What to Do in Beijing: 12 Sights That Earn the Journey
Beijing is a city of heavy sights, and the mistake most visitors make is trying to see them all. The Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Temple of Heaven are three different days, not three stops in one. Around them there is a city that is very good at eating and drinking, and the 798 art district, which is the most relaxed half-day the capital has to offer.
Which Beijing sights are worth the time?
The Forbidden City is the one that rewards patience: 980 buildings across 600 years of imperial history, and the complex is large enough that a rushed visit is mostly corridors. Allow three or four hours and take the audio guide. Come at opening, because the courtyards fill fast.
The Great Wall is the other must, and the section you pick changes everything. Mutianyu has cable cars up the mountain and is far less crowded than Badaling, which is where the tour buses go. It is the better walk and the better photographs.
The Temple of Heaven is a sacred Taoist temple with iconic circular architecture, and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the symbol everyone pictures. Best visited early in the morning, and easy to combine with the Lama Temple on the same day.
Tiananmen Square is the political heart of the city, a vast public space ringed by important buildings. It is worth crossing, and worth seeing in the early light.
The Summer Palace is an imperial garden of lakes, pavilions and the Long Corridor, and the view across Kunming Lake is the reason to go. Rent a boat on the lake rather than walking the whole perimeter.
The Lama Temple is a Buddhist temple and the residence of the Panchen Lama, with five grand halls and 500 arhat statues. The courtyard is one of the calmest places in central Beijing.
The Ming Tombs are thirteen imperial mausoleums from the Ming dynasty, and the Spirit Way walkway is the impressive part. They sit on the same road as the Great Wall, so they combine into one long day.
The Beijing Zoo is large and mostly unremarkable, except for the panda house, which is the attraction. Go early in the morning, when the pandas are awake.
The 798 Art Zone is a former military factory turned into galleries, studios and cafés, and the fact that nothing here was built to be a destination is the point. It is the easiest half-day in the city.
Houhai is a lake area in the Xicheng district with bars, restaurants and nightlife that comes alive after dark.
How much time does each one take?
The Forbidden City needs three or four hours and no more than that if you are sensible. The Great Wall is a full day once you count the journey to Mutianyu, which is over an hour each way by coach or tour, and less on the suburban railway’s S2 line in the right season. The Temple of Heaven and the Lama Temple fit into a morning together, with the Summer Palace comfortably filling an afternoon.
The 798 needs no planning at all, which is why it is the one to do when the weather or the energy is against you.
Three things that make the difference
Book the Forbidden City in advance. The main galleries require a reservation, the tickets go online a few days ahead, and they do sell out at the weekend. The audio guide is worth booking too.
Go to the Wall early. Arrive before the tour groups and the coaches, and the section is a completely different place from the one you arrive at eleven in the morning.
The metro is the answer to everything. 29 lines and more than 500 stations, ¥3-10 a ride, and it reaches almost all of this. Avoid rush hour — lines 1, 4, 10 and 13 are extremely crowded from 7 to 9 in the morning and 5 to 7 in the evening. Bring a power adapter for the phone, and cash for the small vendors, since many do not take foreign cards.
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Which Beijing sight should I not miss if I only have two days?
The Forbidden City and the Great Wall, and they are not interchangeable. The Forbidden City needs at least three or four hours — it is 980 buildings across six centuries, and an audio guide is worth it. For the Wall, go to the Mutianyu section rather than Badaling: it has cable cars and is far less crowded. The Temple of Heaven fits comfortably into a morning and can be combined with the Lama Temple in the same day.
How long does the Forbidden City take?
Allow at least three or four hours, and take the audio guide. The complex covers 72 hectares and 980 buildings across 600 years of imperial history, and it is easy to spend three hours walking and still not see the parts that matter. It opens early and the courtyards fill quickly, so the first hour is the most valuable one. If you have to cut it short, the Meridian Gate and the Hall of Supreme Harmony are the ones worth the time.
Is the Great Wall from Beijing worth the journey?
Very much so, and the section you pick changes the experience. Mutianyu has cable cars up the mountain and is markedly less crowded than Badaling, which is the one most tour buses go to. Badaling is closer and has more of the tourist infrastructure; Mutianyu is the better walk. The Ming Tombs are on the same road if you want to combine them into one long day.
What should I do in Beijing beyond the classic sights?
The 798 Art Zone is a former military factory turned into galleries, studios and cafes, and it is the most relaxed half-day in the city. Houhai is a lake district in Xicheng with bars, restaurants and a night-time buzz that comes alive after dark. The Beijing Zoo is unremarkable apart from the pandas, where it is worth going early in the morning when they are awake.
Do I need to book the Forbidden City in advance?
Yes. The main galleries require an advance reservation, and the tickets are released online a few days ahead and do sell out, particularly for a weekend. The audio guide is worth booking too, and you can usually get one on the day, but not always at peak times. If the reservation system is proving difficult, the surrounding hutongs and the Lama Temple are worth the time instead, and they need no booking at all.