Beijing itinerary
7 days, hour by hour · ChinaOctober–May
- Days
- 7
- Stops
- 31
- Per day
- ≈ ¥614
- First stop
- 08:00
Short answer
The TripWalkers Beijing itinerary runs 7 days and lays out 31 stops, hour by hour, for October–May. The first three days:
- Day 1 Tiananmen and the Forbidden City
- Day 2 Great Wall at Mutianyu
- Day 3 Temple of Heaven and hutongs
Staying less? Start with the first days — TripWalkers uses the opening days of this plan for shorter trips too. Days 2 and 6 are day trips out of the city. Food, entry fees and local transport come to about ¥614 a day (excluding accommodation and flights).
Day 1 · 08:00–17:00
Tiananmen and the Forbidden City
Landmark
Tiananmen Square
One of the world's largest squares, with a passport check and a security queue. Visit Mao's Mausoleum in the morning.
FreeCulture
Forbidden City
The Ming-Qing palace. Book your ticket online with your passport 7 days ahead (WeChat or the official site; it sells out). Walking from south to north takes 3.5 hours. Closed on Mondays.
≈ ¥60 per personNature
Jingshan Park
A hill north of the Forbidden City with a 360° view of the golden roofs.
≈ ¥2 per personFood
Siji Minfu Peking Duck
Peking duck near Jingshan, better and more affordable than Quanjude. Expect a queue.
≈ ¥200 per person- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Nature
Beihai Park
The imperial lake and the White Dagoba; rowing boats available.
≈ ¥10 per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Quanjude QianmenA Peking duck institution since 1864; touristy but historic.
- National Museum of ChinaA huge museum on Tiananmen Square, free to enter. Go if you have no Forbidden City ticket.
Day 2 · 08:30–16:00Day trip
Great Wall at Mutianyu
Nature
Mutianyu Great Wall
1.5 hours from the city (tour about 400 CNY, or bus 916 plus taxi). Take the cable car up, walk between towers 14 and 23, then ride the toboggan down. Go in the morning, when there is no fog.
≈ ¥120 per personFood
Mutianyu Village Restaurant
A village restaurant below the wall, serving trout and dumplings.
≈ ¥60 per person- 45 min · travel, break, free time
Culture
Hongluo Temple
A mountain temple in Huairou, on the way back.
≈ ¥50 per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Jinshanling Great WallA wilder, emptier stretch of wall, 2.5 hours away. Best for hikers.
- Subway Restaurant MutianyuFast food at the tour entrance, as an alternative to the village restaurant.
Day 3 · 08:00–17:00
Temple of Heaven and hutongs
Culture
Temple of Heaven
The blue-roofed Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. In the morning, retirees do tai chi, dance and play racket games in the park.
≈ ¥35 per personShopping
Qianmen Street
A restored Qing-era street, with the Dashilan alleys nearby.
FreeFood
Liqun Roast Duck
A legendary duck restaurant inside a hutong. Book ahead. It is run-down but good.
≈ ¥250 per person- 1 h 15 min · travel, break, free time
Nature
Shichahai and Houhai Lake
Walk around the lake: boats in summer, ice skating in winter.
FreeLandmark
Nanluoguxiang Hutong
A touristy hutong street. The side lanes hold real courtyard houses, and a rickshaw tour costs 100 CNY.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Mr. Shi's Dumplings NanluoguxiangDumplings, as an alternative to duck.
- Drum and Bell TowersA performance at the Drum Tower, as an alternative to the lake.
Day 4 · 08:00–17:00
Summer Palace and 798
Culture
Summer Palace
Kunming Lake and the Long Corridor. It is empty in the morning. Boat 20 CNY, plus the Marble Boat.
≈ ¥60 per personFood
Summer Palace Suzhou Street
A canal street inside the palace grounds, good for snacks.
≈ ¥40 per person- 1 h 15 min · travel, break, free time
Culture
798 Art District
Galleries in old factories: UCCA (60 CNY), graffiti and cafés.
FreeFood
798 Café Timezone 8
A café in the art district.
≈ ¥50 per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Old Summer Palace YuanmingyuanThe ruins of a burned palace, as an alternative to 798.
- Nuage Vietnamese HouhaiVietnamese food by the lake, for the evening.
Day 5 · 09:00–20:00
Lama Temple, Confucius and Wangfujing
Culture
Lama Temple Yonghegong
A Tibetan Buddhist temple with an 18 m Maitreya statue carved from a single tree. Incense is included in the ticket.
≈ ¥25 per personCulture
Confucius Temple Beijing
A quiet courtyard with stelae, and Guozijian Street alongside.
≈ ¥30 per personFood
Wudaoying Hutong
A hipster hutong with cafés and vegan food, next to the Lama Temple.
≈ ¥80 per person- 1 h · travel, break, free time
Shopping
Wangfujing
A shopping street with Oriental Plaza and a bookshop.
Free- 3 h · travel, break, free time
Food
Ghost Street Gui Jie
A 24-hour food street lined with red lanterns. Try malaxiaolongxia (spicy crayfish) and hot pot.
≈ ¥150 per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Haidilao Hot Pot WangfujingA hot pot chain famous for its service.
- Ditan ParkThe park around the Temple of Earth, as an alternative to the Confucius Temple.
Day 6 · 09:00–17:30Day trip
Ming Tombs and Olympic Park
Culture
Ming Tombs Changling
1 hour from the city. Tombs of 13 emperors and the statues along the Sacred Way.
≈ ¥45 per personLandmark
Sacred Way Ming Tombs
A road lined with stone animals and official statues.
≈ ¥30 per personFood
Changping Village Restaurant
Village food on the way back, including jiaozi (dumplings).
≈ ¥50 per person- 1 h 30 min · travel, break, free time
Landmark
Olympic Park Bird's Nest
The 2008 Bird's Nest and Water Cube. Free from the outside; 50 CNY to go in.
FreeNature
Olympic Forest Park
A huge park for walking, with a lake.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Water Cube RestaurantNext to the Water Cube.
- Juyongguan Great WallA wall pass near the Ming Tombs, for a second Great Wall day.
Day 7 · 08:00–13:15
Easy farewell morning
Nature
Ritan Park
A park in the old embassy district, with tai chi in the morning.
Free- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Shopping
Sanlitun Taikoo Li
Modern shopping, an Apple store and cafés.
FreeFood
Jing-A Brewing Sanlitun
Beijing craft beer and burgers for a farewell lunch.
≈ ¥120 per person- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Landmark
Beijing Capital Airport Express Dongzhimen
The airport express takes 25 minutes. For Daxing, go from Caoqiao.
≈ ¥25 per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Xian Lao Man DumplingsA dumpling chain for a cheap farewell meal.
- Silk Street MarketA market for knock-offs and silk. Haggle. An alternative to Taikoo.
Good to know: 6 things that make a Beijing trip easier
- The metro costs 3-9 CNY, has an extensive network and English signs. Use Didi taxis (paid via Alipay). The airport express goes to Dongzhimen. For Mutianyu and the Ming Tombs, take a tour or use Didi.
- Visas: in 2026 many countries get 30 days visa-free entry (check for Türkiye). Alipay and WeChat Pay work with foreign cards. Set up a VPN beforehand.
- October (autumn) is the best season. Winter drops to -8°C and is dry and polluted (wear a mask). Expect sandstorms in March and April, and the New Year holiday in February (many places closed).
- You need your passport to enter the Forbidden City and Mao's Mausoleum. Forbidden City tickets sell out, so book online 7 days ahead. Closed on Mondays.
- Peking duck costs 200-300 CNY (for 2), jiaozi 30-60 and hot pot 150. Tipping is not expected. A jianbing (savoury crepe) breakfast on the street costs 10 CNY.
- Google and WhatsApp do not work. Use Baidu Maps or Apple Maps.
Spending: ≈ ¥4,300 per person for 7 days
- Food¥2,000
- Entry and tours¥1,200
- Local transport¥700
- Other¥400
Excludes accommodation and flights. 2026 price estimate, per person.
On world lists: 1 place in this city
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Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Beijing?
This itinerary is built for 7 days. With 3 days, do the first 3 — TripWalkers uses the opening days of the plan for shorter trips too. The day trip is on day 2 and 6; skip it on a short stay.
How much does a day in Beijing cost?
In this plan, food, entry fees and local transport come to about ¥614 per person per day. Accommodation and flights are not included. Figures are 2026 estimates.
What time should you start the day in Beijing?
The first stop is at 08:00. Most days start early so you arrive before the crowds, and evenings end with dinner.
Which season is this itinerary for?
This page covers October–May. There is a separate plan for June–September: opening hours, the sea and the weather change the route.