A photograph of Beijing

City guide · China

Places to visit in Beijing, China — page 3

Beijing is vast, but its principal historic sights align around the north-south imperial axis. Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Jingshan form the centra...

Photograph · N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0

15,246 Places
Suggested stay
Not recorded
Getting around
Walking, subway and city bus

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Beijing

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Beijing is vast, but its principal historic sights align around the north-south imperial axis. Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Jingshan form the central sequence, while the Temple of Heaven lies south and the lake, hutong and palace districts extend north and west. Great Wall sections and imperial tombs are separate day journeys outside the urban core.

Checked 2026-08-26

Practical information

Language spoken
Standard Chinese; regional languages are widely used
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+86 mainland · +852 Hong Kong · +853 Macao
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Renminbi (CNY); HKD and MOP in the SARs
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
110 police · 120 medical on the mainland
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A, C and I · 220 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No single verified statement covers mainland China and both SARs

Planning a visit

September · September offers Beijing a 25.8°C mean high, 14.2°C mean low and rainfall reduced to 49 mm.

  1. January: recurring difficult conditions
  2. February: recurring difficult conditions
  3. March: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  4. April: good time to visit
  5. May: best time to visit
  6. June: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  7. July: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  8. August: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  9. September: best time to visit — current month
  10. October: best time to visit
  11. November: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  12. December: recurring difficult conditions

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. The Grand Canal Museum of Beijing
    51 1 hr 30 min

    The Grand Canal Museum of Beijing

    北京大运河博物馆

    Beijing Grand Canal Museum introduces the Grand Canal of China, the immense waterway linking northern and southern parts of the country. The museum gives travellers a cultural way to understand the canal’s engineering, transport and historical importance.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  2. Grand Canal Forest Park Grand Canal Forest Park
    52 1 hour

    Grand Canal Forest Park

    大运河森林公园

    Grand Canal Forest Park is a large green space in Beijing’s Tongzhou District beside the historic Grand Canal. It offers a quieter, more open way to experience the waterway, combining woodland, paths and canal-side scenery.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  3. Sanlitun Shopping Arcade
    53 45 min

    Sanlitun Shopping Arcade

    三里屯

    Sanlitun is a lively commercial and nightlife district in Beijing’s Chaoyang District. Once associated with the city’s diplomatic quarter, it now brings together shopping, dining, international brands, bars, hotels, and social life across a busy urban area.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  4. Beijing Antique Market Beijing Antique Market
    54 45 min

    Beijing Antique Market

    潘家园旧货市场

    Panjiayuan Antique Market is a sprawling Beijing bazaar filled with secondhand goods, curios and objects connected with Chinese material culture. Known locally as 潘家园旧货市场, it attracts collectors, browsers and travellers searching for distinctive souvenirs.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  5. Yandai Byway
    55 45 min

    Yandai Byway

    烟袋斜街

    Yandai Xiejie, whose local name is 烟袋斜街, is a historic hutong alleyway in Beijing. The name translates approximately to Skewed Tobacco Pouch Street, derived from its distinctive shape resembling a traditional tobacco pipe.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  6. Houhai Houhai
    56 1 hour

    Houhai

    什刹后海

    Houhai is the northernmost of the three lakes in Beijing’s Shichahai water area, alongside Qianhai and Xihai. Its name means “Back Sea,” reflecting its position north of the former imperial city.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  7. Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall
    57 1 hr 30 min

    Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall

    北京市规划展览馆

    Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall is a central exhibition venue focused on the capital’s urban form, development and future plans. Near Qianmen, it places Beijing’s immense scale into a visual format that visitors can understand through maps, models and diagrams.

    • High
    • Museum
  8. Beijing Police Museum Beijing Police Museum
    58 1 hr 30 min

    Beijing Police Museum

    北京警察博物馆

    Beijing Police Museum is a municipal museum in central Beijing devoted to the history and development of policing in China’s capital. The museum presents policing as an institution shaped by changing governments, technologies, and urban needs.

    • High
    • Museum
  9. Former Residence of Soong Ching-ling Former Residence of Soong Ching-ling
    59 1 hr 30 min

    Former Residence of Soong Ching-ling

    宋庆龄故居

    The Former Residence of Soong Ching-ling is a historic house museum in Beijing’s Shichahai area.

    • High
    • Museum
  10. Beijing Lu Xun Museum Beijing Lu Xun Museum
    60 1 hr 30 min

    Beijing Lu Xun Museum

    鲁迅博物馆

    Beijing Lu Xun Museum is dedicated to the life, writing and cultural legacy of Lu Xun, one of modern China’s most influential authors.

    • High
    • Museum
  11. 梅兰芳纪念馆
    61 1 hr 30 min

    梅兰芳纪念馆

    The Mei Lanfang Memorial Museum is a cultural memorial site in Beijing dedicated to Mei Lanfang, the celebrated Peking opera artist renowned for his dan roles.

    • High
    • Museum
  12. 徐悲鸿纪念馆
    62 1 hr 30 min

    徐悲鸿纪念馆

    Xu Beihong Memorial Museum is a Beijing museum devoted to Xu Beihong, the modern Chinese artist celebrated especially for paintings of horses.

    • High
    • Museum
  13. 曹雪芹纪念馆 曹雪芹纪念馆
    63 45 min

    曹雪芹纪念馆

    The Cao Xueqin Memorial Hall commemorates the celebrated Qing dynasty author of Dream of the Red Chamber, China's most famous classical novel. Located in Beijing, this cultural site honors Cao Xueqin's literary legacy and his connection to the city.

    • High
    • Historic monument
  14. Marco Polo Bridge Marco Polo Bridge
    64 20 min

    Marco Polo Bridge

    卢沟桥

    Marco Polo Bridge, also called Lugou Bridge, is a historic stone crossing over the Yongding River in Beijing’s Fengtai District.

    • High
    • Viewpoint
  15. Wanping Fortress Wanping Fortress
    65 45 min

    Wanping Fortress

    宛平城

    Wanping Fortress, known locally as Wanping Cheng, is a historic walled settlement in Beijing's Fengtai District. Constructed during the Ming Dynasty as a military garrison, it served as a strategic defensive position guarding the western approaches to the capital.

    • High
    • Historic monument
  16. LongQingXia
    66 45 min

    LongQingXia

    龙庆峡

    Longqing Gorge, known locally as 龙庆峡, is a scenic canyon area located north of Beijing's urban core. The gorge features a reservoir formed by dam construction, creating an elongated water body between steep mountainous terrain.

    • High
    • Historic monument
  17. Beijing Garden Expo Park Beijing Garden Expo Park
    67 1 hour

    Beijing Garden Expo Park

    北京园博园

    Beijing Garden Expo Park is a large landscaped park in Fengtai District, created as the lasting venue of an international garden exposition.

    • High
    • Nature site
  18. 中国考古博物馆
    68 1 hr 30 min

    中国考古博物馆

    China Archaeological Museum, 中国考古博物馆, is a Beijing institution devoted to archaeology and archaeological heritage. Its focus is the material record of China’s past: excavated objects, the cultures that made them, and the evidence archaeologists use to reconstruct earlier lives.

    • High
    • Museum

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

Plan the Forbidden City axis as one long central route and avoid pairing it with a distant outer attraction. The Temple of Heaven and Qianmen fit a southern cluster; Shichahai, Drum Tower and nearby hutongs form a northern cluster. The Summer Palace occupies a western half-day, while any Great Wall section requires its own transport plan.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Beijing’s official guidance describes the subway as the most convenient public transit for major attractions and transport hubs. Use rail for cross-city moves, then walk within each historic cluster. International bank-card access is available at supported gates under current guidance. Distances and security checks can add time, so leave margins around major monuments and railway stations.

Checked 2026-08-26

More city guides

Common questions

How many days should I spend in Beijing?

A fixed stay length is not recorded. Build the visit around the imperial axis, Shichahai and the western palaces, then add Great Wall sections and imperial tombs only when the available time supports a separate journey.

What is the best way to organise sightseeing in Beijing?

Group places by district instead of crossing the city repeatedly. Start with the imperial axis, Shichahai and the western palaces; treat Great Wall sections and imperial tombs as separate routes with their own travel allowance.

How do I get around Beijing?

Use Walking, subway and city bus. Walk within compact clusters and consult the linked official transport information before making longer transfers or relying on a particular route.

Can I explore Beijing mainly on foot?

Only within individual neighbourhood clusters. The main visitor areas are separated by distances, waterways, major roads or regional approaches, so longer links normally need public transport or a licensed vehicle.

Which Beijing sights need separate transport planning?

Plan Great Wall sections and imperial tombs separately from the imperial axis, Shichahai and the western palaces. Check the current route, return connection and any access requirements on the official source before departure.