Things to do in Beijing

Beijing is built on a north-south axis. The Forbidden City sits on it, raised between 1406 and 1420. Everything else hangs off that line, and distances run longer than the map suggests.

Inside the old city

• Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Entry is by timed ticket registered to a passport, and the palace is closed on most Mondays. Allow half a day.
• The hutongs. Alleys of courtyard houses around the palace, most of them laid down under the Yuan, Ming and Qing. Houhai's lakes and Nanluoguxiang are the easy way in.
• The Temple of Heaven. Built in 1420, where the emperors prayed for the harvest. Locals fill the park at dawn.
• The Summer Palace. Some 15 kilometres north-west, a lake and a hill under UNESCO protection since 1998. It takes half a day of its own.

Out to the Wall

Badaling, about 70 kilometres north-west, is the classic section and gets crowded fast. Mutianyu, about 70 kilometres north-east, is usually quieter. Jinshanling, around 130 kilometres out, is the one for walkers.

The layover version leaves from Daxing airport and covers the Wall and the Summer Palace in ten hours. Bring a jacket: the ridges run cooler than town.

Arriving

Beijing has two airports, and they are far apart. Capital sits to the north-east. Daxing lies about 45 kilometres south of the centre and opened in 2019.

• Private transfer. Priced per car, and Daxing costs more for the extra distance.
• Airport Express. Rail links run from each airport into the city, and they beat the ring roads at rush hour.

Practical

• Weather. January highs reach 2C, with nights near -8C. July afternoons hit 31C, and July and August bring most of the year's rain. Spring can bring dust, and winter smog days come and go.
• Passport. Tiananmen Square has an ID check and a security line. Carry the passport itself.
• Metro. Fares start at 3 yuan and rise with distance. It is the quickest way across the city.
• Book ahead. Palace tickets go by name and date, so fix the day before you arrive.
• Tipping. Not expected in taxis or restaurants.