Beijing: An Easy 5-Day Itinerary with Real Prices (2026)
Beijing is the kind of city that makes you feel small in the best possible way.
I moved here from Auckland three years ago, and walking past the Forbidden City on a Tuesday morning still stops me in my tracks. The scale of this place never gets old.
This is the itinerary I’d hand a friend visiting for the first time. Not the guidebook version, the real one, from someone who lives here. A comfy hotel bed and good coffee, plus the side-street dumpling spots, the 25,000-step days and the parks where locals fly kites. The big sights, and the quieter corners most tourists rush past.
Coming with a partner, a friend or kids? It all works. I’ve added with kids notes as we go.
Let’s go!
Nic x
Why Beijing Is Easier Than You Think
- The metro is cheap and clean, with English signs everywhere. You’ll rarely need a taxi.
- The big sights are close together. Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Jingshan Park are one day on foot. Wear your comfiest shoes, because each one is huge.
- The food covers every craving, from 15¥ street dumplings to a proper flat whites. Fussy eaters (small or grown) won’t go hungry.
- Universal Studios Beijing is one of the most fun days you can have in China, whether you’re 5 or 35.
- Hotels are excellent value compared to Western cities. Mid-range here gets you a lot of comfort.
📋 Before you go – Grab my favourite recommendations
Planning a trip to China? Checkout my favourite recommendations for making your trip to China, easy and enjoyable.
Before You Go: The Non-Negotiables
💳 Carry your passport. Always.
Most attractions scan your passport at the gate, and some hotels, trains and museums do too. Leave it in the room and you can be turned away. It’s the one thing in China you can’t wing.
💳 Set up your payment app before you fly
China is almost entirely cashless, and foreign cards only work at big hotels and department stores. Everything else runs on Alipay or WeChat Pay. As a visitor, I’d go with Alipay.
Make moving and exchanging money overseas easy
Sign up for a Wise Debit Card and link it to your Alipay before leaving home, making it super easy to access your cash as soon as you land, with fixed exchange fees and great exchange rates. Don’t get caught out by bank fees for overseas exchanges.
Set it up at home so verification doesn’t trip you up when you land.
- Alipay: the easiest for visitors, with built-in translation. This is my pick.
- WeChat Pay: what locals use, but it’s harder to link to international cards.
The 5-Day Beijing Itinerary
Day 1: Tiananmen Square + Forbidden City
Start where China starts: Tiananmen Square.
It’s enormous, almost ridiculously so.
Walk straight through into the Forbidden City and give it at least three hours. The sheer scale is the attraction, so don’t try to see every courtyard. Pick a route, stick to it and wander.
- Essential: Book Forbidden City tickets online well ahead. They sell out fast. Entry is ¥[__].
- Tip: Food inside is overpriced. Grab water and snacks from any 7-Eleven on the way.
- Bonus: Jingshan Park sits right behind it. Climb the hill for the best view of the golden rooftops, and your best “I was here” photo.
With kids? Expect them to either love the scale or ask when lunch is. Both are valid. Let them pick the route now and then.
🎟️ Book Forbidden City, Skip-the Line tickets via Klook
The queue for walk-up tickets can be brutal, especially in peak season. Klook’s skip-the-line entry is worth every penny.
Day 2: The Great Wall
No Beijing trip is complete without it. Here’s what nobody tells you: the section you visit matters enormously.
I’ve done the sections close to Beijing, and Mutianyu is the one I recommend every time.
- Best all-rounder: Mutianyu. There’s a cable car up and a toboggan down, and it’s less crowded than Badaling.
- Easiest access: Badaling. It’s the closest to the city and the most touristy, but still impressive.
- For hikers: Jinshanling. It’s stunning, with fewer people and real climbing. Save it for a second trip.
With kids? Mutianyu is the one. The toboggan is the highlight for all ages.
My number one tip: book a private driver. You go door to door on your own schedule, with no group-tour stops at overpriced tea ceremonies, and you can stop for a proper local lunch on the way back. I use the same driver every time. Send me a quick enquiry:
🎟️ Book a Great Wall Tour via Klook
If you’re looking for a more traditional tour (including English speaking guides) then a day trip through Klook is your best option – return transport from central Beijing included, all tickets included. Save yourself a headache and about 200¥.
Day 3: Universal Studios Beijing
Shanghai has Disneyland. Beijing has Universal Studios, which opened in 2021.
Short version: it’s spectacular. Hogsmeade with a butterbeer in hand is worth the trip on its own.
- Harry Potter: Butterbeer and Hogsmeade are worth every yuan.
- Kung Fu Panda Land: It’s entirely indoors, which is brilliant on hot summer days or freezing winter ones.
- Transformers: The Decepticoaster is intense. Check height limits in the app.
- Minion Land: Gentle rides and big visuals.
- Food: It’s expensive. Pack snacks to save money and avoid hangry meltdowns.
With kids? We went for my husband’s birthday with our 5-year-old, who was under most of the height limits and not a fan of loops, and it was still a brilliant day. (See the full honest review here.)
🎟️ Book Universal Studios Beijing Tickets via Klook
Klook has the best prices for Universal Studios Beijing tickets. We also recommend looking at the hotel package – staying at the Universal Studios Grand Hotel gets your early park entry which is a genuine game-changer.
Day 4: Temple of Heaven + Hutong Tour
The Temple of Heaven is underrated. Most visitors rush to the Forbidden City and skip it, so it’s calmer and more beautiful. The park around it is full of locals doing tai chi, playing cards and flying kites.
Buy a ¥[__] jianzi (a Chinese shuttlecock you kick) from a vendor and join a circle. The locals love it when visitors have a go. It’s one of those small moments that ends up being the best memory of the trip.
Afternoon: do a hutong tour. Cycling or riding a rickshaw through Beijing’s old alleyways is equal parts chaotic and charming. It’s the side-street Beijing most people never see.
With kids? Ours loved it. We booked a rickshaw tour with a dumpling-making class, so nobody had to navigate the alleys alone.
Book a Hutong Rickshaw or Cycling Tour via Klook
We booked a Hutong rickshaw tour through Klook that included a dumpling-making class. Kids absolutely loved it – and it handles all the logistics so you’re not navigating alleyways on your own.
Day 5: Summer Palace + Departure
The Summer Palace is Beijing’s most beautiful spot and the perfect slow last day. You can take a boat on the lake, wander the painted Long Corridor and people-watch.
Flying home? Do the Summer Palace in the morning and leave for the airport after lunch. It’s about 45 minutes to the airport, but Beijing traffic is Beijing traffic, so leave more time than you think.
Where to Stay in Beijing
For a first visit, stay in Wangfujing or Dongcheng. Both are central, walkable to the big sights and close to metro lines that go everywhere else. Expect around ¥[__]–¥[__] a night for a comfortable mid-range hotel.
Book your Beijing Hotel via Trip.com
Trip.com consistently has better prices than international booking sites for Beijing hotels. Use the map view to make sure you’re central. Most hotels include breakfast with a mix of Chinese and Western options. Travelling as a family? Filter by family rooms.
What to Pack for Beijing
Comfy walking shoes (the big one), a power bank, a universal adapter, compression socks for the flight and a light rain jacket. With kids? Add a stroller rain cover and a carrier, and see our full family packing list below.
❓ FAQs
Q: Is Beijing easy to get around?
A: Very. The metro is world-class: cheap, clean and signed in English. DiDi (China’s Uber) is affordable when your feet give out.
Q: What about the air quality?
A: It’s improved massively, and blue skies are common now. Check an AQI app each morning, especially in winter or rainy season.
Q: Is Beijing stroller-friendly?
A: It’s hit and miss. Malls and Universal Studios are great. The Great Wall and the Forbidden City have lots of stairs and high thresholds, so a carrier is better for babies and toddlers.
The Honest Verdict
Beijing isn’t a “dip your toe in” kind of city. It grabs you.
Three years in, it still surprises me. The history is staggering, the food is extraordinary, and it’s far easier to visit than people expect.
Plan well, book tickets early and give yourself more time than you think you need. It still won’t be enough.
Until next time,
Nic x
Ready for Universal Studios?
Read our honest review of Universal Studios Beijing with a 5-year-old. The good, the expensive and whether it’s actually worth it with young kids.
Planning a trip to China?
Don’t get stuck without the right tools. From VPN’s to booking hotels and fast trains, we have everything you’ll need listed in our tool kit.
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