Beijing Travel Guide: Forbidden City, Great Wall
Updated
Book the Forbidden City before you fly: it sells out a week ahead. Around it are the hutongs, lanes of courtyard houses; 70 km north is the Great Wall at Mutianyu.
A short story about Beijing in Mandarin, with English alongside. The beginner version needs no Chinese. Jump to the storyA short history of Beijing
Kublai Khan made Beijing his capital in the 1270s. From 1406 the Ming emperor Yongle rebuilt it around a walled palace on a 7.8 km north-south axis, now World Heritage (2024).
Twenty-four emperors ruled from the palace until 1912. It became a museum in 1925.
The Forbidden City
故宫 Gùgōng
The world’s largest palace: 72 hectares and 980 buildings, built 1406–1420. You walk north from the Meridian Gate, through the outer court of state business, into the emperor’s inner court.
Allow two to three hours. The Treasure and Clock Galleries cost a little extra.
How to visit the Forbidden City
- 1
Book ahead, by name
On bookingticket.dpm.org.cn (in English), with passport number and email. Tickets open at 8 pm Beijing time, seven days ahead. Trip.com and Klook charge more. Closed Mondays.
- 2
Enter from the south
In by the Meridian Gate, out by the north gate; there is no entry from the north. Tiananmen Square needs its own booking.
- 3
Walk the line, then one side
The central axis runs through the three great halls. Then pick east (Treasure Gallery, Nine-Dragon Screen) or the quieter west.
- 4
Finish on Jingshan
Cross the road from the north gate and climb Jingshan for the view back.
Bring the passport you booked with. Eat first: the cafés inside are basic.
Things to do in Beijing beyond the palace
Jingshan and the hutongs are a walk from the palace. The Wall takes a day.
Jingshan Park 景山公园
Jǐngshān Gōngyuán
A 46-metre hill made in 1420 from the palace moat’s earth. Best view in the city; go at sunset.
The hutongs 胡同
hútòng
Walk the lanes around Shichahai and the Drum Tower, and the side lanes off busy Nanluoguxiang. Go early.
The Temple of Heaven 天坛
Tiāntán
Built in 1420 for the emperor’s harvest prayer, a metro ride south. Mornings bring tai chi, cards and singing.
The Great Wall at Mutianyu 慕田峪长城
Mùtiányù Chángchéng
About 70 km northeast, restored, quieter than Badaling, with a cable car up and a toboggan down. Hotels sell trips with a driver; or take the 916 Express bus from Dongzhimen to Huairou (1 hour+), then a 20-minute taxi.
What to eat in Beijing
Peking duck 北京烤鸭
Běijīng kǎoyā
Carved at the table, wrapped in pancakes with cucumber, spring onion and sweet bean sauce. Quanjude is the old name; locals prefer Siji Minfu.
Zhajiang noodles 炸酱面
zhájiàngmiàn
Thick wheat noodles with fried soybean paste and shredded vegetables.
Jianbing 煎饼
jiānbing
The street breakfast crepe: egg, a crisp cracker, coriander, chilli sauce.
Plan your trip to Beijing
Best time to visit Beijing
- JanMixed
- FebMixed
- MarMixed
- AprGood
- MayGood
- JunMixed
- JulMixed
- AugMixed
- SepBest
- OctBest
- NovMixed
- DecMixed
Spring is windy; July and August are hot, wet and crowded; winter nights freeze. Avoid Golden Week (1–7 October) and Chinese New Year.
Getting to Beijing
- Capital Airport by train30 min
- Daxing Airport by train20 min
- Shanghai by train4½ h
- Xi’an by train4½ h
- Harbin by train4½ h
Airport Express: Capital Airport to Dongzhimen (Lines 2, 13). Daxing train: to Caoqiao, then metro. Shanghai trains use Beijing South, most Xi’an trains Beijing West, the fastest Harbin trains Beijing Chaoyang.
Getting around Beijing
The metro reaches everything, with English signs. Tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard, or use the Alipay transit code.
For taxis, use Didi: English app, foreign cards, address shown in Chinese. Pay for the rest with Alipay or WeChat Pay.
Where to stay in Beijing
Dongcheng, east of the palace: courtyard guesthouses around the Drum Tower and Nanluoguxiang, big hotels at Wangfujing (Line 1). Sanlitun is for bars.
Beijing in three days
- Day 1. The Forbidden City from opening time, then Jingshan at sunset.
- Day 2. The Temple of Heaven early, the hutongs around Shichahai in the afternoon, Peking duck at night.
- Day 3. The Great Wall at Mutianyu. Leave early; take the toboggan down.
Questions about visiting Beijing
Do you need to book the Forbidden City in advance?
Yes. There are no ticket windows; book online up to seven days ahead with your passport.
Which section of the Great Wall is best from Beijing?
Mutianyu: restored, with a cable car, and quieter than Badaling. Jinshanling is wilder and further.
Is Beijing easy to get around without Chinese?
Yes. The metro is signed in English; for taxis, use Didi.
Can you pay with a foreign card in Beijing?
Yes, through Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to your card before you arrive. Keep some cash for stalls.
Beijing or Shanghai?
Beijing for the palace and the Wall, Shanghai for the riverfront and food. With a week, do both.
Chinese you’ll see in Beijing
On the signs, the tickets and the metro map.
- 北京Běijīng
- Beijing, "northern capital"
- 故宫Gùgōng
- the Forbidden City, literally "former palace"
- 胡同hútòng
- hutong, a lane
- 长城Chángchéng
- the Great Wall
- 天坛Tiāntán
- the Temple of Heaven
- 门mén
- gate, as in the station names Dongzhimen and Qianmen
- 公园gōngyuán
- park
- 地铁dìtiě
- metro
- 烤鸭kǎoyā
- roast duck
- 出口chūkǒu
- exit
Want more? Browse Chinese vocabulary by level.
Hear Beijing in Mandarin
One day in Beijing: in through the Meridian Gate, up Jingshan, out into the hutongs.
The story is Beijing: The Hill Made From the Palace's Own Moat. Every level has a transcript, pinyin and English.
