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3-Day Beijing Itinerary: What to See in China’s Capital (+ Map)
Visiting Beijing, the capital of China, is An incredible experience that you cannot miss if you travel to the Asian Giant. Being a large city with a lot of historical and cultural heritage, it seems like you are walking inside a museum. In addition to, of course, You are just a few kilometers from the Great Wall of China, A must see in any China travel itinerary and of course one of the best things to see in Beijing in 3 days.
This Beijing itinerary in 3 days It will allow you to discover the most emblematic places, such as the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and some lesser-known sites that we recommend you don't miss. Furthermore, it will show youcaremo what to see in Beijing strategically so that you make the most of your time.
Throughout this 3-day itinerary in Beijing we will not only recommend the typical places to see in Beijing, but we will also We will share very useful tips with you, such as how to get from one place to another efficiently and cheaply or where to try some typical dishes like Peking duck.
It is common for many international flights to a stopover in Beijing, if this is your case and you have a few hours to spare you can take advantage of the free 30-day visa to visit the city. The migration process in China is quite tedious and long both to leave the airport and to re-enter, so If your stopover does not last more than 6-7 hours We do not recommend you go out.
Itinerary of 3 days in Beijing
For many, Beijing is the first stop on a trip through China, for that reason we recommend reading our The ultimate guide to traveling to China. In it you can find all the essential tips for any traveler who arrives for the first time to the Asian giant. If you have started in Shanghai we will explain How to get from Shanghai to Beijing by train.
China has not seemed to us to be a difficult country for tourists, but there are certain things that work very differently from the rest of the world. We traveled to South Korea In the middle of our route through China to be able to extend the visa (currently the visa has been increased to 30 days) and we thought they would be very similar countries but we realized that they have nothing to do with each other. China is a world apart.
Day 1: Beijing City Center Must-Sees
Tiananmen square
Start your first day in Beijing at Tiananmen Square, one of the largest squares in the world and a symbol of modern Chinese history. If you go early enough there won't be many people yet, although considering that it is the most important square in the country you can imagine that it is always full of people. Here you can visit the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong and the famous Tiananmen Gate presided over by a huge portrait of Mao.
The founding of the People's Republic of China was proclaimed here in 1949. To get to the Tiananmen square We recommend you go by metro using line 1, the station has strong police controls and ⚠️ You will need to bring your passport with you so we can go out to the square.
Access to Tiananmen It is very controlled, to be able to access the square you need to reserve a ticket through the WeChat app. Inside the app you have a search engine where you must copy this: The author of the book "The Greatest Hits in the World"You'll see something called a mini-program that lets you book tickets. Entry is free, and we recommend booking a few days in advance, although there's almost always availability. If you have any questions about how to book, leave them in the comments and we'll try to answer them.
Forbidden City, one of the best places to see in Beijing
Next to Tiananmen is one of the most important places to see in Beijing: the Forbidden CityThis gigantic palace complex has been home to Chinese emperors for over 500 years, is a World Heritage Site and houses more than 980 buildings full of history. You should dedicatecarAllow at least three hours to explore some of the halls and gardens. It is undoubtedly the most important place to see on this 3-day Beijing itinerary.
Tickets for the Forbidden City can be purchased online en the official website and they go on sale 7 days before, They run out easily So I recommend you set a reminder so you don't miss the date. If there are no more tickets available, don't worry, it's very normal and there is a solution. You still have the option of booking a Guided tour with entrance included.
Jingshan Park
After the Forbidden City, head on foot to the Jingshan Park, located just to the north. We found this large park to be a beautiful and very peaceful place to take a pleasant walk. The truth is that the entire central area of Beijing is full of parks and green areas that create a very peaceful environment despite being in the heart of a city of more than 20 million inhabitants.
The most notable thing about the park is a hill that is right in the middle, is said to have been created using the earth removed when building the moats surrounding the Forbidden City. At the top of this hill there is a small temple and several viewing points from where you can enjoy some spectacular views from the rooftops of the Forbidden City and of Beijing in general. It is well worth the climb to admire the surprising dimensions of the complex.
Beihai Park
Right next to Jingshan Park you will find the Beihai Park, another huge park to continue walking and enjoying everything that happens around you. This place stands out for being surrounded by a gigantic lake where locals usually rent pedal boats or rowers to go around it. It can be a fun and different activity. Access to this park is also paid, although it costs less than €1.
Drum Tower and Clock Tower
Not far from the parks I just recommended to you are two well-known historical buildings in Beijing. These are the Drum Tower and the Clock Tower, built in the 13th century during the Yuan Dynasty. The towers were used for the seacar The time in ancient Beijing. Drums were used forcar the time to the population before the existence of mechanical clocks.
Inside there is a drum exhibition and daily percussion performances. The view from the top of the tower offers an excellent panorama of the traditional hutongs in the area.
Hutong Shichahai
To end the first day of this 3-day itinerary in Beijing We recommend exploring the Shichahai hutongIt's really close to the Drum and Clock Towers, so you can easily get there on foot.
The hutongs are traditional neighborhoods quite humble, made up of small alleys, especially common in Beijing. In the case of Yandaixie Jie, it is a very popular area for going out to dinner, although it is not the cheapest place in the city, it has quite acceptable prices. It is a great place to try some famous traditional dish such as Peking duck or hot pot, and enjoy the night atmosphere as it is full of bars with live music.
It is also particularly beautiful because most of the restaurants overlook a lake that dominates the neighborhood and that you can walk around.
Taking advantage of the fact that you are in this place I recommend you have dinner at the restaurant 南门涮肉 specialized in the famous Hot potA traditional Chinese dish consisting of a large pot of boiling broth placed in the center of the table, where you cook your own ingredients as requested, such as carYou can have seafood, vegetables, mushrooms, or noodles. The broth can be mild, spicy, or you can order both. Be careful with the spiciness; we had a bad experience with a hot pot. in Chongqing, a city famous for its spicy food.
Day 2: The Great Wall of China
The crown jewel of this 3-day Beijing itinerary and most of routes through China. Dedicate the second day to discover one of the Wonders of the World, nothing more and nothing less than the Great Wall of ChinaToday, there are more than 6.000 kilometers of this famous wall left and there are some sections very close to Beijing, which makes it very easy to visit in a single day.
The closest and easiest points to visit from Beijing are Badaling and Muntianyu. Of these two I would opt for Muntianyu Since it is not too far from the center of Beijing, the mountain setting is spectacular and not very crowded.
We tell you in detail the prices, recommended tours and transportation you need to take to go in the guide ▶How to visit the Great Wall of China from Beijing.
We chose to make a unreconstructed section of jiankou to MuntianyuAn 11km hiking trail along part of the original wall.
Day 3: The temples of Beijing
Temple of Heaven – The best temple to see in Beijing
We start the second day of this 3-day itinerary in Beijing with one of the best temples in the capital. It is about the very famous Temple of Heaven, which stands out not only for its beautiful and colorful architecture but also for the surroundings in which it is located. If you decide to visit this temple early in the morning or at dusk, I assure you that you will find many groups of locals practicing tai chi and other sports.
The parks in any Chinese city are a meeting point for practicingcar You can enjoy all kinds of sports or fly kites; they're also very well-maintained and full of flowers. That's why we always recommend visiting local parks, whether they're famous or not.
The Temple of Heaven is one of our favorite places to see in Beijing in 3 days, it was built in the XNUMXth century during the Ming Dynasty and was used by emperors to perform ceremonies in which good harvests were requested. The layout of the different buildings follows a cosmological order that is very important to traditional Chinese beliefs.
Temple of the Lamas
Head north of the city to discover the Temple of the Lamas, one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist temples outside Tibet It is a must-see in Beijing in 3 days. Built in 1694 as an imperial residence during the Qing Dynasty, it was converted into a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in 1744.
The complex is full of temples that present surprising architecture, with many details typical of Tibetan Buddhism, and is made up of several rooms that house huge statues of Buddha. The most impressive is the statue of Maitreya, the Buddha of the future, carved from a single piece of sandalwood, 18 metres high. During your visit you will be accompanied by the smell of incense burned by the dozens of worshippers in front of the temples.
Confucius Temple – 3-Day Beijing Itinerary
El Confucius Temple in Beijing It is the best symbol of Confucianism to see in Beijing. Also known as Guo Zi Jian (The Imperial College), it is located a few minutes walk from the Lama Temple. It was the place where the emperors performed sacrifices in honor of Confucius. The complex groups the Imperial College which was located on the left and the Temple of Confucius on the right. This temple is considered a site key to Chinese Confucianism.
Its construction was completed in 1306 during the Yuan Dynasty. The complex is vast in size and features many imposing buildings such as Xian Shi Gate (Master's Gate), Da Cheng Gate (Gate of Great Success), Da Cheng Hall (Hall of Great Success), and Chong Sheng Memorial Temple, where Confucius and his ancestors were honored.
The avenue that separates the Temple of the Lamas from the Temple of Confucius has a large number of restaurants, so take advantage of being in the area to grab a bite to eat before your next stop.
summer Palace
After the temples take a taxi or public transport to go to the summer Palace, one of the best places to see in Beijing. This large complex of gardens, temples and lakes is located on the outskirts of the city and was a resting place for emperors during the hot Beijing summer. Due to the large size of the palace, it takes several hours to explore it; in high season it closes at 20pm.
Inside the palace there is a huge lake called Kunming which you can tour by boat. It is also impressive to walk along the famous Long Corridor, a covered walkway decorated with thousands of paintings.
Entrance to the Summer Palace costs 30 yuan and you won't have to wait in line if you buy online through Trip.com, the portal par excellence in China for everything, such as buy train tickets.
Qianmen Street, the best shopping street to see in Beijing
End the day touring the busy Qianmen street, located south of Tiananmen Square. This historic street has been a commercial center since the Ming Dynasty and has maintained its relevance to this day, being a perfect blend of tradition and modernity.
Qianmen stands out for its ancient architecture, with restored buildings In the style of the Qing dynasty, the area is filled with traditional shops and a wide variety of restaurants. You can find typical Chinese products like silk and watch artisans making sugar figurines.car blowing (an ancient art), silver handicraft shops, and traditional medicine stores. We loved strolling along Qianmen Street and took the opportunity to have Peking duck for dinner at one of its many restaurants. (You can find the name below in the restaurant recommendations)
Getting around in Beijing Public transport or taxi?
The places we recommend visiting, except for the Great Wall of China are easily accessible by public transportIn Beijing the subway is very efficient, easy to understand and cheap, we have a Guide to Beijing Public Transportation where we explain how it works, how to pay and other very useful information.
When we discovered the shared bikes Those that can be rented with Alipay became our favorite option for getting around the city since the entire center is flat and well equipped with carbike riles.
Taxis aren't too bad either carSince the distances are short, it's a good way to get to more distant places like the Summer Palace. If you want it to be even cheaper, I recommend using the DiDi mini app, which is located within the app. by Alipay.
Where to sleep in Beijing
Accommodations in the capital are more carThese are more expensive than in the rest of the country and can represent a large part of your travel budget if you don't book them on the right platform. Even though it's one of the most caras well There are cheap accommodation options for travelers on a tighter budget. The main council What I can give you in China is to book hotels with the Trip.com platform, the Chinese version of BookingTrip has a lot more to offer and is almost always cheaper.
Food & drink in Beijing
Giving restaurant recommendations in Beijing is quite a challenge, not only because of the size of the city and the huge variety of options, but also because most restaurants only have a Chinese name, which makes it almost impossible to remember. Not to mention the problems with Google Maps in China, which means that almost no restaurants appear on maps. We're going to try, though.
One of our breakfasts favorites were the famous dumplings, they are very easy to find on almost any street but our favorite restaurant was a specialized chain called Yuan Ji Yun Jiao. Another great breakfast is the Jian Bing, a kind of savory crepe that is very famous in Chinese street food and quite easy to find first thing in the morning.
If you want to try the peking duck The most famous restaurant is called Quanjude, although it is a very widespread and easy to find dish. We tried it in a specialized restaurant in the Dashinlan Street where the chef even broadcast live on TikTok how he cut the duck. Another famous street full of Chinese and Western food restaurants is Guijie Street, very close to the Lama Temple and the Confucius Temple.
El hotpot This is another famous dish that you can find in many places, we recommend the restaurant 南门涮肉. Our last recommendation is a very famous restaurant specialized in sweet Dim Sum called 富华斋饽饽铺.
Map with all the points to see in Beijing in 3 days
I hope this 3-day Beijing Itinerary helps you organize your days in the city. You can also read the rest of the articles we have about traveling to China on your own. If you have any questions, you can contact us through the comments section.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you book through the link it costs you the same and we get a small commission that helps us continue traveling and telling you about it.
Hello! Thank you so much for this blog post, it's great 🙂 Could you please help us book tickets for Tiananmen Square with WeChat? We've tried but everything appears in Chinese and we don't know how to get it.
Hello Noemi,
I'll explain step by step how to book:
1- copy to the WeChat search engine 天安门广场预约参观
2- select the red program
3- Choose the option 个人预约
4- Select date and time
5- add your data
6- add companions in the blue box
7- Confirm the reservation
Hope this can help you!