Beijing itinerary: 1, 2 and 3 days

Pick the row that matches your nights, then read the day-by-day detail below. Times are walking-and-metro estimates from a central hotel, not door-to-door.

Start early at Tiananmen Square, then walk north through the Forbidden City. Give the palace two to three hours; the central axis from the Meridian Gate to the Gate of Divine Prowess is the core, and the side halls are quieter. Exit at the north gate and climb Jingshan Park for the view back over the roofs — 15 to 20 minutes up.

Afternoon: walk or take the metro to the Drum and Bell Towers area and wander the surrounding hutongs on foot. Finish with dinner in the same neighbourhood rather than crossing the city again. If you only have one day, this is the day to keep; the Great Wall does not fit without cutting the palace short.

Day 1 as above. On day 2, go south in the morning to the Temple of Heaven, where locals exercise and sing in the surrounding park; the park ticket is cheap and the main halls cost extra. Walk north through Qianmen and the restored shopping street, then spend the afternoon in the hutongs around Nanluoguxiang or Shichahai.

Evening options: a Peking duck dinner, or the lakeside bars at Shichahai. Two days covers the imperial core and a feel for the old city, but not the Wall — if the Wall matters more than the hutongs, swap day 2 for a Wall trip and accept a rushed first day.

Days 1 and 2 as above. Day 3 is the Great Wall. Mutianyu is the usual pick for a first visit: restored, with a cable car up and a toboggan down, and usually less crowded than Badaling. Badaling is the closest and busiest, reachable by train or bus; both need most of a day once you count the drive.

Leave by 7–8am to be on the wall before the tour buses. Book a private car, a small-group tour or the official bus rather than an unlicensed driver at your hotel. Back in the city by late afternoon, you still have the evening for a show or an early dinner.

If you have a fourth day, add the Summer Palace in the northwest, or 798 Art District if you want a break from imperial sights.

Beijing is cheap by US or Western European standards. Metro rides are a few yuan, a bowl of noodles or dumplings is a small outlay, and the big-ticket items are the Forbidden City, the Wall and any private car. Budget travellers can do three days on roughly ¥400–700 excluding accommodation; mid-range travellers with taxis and a Wall tour should plan ¥800–1,500 (about US$110–210).

Museums and parks often have a low park ticket plus a separate main-hall ticket. Carry your passport: it is needed for bookings, some entries and hotel registration.

Book the Forbidden City and any Wall tour before you arrive; both sell out in peak season and the palace closes one day a week. Use the metro for everything inside the Third Ring Road — it is fast, signed in English and avoids traffic. For the Wall, the airport or a late night, use a licensed taxi or a ride-hailing app through Alipay or WeChat.

Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly; many places no longer handle cash smoothly. A local eSIM or roaming plan solves maps and messaging, since some foreign apps need a VPN.