Colourful, cultural, and interesting, our 5 days in Beijing were a whirlwind of new sights, sounds, and aromas. From walking the Great Wall of China to exploring some of the temples, there are seemingly endless things to do in Beijing.
When we planned our travels, we wondered how long to stay in Beijing. The capital city was our final stop in China, and we wanted to be sure we had enough time. Of course, with so many amazing options, there is never really enough time. Our goal was to appreciate each of the highlights and absorb some of the culture. Therefore, we found 5 days in Beijing to be optimal.
What to see in 5 Days in Beijing
(More on each of these below)
- Walk the Great Wall of China
- Discover the Forbidden City
- Explore the Summer Palace
- Sample some of the bizarre street food
- Visit some of the key temples
- Tour a hutong
- Take a cooking lesson
- Tell time at the Bell and Drum Towers
- See the “Bird’s Next” Olympic stadium
- Tour a cloisonne factory
- Shop at a flea market or the Pearl Market
- Heal with Traditional Chinese Medicine
Best way to spend 5 days in Beijing
Beijing is a big city with plenty of options for how to see it. The three we considered are group tours, private guides, and self-exploration. And in the end, we used two of the three during our 5 days in Beijing.
Private guide
Throughout China (and much of the world), we have successfully used private guides. When we can, we book private guides here, as we can choose our specific guide prior to travel and we have flexibility over what we see and do.
When choosing your guide, our top recommendations are to check their language ability, read the tour options to see if they do the kinds of things you like, read the specific guide’s reviews, and then make contact before you hire them. Reserve your private guide here.
Self-exploration
Beijing is an interesting, but not easy, city to explore on our own. While the signage in the main tourist areas is often in English as well as Mandarin, once you leave the area, it will be Mandarin. We found similar problems with public transportation. All this was complicated further when we learned that taxis don’t always stop for foreigners.
However, we were fine seeing the sites we could walk to from our accommodation, and we frequently met friendly locals who were happy to help us. One even flagged a taxi for us.
Group tours
Tours are great for the budget and for those who like having someone else make all the plans. They offer the benefits of a guide without the higher cost of a private tour. Plus, timing usually works out well to see more in less time. In addition, most venues have dedicated bus parking, while a private guide has a car to park. The downside is reduced flexibility.
Walk the Great Wall of China – A must-see even with only one day in Beijing
Some say the wall reminds them of a massive dragon as it travels across the mountains stretching nearly 8,900 kilometres (5,500 miles) from the east to the west of China. Built in sections through the Qin, Han, and Ming dynasties, its history spans more than 2,000 years. Improvements have been made to some sections, while others sit in ruins or have disappeared.
Mutianyu and Badaling are the two most commonly visited sections. Both are well-preserved and easily accessible from Beijing. We chose Mutianyu, and for us, it was a good choice. The main differences are:
Mutianyu vs Badaling
Mutianyu
- Located 75 km from Beijing, the drive is slow and takes about 1.5 hours.
- Substantially fewer visitors than Badaling.
- A five-metre wide walkable path along the top of the wall runs 5.4km (3.4 miles) and has 23 watchtowers.
- Some areas are steep, especially the stairs at the end of the section.
- One can walk or take a cable car up to the wall, and there is a luge option for the way down.
- Open every day, hours vary by season, ranging between 7.30am and 6.30pm.
Badaling
- Located 75 km from Beijing, the drive takes about an hour.
- Badaling is the best preserved, most complete, and most popular section
- It is nearly always crowded.
- At 6 metres wide, the portion open to tourists is 3.7 km (2.3 miles) long, with 19 watchtowers.
- It is to be the easier section to walk.
- It also has a cable car.
- Badaling hours, depending on the season, open as early as 6am and close as late as 7.30pm.
If you choose Mutianyu, take time to notice three towers: No. 1 for its large size, No. 6 as it has three hollow towers, and No. 11 as it is on the branch wall (side wall).
Discover the Forbidden City (Imperial Palace) – A must-see even with only one day in Beijing
Right in the centre of Beijing is the walled Imperial Palace, more commonly referred to as the Forbidden City. Located on the northern edge of Tiananmen Square, it’s currently “The Palace Museum.”
For more than 600 years, China’s emperors and empresses lived here, while commoners were forbidden.
Once inside the walls, we found an intricately detailed architectural masterpiece. With a private guide, we explored temples, halls, and sleeping quarters as we walked through a labyrinth of gates and structures. But it was her stories and extensive knowledge that really brought the place alive. A few of the most interesting facts she shared include:
- Emperors had up to 3000 concubines selected when they were between the ages of 13-16.
- The Forbidden City has 9,999 1/2 rooms.
- Only the emperor and empress could use the centre doorway, and they were always carried up and down the stairs.
- As a measure of safety, the emperor had 27 beds, so one would know exactly where he was sleeping.
- The 15-layer solid brick ground prevents an enemy from making a tunnel.
- It is estimated, although never counted, that there are over 11,000 dragons amongst the artwork on the grounds.
Explore the Summer Palace
The Emperor lived at Summer Palace from April until the weather turned cold. It’s bigger, and I found it more striking than the Forbidden City, covering an expanse of 2.9 square kilometres of gardens, palace buildings and lakes. The Summer Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A few of the unique things we found at Summer Palace are the world’s longest-painted corridor, a dragon boat that brought us back to the entrance when we were done, and a boat made from marble – no, it doesn’t really float.
Not only was it a day of beauty, but it was also fun. We hired paddle boats and enjoyed some family time out on the water.
Sample some of the bizarre street food
Wangfujing Street is a modern shopping and fashion street, but farther down the road, near Wangfujing snack street, the Wangfujing Night Market offers foods that aren’t for the faint of heart. In fact, it was so bizarre we wrote about our experience here.
Visit some of the key temples: Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian
With hundreds of temples in Beijing, we picked three of the most popular to visit during our 5 days in Beijing.
- Dong Yu Taoist is one of the largest Taoist temples in northern China (11.7 acres), it has almost 400 rooms with displays on how to live in harmony with the universe.
- The Yonghe Temple, commonly referred to as the Lama Temple, is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple and monastery in Beijing. It has three treasures including the largest sandalwood Buddha in the world.
- Confucian temple is the second largest Confucian temple in China, built in 1302 and enlarged over time to span 5.4 acres. Confucius, one of the greatest philosophers and teachers in ancient China, has a strong following to this day.
Tour a hutong
A hutong is a self-contained neighbourhood in China built on a narrow lane / alleyway. Old buildings in courtyard compounds line the sides.
Many of the old lanes date back to the Ming and Qing dynasty eras (1368-1912). Here we find some of the traditional culture and way of life of the past.
There are hundreds of hutongs in Beijing and our guide selected the one we visited. We walked around the narrow street, learned how things worked, and peeked into several shops like the one selling dried ingredients seen just above.
She lives in a hutong and told us that typical houses contain only a living room, bedroom, and kitchen. Everyone uses public bathrooms. I walked into the public bathroom but wasn’t confident enough to squat over a hole in the ground in an open room filled with other women squatting over different holes and no walls should I lose my balance.
Take a cooking lesson
We also had lunch with a local family in the hutongs.
This man cooked our delicious traditional meal of rice, various stir fry dishes including chicken, vegetables and another unknown meat, plus the best ever sweet and sour pork from a recipe handed down from his grandfather who, he proudly told us, cooked it for the Emperor.
After lunch, we had a cooking lesson where we hand made dumplings. Our guide, Alex, arranged this for us.
Tell time at the Bell and Drum Towers
Beijing’s Bell and Drum Towers are classic landmarks of historic Beijing. Originally built during the reign of Kublai Khan in 1272, and rebuilt during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The Drum Tower kept time for the city until 1924, with drums beaten hourly. We climbed the 63 steep steps to the top of the Drum Tower to watch a drumming ceremony. Despite being loud, it was very impressive.
We didn’t enter the Bell Tower due to a Chinese superstition told to us by our guide. The ringing of the bell sounds like “the end” in Mandarin, and people believe going in there will mean “the end of them.”
Today, the towers offer panoramic views over central Beijing, although they once dominated an ancient skyline. Add them to your 5 days in Beijing itinerary either when you are exploring the Forbidden City or the hutongs.
See the “Bird’s Nest” Olympic stadium
We stopped at the Olympic park to take photos of the “Bird’s Nest”. Used first in the 2008 summer Olympics and then again for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Beijing is the world’s first city to host both seasons’ games.
Tour a cloisonne factory
Cloisonne, nicknamed “Blue of Jingtai”, is a type of metal decoration in which areas of colour (sometimes enamel or stones) are separated by metal wires or strips.
At the factory we visited, we watched several of the 1800 workers/artists adding finishing touches, all by hand, to vases, bowls, and jewellery. Their attention to detail was impressive.
Shop at a flea market or the Pearl Market
We visited two completely different types of markets during our 5 days in Beijing, although both are huge.
- Pangiayuan Flea Market – also known as the Panjiayuan Antique Market or the Dirt Market is the city’s largest flea market. At 48,500 square meters (520,000 square feet), this market features arts, crafts and antiques.
- Pearl Market (Hongqiao Market) -is famous around the world for pearls, with over one million visitors annually. This multi-story building also features seafood, digital products, watches, clothing, and silk. Floors 3-5 are dedicated to pearl jewellery.
Heal with Traditional Chinese Medicine
Per our request, our guide took us to the Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Preservation Research Center.
Our visit was relaxing, but in the end, far more expensive than we anticipated as we opted to purchase the recommended supplements (which ultimately ended up in the bin, so not a good use of our money).
However, our time there was lovely, and the additional costs were optional. It began with a cup of tea as our feet soaked in a special tea bath. During this time, an English-speaking doctor gave an overview of the basic philosophy behind Chinese Medicine’s three facets (summed up quickly here):
- Yin Yang – everything needs balance and harmony, including the body.
- Chinese medicine looks at the symptoms but treats the root cause.
- Diagnostics is done by taking 6 pulses, looking at the tongue, observing skin colour, and asking questions.
Next, a wonderfully relaxing foot massage/reflexology treatment.
Finally, the Chinese-speaking professor and his interpreter came in and evaluated each of us – a complimentary service. He made the most recommendations to me, ergo the additional expenses, but said our girls are perfect.
Book your China trip: Logistical tips
- Flights: we use Expedia for the best and cheapest flight options.
- Accommodations: we use Booking.com (hotels) or Hostelworld (budget).
- Travel Insurance: while not required, we always opt for travel insurance and start at InsureMyTrip to compare coverage plans.
- Private guides: we often find the best option is to get a private guide.
- VPN: Here’s a list of the top 7 VPNs that work in China.
Before you book your trip
Check out our travel resources page for the companies we use when you travel. We believe them to be the best in each category. You can’t go wrong using them on your trip too.
Ben
Hi Rhonda I know you already know this from the number of comments and likes you have got but this is an excellent, well written guide to the best wall to pick. Personally I like the more deserted stretches but this is a great guide with excellent photos. Liked and shared to our chinatefler fb page of 7000 followers. All the best and I look forward to reading more of your guides in the future. Cheers, Ben from Nottingham
Nuria Travelera
The photos are fabulous! I went to Mutianyu too as I was told that it is less crowded and better sceneries.
I went in Spring and I am jealous to see photos of the wall now in summer as everything looks very green and beautiful. I think we did a good choice to come to this part of the wall 🙂
David
Incredible photos Rhonda! I quite like the almost-bleak atmosphere you get from that time of year. It seems to make the wall stand out even more. My favourite of your photos has to be the one from beneath the wall through the trees looking up. I imagine that’s sort of like the view the Mongols must have had of it and it really looks quite imposing. Great advice on Mutianyu, sounds like the better option when I finally get to visit China and Beijing one day.
Corinne
As long as I’ve been traveling this has been the question, where to visit the wall. I’ve been twice and both times went to Mutianyu, never Badaling. Nowadays, I think they are both really busy, and I’d like to go a little further inland.
Rhonda Albom
Wow, you have been twice. That is fantastic. If I went again, I would go to a different section, but probably not Badaling. I agree, one of the more remote ones would probably be fascinating.
indah nuria savitri
one of my dreams! hopefully I can visit this place one day..
Rhonda Albom
It was a dream of mine too, for a very long time. So glad I got to walk on the wall. Hope you do too.
Edith
This came at perfect timing! We will be there in October and we’re trying to figure out if to do Mutianyu or Jishangling. I was worried Mutianyu would also be crowded, but your pictures don’t show that. Perhaps this will be our choice.
Rhonda Albom
I really don’t know anything about Jishangling. However, I can say that I was very happy with our choice.
Michele {Malaysian Meanders}
I’ve been to 4 of the Seven Wonders (not the Hagia Sofia, but otherwise the same as you). It truly is incredible to think of people building these back when they didn’t have machinery — nor endless permit applications and inspectors, I presume. We picked the Mutianyu section to visit because my kids’ friends highly recommended the luge there. We visited in October, and there weren’t too many people there. I do remember being somewhat surprised at all the steps. #WkendTravelInspiration
Rhonda Albom
No inspectors and permits might have actually increased their speed – LOL. We knew about the steps and were mentally prepared for them.
beatravelling
I did Mutianyu as well. Not many people. Wanted to do the more remote places, but it seemed like a hassle getting there and back.
Rhonda Albom
We had a driver so it was pretty easy to get where ever we wanted to go.
Barb
So funny to come across this post. I was in the Badaling section just last month.
Rhonda Albom
Was it as crowded as they say?
Kathy Marris
The terrain surrounding the Great Wall looks rather barren and dry. Is this normal for China? If we ever get to China and the Great Wall this will come in hadndy
Rhonda Albom
It was the time of year we were there. A few weeks later and it would be filled with wild flowers.
Amy Franks
I didn’t know they had gondolas there, that would make it so much more worthwhile for exploring the area.
Rhonda Albom
They are cable cars to get up from the parking area to the wall.
Shere
The view at the top is really spectacular! ! I’m looking at your pictures and thinking how lucky your girls are. They have already been to so many great places!
Rachel@safari254
The Great wall of China … a fantasy of mine … definitely on my bucket list.
Rhonda Albom
It was for me too, and it’s one that was worth the effort to get too.
eileen g
great practical information on seeing the wall. I don’t do well with steep, especially going down but the views seem worth braving it. i hope to do this one day!
Rhonda Albom
If you don’t like steep, the Badaling might be a better section for you. Go early before the crowds show up.
budget jan
I love your photos of the wall Rhonda. They make me want to visit. I’d chose this section because it doesn’t look crowded at all. Wonderful.
Rhonda Albom
Remember, I go out of my way to make my photos look less crowded.
Jill
Seeing – and walking – the Great Wall is high on my husband’s wish list. I never thought I had any desire to do this until he starting bringing it up and now, it’s high on my wish list also. I hope we make it there someday – there are so many places to see!
Rhonda Albom
It is so much bigger than I ever imagined prior to visiting. I am glad your hubby turned your opinions.
Ruth | Tanama Tales
This place is so breathtaking! In China, I have only been to Shanghai. I can’t believe I have not made it to Beijing and to the Great Wall yet (given that there are so many good offers from Los Angeles). The Mutianyu section looks like a great alternative to Badaling. I have seen pictures of Badaling and the crowds can get crazy. #TPThursday
Rhonda Albom
I have seen those same those images, and that was a huge part of our decision to head to Mutianyu.
Vanessa Brune
Ultimately, as long as I had the chance to see the Great Wall of China in person, it wouldn’t really matter to me which part I’d get to see. However least amount of crowds is usually a winner on my trips 😉
Rhonda Albom
That’s true for me too, but I was glad we got to see the Mutianyu section.
Sam | Away She Went
The Great Wall is on my bucket list! I’ll have to keep this in mind for future travels. I’m all for going to the less crowded section. I think it would be fun to take the luge down too, although probably a little scary too!
Rhonda Albom
My girls love a luge, I am more of a cable car kind of girl.
Lyn aka The Travelling Lindfields
It is the most amazing structure. I love your photos.
Esther
Oh my!! I am incredibly jealous. Walking the Great Wall is really a dream, isn’t it. One day, I hope, one day!
Rhonda Albom
It really is, and being there is quite surreal.
Lydia C. Lee
This is great – I’m hoping to do that race on the Great Wall the year after next. But if not, I’m book marking this!
Rhonda Albom
I didn’t know there was a race on the Great Wall.
Dawn Rae
Beautiful photos. I always LOVE the tours you take us on. Places I’ll probably never be able to travel to. But i get to see wonderful photos of the areas. Thank you.
Carol
Wonderful post and amazing photos! I’ve always wanted to go to the Great Wall. I’m so envious!
Rhonda Albom
maybe one day you will.
Villroses hage
Impressing place, and nice photos!
Rhonda Albom
It is incredibly impressive.
Sandee
I will never visit the wall, but it’s history is amazing.
Great shots as always.
Have a fabulous day, Rhonda. ☺
Alissa Apel
It’s good there is a cable option for those that want to see it, but can’t. My mom had Polio, so I know she’d be one that would take the cable car.
How cool is that! You go see the sweetest things! I love all the surroundings. Lots to see for sure.
Rhonda Albom
We took the cable car to get to the wall and start our walk.
JM Illinois U.S.A.
Amazing photographs of the Wall in China. I always look forward to visiting your blog.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
WOW! How far were you able to walk the Great Wall of China? Was it very difficult to walk and would a person like me with a cane be able to walk it? Looking at your photos it doesn’t look like there were any towns or cities. How did you get to any particular location to start? I’m asking far to many question. I better stop because if I don’t I’ll be asking more questions. See ya Rhonda.
Cruisin Paul
Rhonda Albom
We were on the Mutianyu section, and we walked the entire 3.4 miles and back. It was steep in parts, and many of the steps did not have handrails. From my understanding, Badaling is better suited for a person who walks with a cane. Both sections of the wall are about an hour outside of Beijing, and where we were it did seem isolated. We took the cable car up from the carpark, thus determining our start point.
stevebethere
I have not seen The China Wall in such depth before how did I miss this before, brilliant photos Rhonda 🙂
Have a walktastic day 🙂
Tanja (the Red phone box travels)
hopefully I’ll walk it one day too..
Rhonda Albom
I hope you get to.
Anda
I’m so glad you wrote about this subject, Rhonda. My husband and I will be going on a cruise to Yangtze Rive in October and we were thinking of visiting the Great Wall as well. I am not sure if we’ll make it there, but if we do the information you provided will come in very handy. Thanks for sharing this.
Nano @ Travel With Nano B.
Photo with the endless view is priceless! I posted my experience at the Great Wall from our recent visit. We also chose Mutianyu and didn’t regret at all. It was empty, serene and the views were priceless. I loved the comparison of the wall with the dragon, so fitting!
xx, Nano | http://www.travelwithnanob.com
Ryan Biddulph
Mutinayu would do it for me Rhonda; fewer tourists 😉 Way cool review here.
Rhonda Albom
I created my signature as a .png and add it as a watermark when I export my photos. I use Aperture. It’s not as difficult as it sounds. You can do it in Photoshop too, but it takes more steps.
Rhonda Albom
It was a smart idea of our guide. We only asked for a visit to traditional Chinese medicine.
Rhonda Albom
Wonderful to read. It’s a very surreal experience and very exciting at the same time.
Tina
Ohh Super… China is in my to visit list before I die!
Tina from Twinkling Tina Cooks
Rhonda Albom
I hope you get there someday. It’s an interesting and amazing country .
Karren Haller
We have actually been to China, Shenyang and toured farm fields for our company. Spent a lot of time in the car, saw farmers still using donkeys to pull their carts. We loved the food, we were taken to so many wonderful restaurants that prepared special foods for us. We weren’t close the great wall, sounds like a wonderful excursion.
Rhonda Albom
Beijing was one of five cities we visited whilst in China. We took the train once, but mostly we flew, so we didn’t get to see as much real life as you did.
Ann
And there’s that Chinese saying, you aren’t really a man until you climb the great wall… Or something to that effect.
I think the wall is amazing. We climbed the Jinshanling portion – or I should say, I climbed a portion of the Jinshanling portion. But, I also love that you see pieces of it as you travel through China.
Rhonda Albom
So, does that mean I am a man now ?? And I guess you are too.
Sarah
Beautiful pictures mum. They really show off the noble essence of the Great Wall
Rhonda Albom
LOL- I didn’t know there were stair either. I also was surprised how steep it was in other parts, without stairs. (This stair section was the steepest we encountered.)
Rhonda Albom
The foot massage was an extra bonus. I had only asked for an appointment at the wellness center, and that’s how it started out. Lucky us 🙂
Kristi
I’ve never been to China and mostly likely will not be going, but the pics. of your adventures are amazing!
Nana Prah
That must have been an amazing trip. I’d love to walk on the great wall one day.
T. A. Miles
The Great Wall is one of my all-time favorite landmarks and one of the places I most want to visit. 🙂
Rhonda Albom
When you get there, remember that the Mutianyu section is much less crowded than the more popular Badaling section. It is a bit further, but worth the effort.
Shere
Definitively an amazing place!! We only have been in China as a stopover to Australia. It’s also in our bucket list, but at the bottom 😛
Rhonda Albom
So as a stopover do they let you out of the airport. I would imagine not as we had to have our visas in advance.
Eli
Never been to the great wall of China – but definitely a MUST-SEE I think… Looks amazing, and just being there would be awesome:) Thanks for taking me along there today Rhonda:-)
Daidri | Thee Getaway Gal
Walking this great wall is one of the only reasons I wish to visit China right now. That might change over the years but I think this walk would be amazing.
Dominique Goh
That’s great that you managed to visit the great wall of china. I haven’t been there as yet.
Mere Joyce
I can’t say I have a huge desire to visit China, but the Wall would be amazing, for sure. It’s definitely cool that you’ve done something like this!
Jay @craftyspices
Wow.. I’m sure it’s a great experience to do this. Would love to be able to visit the Wall one day.
Happy for you and your family.
Have a lovely day!
lynneinpborough
Never been but it looks amazing. I’ve walked along Hadrians a bit and round the walls of Chester many times.. They probably don’t come near to the great Wall of China!
corinne
Rhonda, I love it. I’ve done this a couple of times, the first with the girls…barefoot! It was so darn hot! Fantastic!
Rhonda Albom
Ah, I guess I should have clarified. We drove the place to get our feet massaged. They were not related events, only in that they took place on the same day.
Sabrina A. Fish
My 7 year old has been begging to go visit China since he was 4 and first saw Ni Hao Kia Lan on Disney. He wants to try dumplings and walk the Great Wall, I want to see the Terracotta Army. I hope to take him in the next couple of years. I showed him your pictures and he thought they were great. Thanks for sharing!
Rhonda Albom
Honestly, I couldn’t tell you which of those two historical landmarks I preferred. I would also add a visit to Chengdu to see the Panda Research Center.
Rhonda Albom
We hired a private guide in Beijing for a few days to take us to the places we wanted to go. The foot massage was actually the first step on a well-check up in traditional Chinese medicine – a “free” event ended up costing a fortune in “herbal drugs” that all ended up in a bin somewhere as we traveled through the middle east.
Carrie-Anne Foster (thatdizzychick)
This is amazing. Such beautiful photos. I would love to see the wall. But Egypt is first on my list. 🙂
Carrie~Anne at That Dizzy Chick
Chris
The Great Wall is absolutely mind-blowing! I’ve never been there but my brother in law has. Looks like quite a hike, especially those steep steps. Your world travels are very impressive 😀