🇨🇳 China

10 best places in Beijing

Beijing is a city where imperial palaces sit across the road from skyscrapers, and Qing-dynasty courtyard alleys share the map with one of the fastest high-speed rail networks on earth. China's capital is both an open-air museum and a fast-moving modern megacity.

Sight

Forbidden City

The world's largest palace complex - nearly 1,000 buildings that housed China's emperors for centuries.

Sight

Great Wall at Mutianyu

The most scenic, least crowded stretch of the Wall, snaking through forested mountains a couple of hours from downtown.

Sight

Temple of Heaven

A round altar built without a single nail, where emperors once prayed for good harvests.

Park

Summer Palace

A sprawling imperial park around Kunming Lake, with a marble boat and a 700-panel painted corridor.

Museum

National Museum of China

One of the world's largest museums, spanning Shang-dynasty bronzes to 20th-century artifacts on Tiananmen Square.

District

798 Art Zone

A former military factory turned contemporary art district full of galleries and designer cafés.

District

Nanluoguxiang Hutongs

A maze of old alleyways with courtyard homes, teahouses, and bars at the heart of old Beijing.

Café

Metal Hands Coffee

One of Beijing's original specialty coffee shops, which set the tone for the city's new-wave roasters.

Restaurant

Da Dong Roast Duck

Peking duck with famously crisp, near-translucent skin - the signature recipe that made this restaurant a citywide legend.

Market

Wangfujing Night Market

Beijing street food in all its variety, from scorpion skewers to sugar-coated tanghulu.

FAQ

When is the best time to visit Beijing?

September and October are the best months: dry, clear and comfortable. April and May are pleasant too, though dust storms happen. Summer is hot and humid, winter is dry, cold and windy - but the Great Wall is nearly empty.

How many days do you need in Beijing?

Four or five days cover the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the hutongs and a full day on the Great Wall. Mutianyu is a couple of hours each way, so block out the whole day for it. The city is vast, but the metro handles most of it.

Do you need a visa for China?

China has expanded visa-free entry for a number of countries and extended visa-free transit through major airports, but the eligible list and permitted stays are revised regularly. Some nationalities still need a visa arranged in advance. Check with the consulate before booking flights.

Should you move to Beijing?

The city is safe and well organised, but it takes adjustment: the language barrier, internet restrictions and the fact that everything runs on local payment apps. Foreigners are normally here on work or student visas, and permanent residency is very hard to obtain. Costs depend heavily on district and housing type, with central rents comparable to major Western cities.