Should I spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Beijing?
Should you spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Beijing?
Many visitors spend three to seven days in Beijing during their visit. If you're not sure how much time you might need here, we have the answers because there's so much to see and do. This city offers a number of attractions to explore, including the museums and landmarks, the big city activities, the restaurant scene, and the nightlife.
Beijing is the capital city of China and it has a long history that dates back thousands of years. It offers a mix of modern and every changing architecture combined with ancient landmarks and historic neighborhoods. Beijing is a world class city that has amazing music, cuisine, culture, and shopping.
Do you have one or two days to visit Beijing? Here's our comprehensive breakdown of how much time you might need for your trip along with some suggestions for things to do.
Is one day enough time in Beijing?
With only one day, you might feel a bit pressed for time when it comes to exploring the main attractions. After all, Beijing holds a significant allure for tourists because of its many sights and attractions. To fully embrace Beijing, a longer visit is better. Most travelers tend to allocate at least 3 or as many as 7 days to browse the museums, enjoy the city's energy, taste delicious cuisine, and dance the night away. Nevertheless, if your schedule is limited, we can provide some suggestions to maximize your visit.
How to spend a day in Beijing
When visiting Beijing, you can't miss the Forbidden City as it's one of the most famous places in the world. Make sure you give yourself enough time to enjoy it.
The delicious food of Beijing is one of the main highlights of a trip to the region. Dining out is one of the highlights of a trip. Make sure you take the time to taste as much of it as possible during breakfast, lunch, and dinner at some of this city's best restaurants. And consider a food tour or cooking class. You can easily fit one into your schedule since many are just a few hours or half a day. The city has a number of iconic dishes that have put it on the culinary map. The most notable dish is Peking Duck, which is a delectable crispy roast duck that is usually served with cucumber, scallions, sweet bean sauce and pancakes or other steamed buns. Hot pots are another must-try experience in the city, and, of course, you have to experience the dumplings. A huge part of a visit to Beijing is experiencing its long running culinary history.
A few tour suggestions include:
- Beijing Hutong Food Tour: Exploring 8+ Iconic Flavors in 3 Hours ($69)
- Beijing Hutong Breakfast Food Tour ($55)
- Online Cooking Class Orange Chicken by Sunflower Li ($20)
Public transit in Beijing is easy and efficient. In just a few days, you should be able to get around the city quite easily. The system can be crowded and confusing at first, but it's one of the most convenient and affordable ways to get around town. There's a subway system as well as buses, trolleybuses, and suburban rail.
Is a weekend (two to three days) enough time in Beijing?
To do everything that Beijing has to offer, you'll need more than a weekend, but two or three days does allow you a bit more time to explore. You'll have a chance to experience at least some of the highlights. In addition to the great museums and landmarks and fun big city activities, visitors can enjoy the nightlife, shopping, and beautiful scenery. By staying a night or two, you'll be able to take advantage of the most interesting activities found here, and we have some suggestions below.
Beijing, China
How to spend 2 days in Beijing
With a weekend (two to three days) in Beijing, you'll have a bit more time to enjoy everything that the city has to offer.
Beijing is famous for it's world-class attractions, museums, and landmarks. You'll want to spend at least a day exploring one or more that you're interested in the most. The city is filled with iconic landmarks including the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and The Temple of Heaven. It's also essential that you plan a trip outside of town to the world renowned Great Wall of China. The trip takes about an hour and you can organize a tour through almost any hotel or tour company.
A few tour suggestions include:
- Mutianyu + Ming Tombs or Summer Palace Private Day Tour ($220)
- Small-Group Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace Tour with Lunch ($144)
- Private Full Day Tour: Forbidden City, Tiananmen & Summer Palace ($130)
This city is very popular for nightlife. After the sun goes down, head out to one of the many popular venues around town. Live performances are popular in the city, and range from concerts to magic shows and acrobatics. There is also an active bar scene around town. Some of the most popular nightlife areas include Sanlitun and Houhai.
A few tour suggestions include:
- 4-hour Hutong Neighborhood Nightlife Tour Plus Dinner and Bar Street ($133)
- Dinner and Hutong Nightlife Tour with Dali Courtyard, Great Leap Brewing ($162)
More Info
If you're looking for more information about Beijing, we have even more advice to help you plan your journey.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
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