4-Day Beijing Tour

A 4-day Beijing travel itinerary

Pre-departure preparations

Before leaving, I asked myself a question: why go to Beijing? I didn't get a clear answer—maybe no answer should be clear-cut. Perhaps it was the unusual anxiety everyone felt during the pandemic, perhaps a long-held yearning for the imperial capital, perhaps just wanting to give myself a break. Anyway, Beijing, here I come.

I read many travel guides online, got a rough idea of the key sights, then started planning: checking the weather, deciding on must-see attractions and backup options, figuring out timings, accommodation, and daily schedules. Once that was set, I booked tickets online and prepared my gear.

The old saying 'a good general makes thorough preparations before battle' is still wise. Especially important: a guide I read mentioned the Beijing Local Treasure WeChat official account, which has loads of practical life info—it really helped.

Beijing stopped selling paper tickets last year. All attractions require online booking 1–7 days in advance. If the visitor limit is reached, you have to pick another date. I'd planned to visit the Forbidden City on the 9th, but those days were fully booked; the earliest I could get was the 12th. At the sights, you just swipe your ID card. During the pandemic, you also need to show your Beijing Health Kit to get through the gate.

With the dates set for the 9th–12th, I booked round-trip flights early, saving quite a bit. Then I used an app to find accommodation. Online advice said travelers to Beijing needed a nucleic acid test taken within 7 days, so I called to check—that was an old requirement, now dropped.

Shenzhen is over 2,000 km from Beijing, so checking the weather was essential. I packed suitable clothes. The first day was cloudy, around 10°C, so I brought an extra jacket. The remaining days were sunny, but with a diurnal range of about 15°C.

I thought about sunscreen, but after getting burned at Xichong in Shenzhen over May Day, I decided to travel light. A bit of tan on a guy is healthy. With everything ready, I set off: one person, one backpack, one phone.

The flight from Shenzhen Bao'an to Beijing Daxing took under three hours. From the airport, the subway is a dedicated airport line with only three stops: Daxing Airport, Daxing New Town, Caoqiao. I thought the WeChat transit code would work on Beijing's subway, but it didn't. I downloaded an app called Yi Tong Xing and it worked (for buses, though, you need the Beijing Bus app).

Day 1: I slept in and didn't get up till 9:00. After a steamer of 10 xiaolongbao and a bowl of soy milk, I headed to the first imperial garden—Beihai Park. It was close, just a ten-minute bus ride away. I scanned the QR code with the Beijing Bus app; when getting off, you need to scan again at the machine by the door because Beijing buses charge by distance, like the metro. If you forget, the app lets you manually add the ride later. In Beijing's First and Second Ring Roads, high-rises are rare; inside the First Ring, it's mostly siheyuan courtyard houses. Only cars with Beijing plates are allowed through.

Beihai is actually a fairly large lake. Beijing doesn't border the sea—all its "seas" are lakes, like Houhai and Shichahai. Inside the park, there's a striking white Tibetan-style lama pagoda. Up close, you can clearly see earthquake cracks. It stands on an island in the middle of Beihai, connected to the park by two bridges. Ancient weeping willows line the lakeshore. The paths are wide, flanked by locust trees or white poplars. I saw a free-roaming stray cat enjoying food left by staff or a visitor; my approach seemed to disturb it as it munched contentedly. Exploring the park and taking photos took about three hours.

From Beihai Park, it's about two kilometers to Nanluoguxiang. You can grab a shared bike right outside the park and enjoy central Beijing's streetscapes along the way. Though the roads are wide, the old locust trees on both sides act like natural umbrellas—cycling was a great choice.

Arriving at Nanluoguxiang, I found I still needed to reserve. But you can do it on the spot; just show your Health Kit and you're fine. The lane mostly sells Beijing-style handicrafts and local snacks. Some side entrances lead into residential hutong, which used to be open for wandering, but during the pandemic only residents with permits can enter.

In the evening, I took the subway to Olympic Forest Park. As the name suggests, beyond the Olympic plaza it's all forest. Past the Torch Square, vast woods spread out. Many locals were strolling, jogging, and kids taking rollerblading lessons. Before I knew it, a pale blue veil descended over the sky, covering the sun and letting the first stars peek through.

Day 2 was sunny. Unlike yesterday, when I needed a jacket, a T-shirt was enough. I took the bus to the Temple of Heaven area. Beijing buses are fast when traffic is light. At most small intersections, there are pedestrian overpasses; motor and non-motor traffic flow separately. The Temple of Heaven covers a huge area, with patches of forest separated by roads—pines, locust trees, white poplars. Under some trees, tiny enclosed lawns were neatly trimmed. I was lucky to spot a squirrel hopping about; when people approached, it vanished into the deeper woods. The Temple of Heaven was where ancient emperors performed sacrificial rites; the Echo Wall from school textbooks is here. To prevent further carving, the wall is now fenced off with iron railings. A full circuit took about four hours—it really is big, plus I kept retaking photos until I was happy.

Then I went to the Summer Palace. From the ticket gate, a humpback bridge leads to a mini ancient Suzhou Street on both sides—shops lining the canals, though not open. Further in is the Longevity Hill area, still under renovation with no opening date yet, so the main attraction is the lake. This is a miniature West Lake, but still large enough that just walking around took three hours. Along the way, I spotted Zhang Zijian, lead singer of the Hedgehog band, carrying a guitar and heading toward the south gate with someone who looked similar. It was very windy; by evening, the breeze off the lake felt a bit chilly, but that didn't stop some from boating and swimming.

Since Tsinghua University is nearby, I strolled over for a look. Although visits are currently banned, I took a photo at the gate. The night sky was an especially deep blue.

Day 3 was the Great Wall day. I headed to Deshengmen West bus terminal for the coach to Badaling Great Wall. Buses run every half hour; the last one is at noon because ticket sales stop at 13:00. The ride takes about an hour. You can pay cash, but scanning the app gives you half price. An on-board guide explains visiting tips and key sights. At the foot of the Wall, it's a ten-minute walk to the entrance. To the left is the south section, to the right the north section. Having enough energy, I climbed to the highest points on both sides and then came back down, taking the trail at the base, which was much faster. The kitten in my photo was also on that trail—friendlier than the previous cat, it seemed. On the way, I met a guy from northeast China who was also touring Beijing these days. We'd planned to go to the Ming Tombs over twenty kilometers away, but time ran out, so I hitched a ride back with him. I learned a phrase from the northeast: "赶趟儿" means you still have time for something.

Back in the city, I took the subway to Wangfujing. Like other pedestrian streets, it's lined with shops and malls, with a broad pedestrian thoroughfare crossing several streets (I didn't count). Business was still slow due to the pandemic; some shops weren't open. Talking to a vendor, I learned most had reopened only ten-odd days ago. A few minutes down the street, a fierce wind suddenly kicked up, almost with raindrops, but it felt sandy. A dust storm, I wondered? The next day confirmed it. I ducked into a nearby shopping mall. When I came out, it was better, but dust still swirled. Thanks to years of afforestation, it was nothing like the terrifying scenes from old TV or articles. I spotted a noodle shop and ordered a bowl of old Beijing dalu noodle and some spiced beef. The taste is subjective—I was hungry and cleaned the bowl. On my way back, I saw the middle of the road blocked off; up close, I saw a subway under construction inside. That way no dust escapes.

Tomorrow, the 12th, was my last stop: the Forbidden City. I planned to watch the flag-raising in the morning. A quick online search said it happens at 5:00. I promptly set my alarm for 4:00.

Last day: I got up on time, freshened up, and rode a shared bike about four kilometers, arriving by 4:40.

As expected, the crowd was small, just under two rings around the cordon line. There must have been over a hundred honor guards, marching out from Tiananmen in step, switching to goose-stepping on Chang'an Avenue, then back to regular march near the flagpole. Very impressive. Kids around sang the national anthem along.

After the flag-raising, I went back and enjoyed a morning snooze to recharge for the next leg.

At the Forbidden City, I entered from the east side of Donghua Gate, then through the Meridian Gate for security and ticket check. After security, there's an audio guide rental. I found its GPS not too accurate, and many spots already have text descriptions. Left of the Meridian Gate, there's a free luggage storage that sends your bag to the Shenwu Gate exit for pickup. No valuables allowed. Overall, the Forbidden City exudes grandeur and solemn opulence—yellow glazed tiles, red walls, white marble. Five centuries of history make it a must-see.

Crossing Shenwu Gate, Jingshan Park is directly opposite. Climb to the hilltop for a panoramic view of Beijing. As I ascended the steps and gazed into the distance, heavy haze unfortunately blocked the view.

Then back to Tiananmen Square and toward Qianmen Street. You pass the Monument to the People's Heroes, then the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, and next comes Zhengyangmen. At Qianmen Street, I found a historic commercial area, Dashilar, still slumbering.

That marked the end of my Beijing trip. I caught the last subway to Daxing Airport and flew back to Shenzhen.

Travel is about sojourning in a foreign place and journeying into your own heart.