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Voykit pocket guide · China
Beijing
北京
Beijing is big and spread out: do one district per half-day, book the Forbidden City by passport before you fly, ride the subway or a taxi between districts, and expect security checks and QR payment everywhere.
Beijing's sights are on a grand north-south axis with wide roads, security checks and long walks between gates. The trips that go wrong pay for it in three ways: the Forbidden City closed or sold out on the day, a suitcase in a hutong that cars cannot enter, and a phone that cannot pay or load a map. Four walking clusters cover a first visit; two airports and a car ride make the arrival the main risk.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 北京
- Best months
- Apr · May · Sep · Nov
- Time zone
- Asia/Shanghai
- Stay
- 2 days: Forbidden City morning, Wangfujing evening; Temple of Heaven the next morning
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- China runs on QR-code mobile payment: set up Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card before you fly, since many small shops and stalls no longer take cash or foreign cards easily. Keep some cash as a backup.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥250–450 excl. bed · Mid ¥450–1,000 excl. bed · High ¥1,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Install an eSIM before you fly (and set up a VPN in advance — see below), or buy a China-registered SIM at the airport with your passport.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 120 · Tourist hotline 12301
- Plugs
- 220 V; sockets vary (types A, C, I): bring a universal adapter.
- Tipping
- Not expected or customary in mainland China, including restaurants, taxis and hotels. Do not tip unless a service explicitly adds a charge.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; use bottled or boiled water. Hotels usually provide a kettle.
- Toilets
- Malls, stations and parks; carry tissues, as some public toilets do not supply paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café | ¥25–40 |
| Noodles or dumplings, hutong shop | ¥15–35 |
| Beer, bottle at a restaurant | ¥8–20 |
| Subway ride | ¥3–9 |
| Short taxi or DiDi ride | ¥15–35 |
| Tourist SIM or eSIM, about a week | ¥60–150 |
| Museum or temple entry | ¥20–60 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)
- PEK to central Beijing: a taxi or DiDi straight to the door, 40–70 minutes; the cheaper Airport Express train runs only until late evening, so treat the car as the plan.
- Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX)
- PKX to central Beijing: 46 km south, a taxi or DiDi in 60–95 minutes to the door; the airport express trains stop earlier than flights land, so check your ticket for the right airport before you book the hotel.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing South Railway Station (北京南站) | High-speed trains to Shanghai, Tianjin, and the south-east | Subway (Lines 4 and 14) or a car, 25–40 min |
| Beijing Railway Station (北京站) | Some regional and older long-distance routes | Subway (Line 2) or walkable to Wangfujing |
| Beijing West Railway Station (北京西站) | South-west and long-distance routes, including to Xi'an on some lines | Subway (Lines 7, 9) or a car, 30–45 min |
Typical fares
- PEK → centre, car
- About ¥100–150, 40–60 min depending on traffic
- PKX → centre, car
- About ¥150–220, 60–90 min
- Subway ride
- ¥3–9
Get around
Subway between clusters, walk inside each cluster, DiDi or taxi for bags and late nights. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you fly for both transit and payments.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside a single cluster |
| Subway | ¥3–9 by distance | Between clusters, most of the city |
| DiDi (ride-hailing) | Similar to a metered taxi | Bags, late nights, door-to-door |
| Taxi | Flag fall about ¥14, then per km | Street hail when apps are slow |
| Bus | ¥1–2 with a transit card | Budget travel on routes the subway does not cover |
| Rental bike share | A few yuan per ride via Alipay/WeChat mini-programs | Short hops, hutong exploring |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. A subway ride is about ¥3–7; a short taxi starts near ¥14.
- Late at night
- The subway stops around 23:00; after that use a taxi or DiDi. Check the last train in Amap.
See and do
01Forbidden City in the first entry slot故宫博物院
The largest palace complex in the world; go early to beat the tour groups and the heat.
Hours: best First morning slot · Price: ¥40–60 · Time: 2–3 h
02Jingshan Park for the palace-rooftop view景山公园
A short climb for the single best photo of the Forbidden City.
Hours: best Right after the palace, or late afternoon · Price: Small fee · Time: 30–45 min · 39.9242, 116.3903
03Temple of Heaven天坛
Ming-dynasty prayer halls set in a huge cypress park; go at opening with the locals doing tai chi.
Hours: best 06:00–09:00 · Price: ¥28–34 · Time: 60–90 min
04Tiananmen Square天安门广场
The world's largest public square and the gateway to the Forbidden City.
Hours: best Early, on the way to the palace · Price: Free · Time: 15–30 min · 39.9092, 116.3975
05Drum Tower and Bell Tower鼓楼、钟楼
700 years of Beijing timekeeping and a steep climb to a hutong rooftop view.
Hours: best Late afternoon for the light · Price: Small fee per tower · Time: 30–45 min · 39.9397, 116.4031
06Lama Temple (Yonghegong)雍和宫
Beijing's largest working Tibetan Buddhist temple, with an 18 m sandalwood Buddha.
Hours: best Morning, avoiding the 1st and 15th lunar-month crowds · Price: Check current price · Time: 60–90 min · 39.9472, 116.4103
07Great Wall day trip (Mutianyu)
Not to be skipped if you have a spare day; less crowded and better restored than Badaling.
Hours: best Weekday, early departure · Price: ¥40–180 with cable car · Time: Full day
08Peking duck dinner利群烤鸭店
Beijing's signature dish, at a small hutong institution or a polished alternative.
Hours: best Evening, booked ahead · Price: ¥150–400 shared · Time: 1–1.5 h
09Wangfujing Street and snack lane王府井大街 / 王府井小吃街
A flat, air-conditioned evening street with a spectacle-food snack lane.
Hours: best Evening · Price: Free to walk through · Time: 45–75 min · 39.9148, 116.4106
10Nanluoguxiang hutong wander
Beijing's best-known surviving hutong lane, cafés and courtyard architecture.
Hours: best Afternoon into evening · Price: Free · Time: 60–90 min
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mutianyu Great Wall | Car or tour bus, about 1.5–2 h each way | Full day |
| Badaling Great Wall | High-speed train from Qinghe or Beijing North, about 30–50 min, or a car | Full day |
| Summer Palace | Subway (Line 4 to Beigongmen) or a car, about 45–60 min | Half day |
| 798 Art District | Subway plus a short taxi, or a direct car, about 40–50 min | Half day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hutong noodle and dumpling house | Zhajiangmian (noodles) or jiaozi (dumplings) · Nanluoguxiang hutongs | ¥15–35 | Budget |
| Teahouse and snack stalls, Temple of Heaven Park | Jianbing, tanghulu, tea by the pot · Temple of Heaven Park gates | ¥10–25 | Budget |
| Roadside jianbing stalls | Savoury breakfast crepe · Citywide | ¥8–15 | Budget |
| Liqun Roast Duck | Peking duck · Hutongs south of Tiananmen | ¥150–300 shared | Mid-range |
| Haidilao Hot Pot (Wangfujing area) | Hot pot · Wangfujing | ¥80–150 | Mid-range |
| Da Dong Roast Duck (Wangfujing area) | Table-side carved Peking duck · Wangfujing | ¥250–400 shared | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Addresses and hours change: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | ¥150–300 dorm bed · ¥250–450 double | Wangfujing, Gulou hutongs | Hostels, small guesthouses, budget chains |
| mid | ¥450–900 | Wangfujing, Dongcheng | 3–4 star hotels, boutique courtyard hotels |
| splurge | ¥1,500+ | Wangfujing, Chaoyang | International chains, luxury courtyard hotels |
Per room per night in yuan, 2026 estimate; Spring Festival and National Day week can push prices up sharply or sell out beds entirely.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nee how |
| Thank you | 谢谢shieh-shieh |
| How much is this? | 多少钱?dwaw shaow chyen |
| Not spicy, please | 不要辣boo yaow lah |
| Delicious! | 好吃!how chir |
| The bill, please | 买单my dahn |
| Please take me to this address | 请带我去这个地址ching dye waw chyew jer guh dee jee |
| Stop here, please | 在这里停车dzeye jer lee ting cher |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Temples: Modest dress is respectful; do not step on door thresholds — step over them; ask before photographing monks or worshippers.
- Queues: Security-zone queues (Tiananmen, the Forbidden City) are orderly and monitored; general queues elsewhere can be looser — stand your ground politely.
- Tipping: Not customary or expected anywhere in mainland China; do not tip unless a service charge is already added.
- Paying: QR-code mobile payment (Alipay/WeChat Pay) is the default; cash is a fallback, not the norm, in the city centre.
- Photos: Ask before photographing people up close; never photograph police, military or security checkpoints.
- Meals: Shared dishes are the norm at group meals; wait for the host to start, and expect toasting rounds with baijiu at more formal dinners.
Red lines
- Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City: security checks, passport at the gate, no flags or banners.
- Do not photograph military sites or police.
- Temples: do not step on thresholds; silence in prayer halls.
Scams and watch-outs
- 'Tea ceremony' or 'art student' invitations near Wangfujing and Tiananmen: a friendly stranger leads you to a tea house or gallery, then a bill for hundreds of yuan appears. Politely decline any unsolicited invitation.
- Unofficial 'guides' at the Forbidden City offering to skip the queue: tickets are timed and passport-checked — nobody can actually skip the line; walk away.
- Rickshaw drivers in the hutongs who quote a price 'per person' and multiply it at the end: agree the total fare in writing before you start.
- Fake or over-priced 'antiques' sold as ancient: assume anything sold on the street is new, and buy only for what you would pay regardless of age.
One and two days
1 day
The first day of the timed plan.
Day 1 — Tiananmen and the Forbidden City in the first slot
- 07:30Tiananmen Square
- Forbidden City (Palace Museum)
- Jingshan Park (optional)
- 09:00Your timed slot at the Forbidden City (book by passport)
- Hotel or AC mall 13:30–16:00; roast duck in the evening (book ahead).
2 days
The first two days of the timed plan.
Day 1 — Tiananmen and the Forbidden City in the first slot
- 07:30Tiananmen Square
- Forbidden City (Palace Museum)
- Jingshan Park (optional)
- 09:00Your timed slot at the Forbidden City (book by passport)
- Hotel or AC mall 13:30–16:00; roast duck in the evening (book ahead).
Day 2 — Temple of Heaven at opening, hutongs in the afternoon
- 07:00Temple of Heaven
- Nanluoguxiang & Gulou hutongs (optional)
- Evening: lanes and cafés off Nanluoguxiang; take a taxi back after 21:00.
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Beijing (official tourism): english.visitbeijing.com.cn/
- Palace Museum (Forbidden City): www.dpm.org.cn/
- Wikivoyage - Beijing: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Beijing
- Wikitravel - Beijing: wikitravel.org/en/Beijing
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Beijing北京
请带我去这个地址
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- 故宫博物院Forbidden City (Palace Museum)
- 景山公园Jingshan Park
- 天坛Temple of Heaven
- 天安门广场Tiananmen Square
- 鼓楼、钟楼Drum Tower and Bell Tower
- 雍和宫Lama Temple (Yonghegong)
Most embassies are in Chaoyang district; write your own embassy's 24-hour line below.
Show the address in Chinese characters; drivers and DiDi search that, not romanised pinyin.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/beijing). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.