Getting around Beijing: public transport, passes and taxis

Beijing is a grid city with a dense metro, cheap taxis and heavy traffic. The choice is usually metro versus taxi, and the answer depends on distance, time of day and how far you are from a station entrance.

Distances are large: the historic centre to the Summer Palace is about 20 km, and the centre to Daxing airport is 46 km. Anything under about 5 km is often quicker by taxi or bike than by walking to a station, riding and walking out again.

The metro is the workhorse. Trains run every few minutes, stations have English signage and announcements, and every entrance has a bag scanner. Fares are distance-based, roughly ¥2–10 a ride (check).

You do not need a paper ticket. A stored-value card is sold at station service desks, usually with a deposit, and you tap in and out (check). The simpler option for many visitors is the transit QR inside Alipay or WeChat Pay, which works on buses too (check). Both need a working payment app set up before you arrive.

There is no tourist travelcard that reliably beats pay-as-you-go for a normal visit; short-period passes exist in some periods but you would need to ride heavily to come out ahead (check). Child fare rules: check.

Taxis are cheap by US or UK standards: ¥13 flag fall, so most central rides land between ¥20 and ¥60. Drivers rarely speak English, so have your destination written in Chinese or open in a map app.

DiDi is the local ride-hailing app and also works inside Alipay. Foreign-card support, upfront fares and in-app message translation: check. Pickup points in big complexes can be confusing; the app names a specific gate or corner, so read it carefully.

At the airport, ignore anyone approaching you inside the arrivals hall and use the official taxi rank or the app. Unlicensed drivers quote flat rates that are usually higher than the meter.

Beijing is flat and has wide bike lanes on most main roads, plus dockless share bikes on nearly every corner. Unlocking needs a Chinese payment app; typical pricing is about ¥1.5–2 per 30 minutes (check). It is the fastest way to cover the hutongs around the Drum Tower and Houhai.

Walking is pleasant inside the old lanes but not between sights: the Forbidden City to the Temple of Heaven is about 5 km, and summer heat and winter wind make that a metro or taxi trip. Crossings are long and some underpasses are the only way over major roads.

A sightseeing day on the metro usually costs ¥10–20 per person (2026 estimate, check). Mixing in two taxi rides pushes it to ¥60–120. A taxi-heavy day with an airport run can reach ¥200 or more.

Budget travellers should set up the transit QR before flying; it is the single biggest time saver. Everyone else should keep ¥100–200 in cash for the rare card reader that fails.

Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly; both can be awkward to fix once you are in China. The same apps cover metro QR, DiDi, share bikes and most shops.

Carry your passport: it is needed to buy some tickets, to register at hotels and to pass police checks on intercity buses. For intercity legs, high-speed rail is the default and tickets are real-name, so book with the passport you carry.

Download an offline map and a translation app. Station exits are numbered and can be far apart, so check which exit your destination needs before you surface.