region
North China
Sleep in Beijing; do the Great Wall as one day, Tianjin only if you have a free half-day, and keep everything inside the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area if you use the transit exemption.
Rules in force · 5
- China ↗Most nationalities need a visa, a unilateral visa-free entry (the list and end dates change) or the transit exemption below. Confirm your route on the official sites before you buy a ticket.
- China ↗Transit stay without a visa: up to 240 hours (10 days) for citizens of about 55 listed countries who pass through China to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket and a stay inside the permitted area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei count as one area). It replaced the 144-hour rule in December 2024, which some older pages still quote. Use the transit lane at immigration, show the onward ticket, and check the current nationality list. Hong Kong and Macau count as separate regions; check whether your ticket qualifies.
- China ↗Foreign visitors must register their address with the police within 24 hours; hotels do it at check-in with your passport. Carry the original passport at all times: hotels, trains, museums, Tiananmen Square and police checks ask for it.
- China ↗Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly. QR payment is the default in shops, taxis and many stalls, and some places refuse cash or a foreign card. Carry cash as a backup.
- China ↗Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many news sites are blocked. Use an eSIM with roaming (it routes through your home network) or install and test a VPN before you fly; VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach inside China, and only government-approved VPNs are officially permitted.
The north is one base and a few trips out. The Great Wall sections, Tianjin and Chengde are all reachable in a day from Beijing, so keep the bed and go with a day pack. Winter is dry and cold, and spring can bring dust: check air quality and the forecast before you commit to a wall day.
Where to sleep
Wangfujing for first-timers; the Gulou hutongs for a slower base.
1.5–3 h each way by tour car, bus or train; sections differ a lot in crowds and climbs.
High-speed train, about 30 min each way.
Summer palace complex; 2–3 h by train or car.
Night sequences
- 4 nights
- Beijing 4, Great Wall day
- 6 nights
- Beijing 5 + Chengde 1 night, or Tianjin half-day
- Beijing + Great Wall + Shanghai + Xi'an in 5 days is mostly airports and stations.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Wall (Mutianyu) | Beijing | 120 min | unknown | Tour cars and buses leave early; return times are set by the operator. |
| Tianjin | Beijing | 90 min | unknown | Trains run late; book with your passport on the official app or Trip.com. |
Bags between cities
Hotels store bags; some run luggage delivery to the airport. Keep the big bag in Beijing and take a day pack.