Beijing for first-timers: sights, Great Wall, stay and transport

Plan around the big sights first

Beijing (北京) is China's capital and the easiest city to start with: the sights are huge, the metro reaches almost all of them, and a first trip fits in three or four days. The main rule is that the popular places need advance booking, so fix your dates before you book hotels.

The main sights

• The Forbidden City (故宫, Gugong): book the timed entry in advance on the official ticketing channel using your passport details, because entry is by real name and slots can sell out. Bring the same passport you booked with.
• Tiananmen Square (天安门广场): it sits just south of the Forbidden City and has airport-style security checks, so carry your passport and expect queues. Some visits may need a separate reservation, so check the current rules.
• Temple of Heaven (天坛, Tiantan): a park-like complex where emperors prayed for harvests; locals exercise and play cards in the grounds in the morning.
• Summer Palace (颐和园, Yiheyuan): a lake and hill garden in the northwest; allow half a day and reach it by metro.

Great Wall: choosing a section

Sections differ a lot in crowds and effort, so pick one rather than trying to see all three. Check the current booking and transport options on each section's official channel.

Whichever section you choose, wear shoes with grip, bring water, and treat the steps as steep and uneven. Weather changes quickly on the ridge, and winter wind is strong. Read the section's official notice on the day before you go, since closures for maintenance or weather do happen.

Hutongs, 798 and where to stay

Hutongs (胡同) are the old alleys of central Beijing. Nanluoguxiang is the busy tourist one; quieter lanes around Shichahai and Yonghegong show more daily life. The 798 Art Zone (798艺术区) in the northeast is a converted factory area with galleries, cafes and design shops.

• Wangfujing / Dongcheng: central, close to the Forbidden City and metro lines 1 and 5; good for first-timers.
• Qianmen / Dashilar: old-town feel, near Tiananmen and Temple of Heaven.
• Sanlitun / Chaoyang: modern, restaurants and nightlife, further from the old sights.

Metro and airports

Beijing Subway is the practical backbone. Every station has security screening, and signs and announcements include English. Use a payment app or check the official transit app for the current way to ride. Capital Airport (PEK, 首都机场) links to the city by the Airport Express rail line to Dongzhimen, then metro lines. Daxing Airport (PKX, 大兴机场) is much further south and has its own Daxing Airport Express to Caoqiao, so leave extra time and check which airport your flight uses.

A 3-4 day plan

1. 11일차Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in the morning, then Jingshan Park for the view over the palace roofs.
2. 22일차A Great Wall section, preferably Mutianyu, with a full day reserved for travel.
3. 33일차Temple of Heaven in the morning, hutongs and Shichahai in the afternoon.
4. 4Day 4Summer Palace, then 798 Art Zone if you still have energy.

Phone, data and payments

Many foreign services such as Google, LINE, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are usually not reachable on mainland networks or hotel Wi-Fi. A travel eSIM from a non-Chinese provider usually routes data through a gateway outside the mainland, similar to roaming, which is why these apps usually open on it. Nobody can guarantee every app on every network, so test before relying on it. Keep your Thai SIM on for SMS and bank OTP. For payments, set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign Visa or Mastercard and verify your passport before the trip, and carry some cash and a physical card as backup.

흔한 실수

• Not booking the Forbidden City before arriving, then finding the slots gone.
• Leaving the passport at the hotel; it is needed for entry, security and train tickets.
• Choosing the wrong airport at Daxing and underestimating the distance.
• Trying Badaling, Mutianyu and Jinshanling in one trip.
• Relying on the Thai SIM roaming for maps and payments without testing first.

Get a China eSIM before you fly