
- Release schedules differ: Palace Museum tickets drop 7 days ahead at 20:00; the National Museum usually releases its 7-day window at 17:00
- A passport is accepted on all official channels; if a system takes Chinese ID cards only, go to the on-site comprehensive service window for manual handling
- Closed Mondays is the museum norm; the Palace Museum and the National Museum open as usual on public holidays with larger quotas