The yellow roofs of the Forbidden City seen from Jingshan hill, with the Shenwumen gate in the foreground
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Beijing in 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 9.1 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

Three days let you take Beijing at a gentler pace: mornings on foot, afternoons in temples and time to sit in a park watching locals dance. Each day has its own area, from the palace to the merchant south and the northern lakes, and the meals follow the same map, all the way to a farewell Peking duck. If you still have energy, the Great Wall works best as a separate trip – we explain below how to fit it in.

Day 1The palace, outside and in

Start early at Tiananmen Gate with “Beijing highlights: around the Forbidden City” and let Changpu Canal, the corner tower and Jingshan hill show you the palace from outside. Head down for shaomai at Duyichu on Qianmen Street, then walk back north across Tiananmen Square to enter the Forbidden City with your booking. Don't rush – the whole afternoon is yours. When you come out through the north gate, the evening is free to rest.

  1. Morning

    Beijing highlights: around the Forbidden City

    Mixed · 3.5 km · 2 h 30 min

    1. Tiananmen GateThe entrance to the Imperial City, from which edicts were announced and the People's Republic was proclaimed in 1949.
    2. Changpu Canal ParkAn imperial canal that spent half a century buried, and a stone archive where the dynasty's secrets were kept.
    3. Donghuamen, the East GateThe gate through which imperial coffins left, with one row of studs fewer than the others and a rebellion that reached its very doors.
    4. The north-east corner towerNine beams, eighteen pillars and seventy-two ridges: the palace's most photographed tower and the legend of a cricket cage.
    5. Jingshan hillA hill made by hand to protect the palace, the best view of the Forbidden City and the tree where the Ming dynasty ended.
    6. Beihai lake and the White DagobaThe oldest imperial garden in the city, a jade island around which Kublai Khan built his capital.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Duyichu shaomai at Duyichu (都一处). Qianmen Dajie, 36, Dongcheng, Pekín

  3. Afternoon

    Tiananmen Square

    One of the largest public squares in the world, with the Monument to the People's Heroes at its centre, Mao's mausoleum to the south, and the Great Hall of the People and the National Museum on either side. Cross it south to north after lunch; there's a passport check.

    Directions

    Forbidden City (Palace Museum)

    Home to the Ming and Qing emperors, completed in 1420 and a museum since 1925. Walk it from the Meridian Gate to the north gate, detouring into the quieter side courtyards. Book ahead with your passport; usually closed on Mondays, so check.

    Directions

Day 2From merchants to scholars

In the morning, “Gates, legations and guilds: Beijing's southern city”: the Legation Quarter, the old Qianmen railway station, Dashilar and Liulichang, the scholars' street. Take the metro north for griddled lamb at Kaorou Ji, by Yinding Bridge, looking out over the lake. In the afternoon visit the Lama Temple, which tends to close early, then cross over to Guozijian Street to finish among the stone tablets of the Confucius Temple. The surrounding hutongs, dotted with cafés, are perfect for a break.

  1. Morning

    Gates, legations and guilds: Beijing's southern city

    History · 2.7 km · 2 h

    1. Dongjiaominxiang, the Legation QuarterA quiet street with a Gothic church where, in 1900, hundreds of foreigners and Chinese Christians held out through a 55-day siege.
    2. The old Qianmen railway stationBeijing's iron gateway: a British-looking station through which kings, generals and modern times arrived.
    3. Zhengyangmen, the Qianmen gateThe tallest gate in Beijing's city wall, split in two by an avenue and lined up with the imperial throne.
    4. Qianmen Street and its great archwayThe shopping avenue of the central axis, with a five-bay archway, a vintage tram and restaurants that have been roasting ducks for a century and a half.
    5. Dashilar, the street of century-old shopsA wooden barrier, a fire that wiped out a district, and the pharmacies, silk merchants and shoemakers still open since imperial times.
    6. Liulichang, the scholars' streetWhere the palace's golden roof tiles were once fired, booksellers, painters and brush makers later moved in.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Kaorou, Beijing-style griddled lamb at Kaorou Ji (烤肉季). Qianhai Dongyan, junto al puente Yinding, Shichahai, Xicheng, Pekín

  3. Afternoon

    Lama Temple (Yonghegong)

    Once the residence of the prince who became the Yongzheng Emperor, it has been a working Tibetan Buddhist monastery since 1744. Through a succession of incense-filled courtyards you reach the last hall, home to a Maitreya Buddha some 18 metres tall, carved from a single sandalwood trunk.

    Directions

    Confucius Temple and Guozijian

    A five-minute walk from the Lama Temple, the Confucius Temple shares a wall with Guozijian, the old Imperial Academy. Its courtyards of ancient cypresses and the stone tablets carved with the names of those who passed the imperial examinations make for a wonderfully calm hour.

    Directions

Day 3Heaven, pearls and bells

Get to the Temple of Heaven early: in the morning the park fills with locals doing tai chi, singing or playing cards, and it's at its liveliest. Out of the east gate you'll find Hongqiao Market, then it's a short hop to Dashilar for baodu at Baodu Feng. Rest up, then head to Shichahai at sunset for “Lakes and bells: the secrets of Shichahai”: Prince Gong's Mansion, the Drum and Bell Towers and Nanluoguxiang. To finish, take the metro back to Qianmen for Peking duck at Quanjude or Bianyifang.

  1. Morning

    Temple of Heaven

    Built at the same time as the Forbidden City, this is where emperors prayed for good harvests. The round Hall of Prayer under its triple blue roof is a World Heritage Site. Come early, when the park belongs to the locals and the tour groups haven't arrived yet.

    Directions

    Hongqiao Market

    Next to the east gate of the Temple of Heaven, this multi-storey market is known as the Pearl Market: freshwater pearls fill the upper floors, with clothes, souvenirs and electronics below. Haggling is expected at every stall, so treat it as part of the fun.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

    Try Baodu, quick-boiled tripe at Baodu Feng (爆肚冯). Langfang Ertiao, Dashilar, Xicheng, Pekín

  3. Early evening

    Lakes and bells: the secrets of Shichahai

    Mysteries & legends · 2.9 km · 2 h 10 min

    1. Prince Gong's MansionThe house built by the most corrupt minister of the Qing dynasty, and the character for happiness he is said to have hidden there.
    2. Yinding Bridge and the bomb of 1910A little bridge shaped like a silver ingot, the best view of the Western Hills and a plot against the regent that nearly changed history.
    3. Wanning Bridge and the Fire God TempleThe final port of the Grand Canal, stone beasts that watch over the water and a temple built to keep the palace safe from flames.
    4. The Drum TowerThe tower that told the whole city the time with 108 strikes, and a drum that still bears the slashes of 1900.
    5. The Bell Tower and the legend of the bell maidenA bronze bell more than five metres tall, and the legend of the young woman who is said to have thrown herself into the molten metal.
    6. Nanluoguxiang, the centipede streetA hunchbacked lane with sixteen legs, the home of an ill-fated empress and the mansions of generals who switched sides.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Dinner

    Try Peking duck at Quanjude Qianmen (全聚德). Qianmen Dajie, 30, Dongcheng, Pekín

The map

Beijing in 3 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Beijing in 3 days

  • Plan each day around one area, as this itinerary does: the palace in the centre, Qianmen to the south and the lakes to the north. The metro links them quickly and saves you the traffic jams; pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay, which accept foreign cards.
  • Always carry your passport: you need it to book and enter the Forbidden City, at the Tiananmen checkpoints and sometimes in the metro. Many temples and museums close early in the afternoon and some on Mondays, so check opening times before fixing the order.
  • Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with mild days and clearer skies. If you can, avoid Golden Week in early October and Chinese New Year: sights get packed and timed tickets sell out much earlier.

Questions

Beijing in 3 days: your questions

Can I fit the Great Wall into this itinerary?

Yes, but as a separate trip: Mutianyu or Badaling take a long half-day with an early start, by bus or organised transport. The most realistic option is to use the morning of day three instead of the Temple of Heaven and have a late lunch when you get back – or add a fourth day.

How far will I walk in 3 days?

The routes add up to about 9.1 km: 3.5 on day one, 2.7 on day two and 2.9 on day three. You'll actually walk a good deal more, because the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven park are huge. Wear comfortable shoes and spread out your breaks.

Are the Summer Palace and the 798 Art District worth it?

Yes, both, though they're far from the centre. The Summer Palace, with its great lake and painted Long Corridor, needs half a day in the north-west; 798, a former industrial complex turned into art galleries, is in the north-east. With a fourth day, they're the best options.

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