Skip to main content
nihaovisit
DestinationsToolsVisa GuideContact
Check your visa
nihaovisit
DestinationsToolsVisa GuideContact
Check your visa

2-Day Beijing Itinerary

2-Day Beijing Itinerary

TL;DR — A 2-day Beijing (北京) itinerary is tight but doable for a first-time visitor: Tiananmen + Forbidden City + Wangfujing on Day 1, Great Wall (Mutianyu) on Day 2. Skip Temple of Heaven on a 2-day plan — too rushed. Buy Forbidden City tickets 7 days in advance on the official mini-program; book Mutianyu shuttle the day before.

Pre-trip checklist (do 1 week before)

  • [ ] Forbidden City tickets (60 CNY peak / 40 CNY off-peak): book 7 days in advance on the official WeChat mini-program "故宫博物院" or at gugong.ktmtech.cn. Slots release at 00:00 Beijing time; book on day 7 at 00:00 sharp. Sells out for weekends within hours.
  • [ ] Tiananmen entry: free, but you need a timed reservation on the same mini-program, 1 day in advance.
  • [ ] Mutianyu Great Wall shuttle / tour: 200–300 CNY round-trip from downtown (Viator, Klook, or join a hostel group). DIY: bus line 916 from Dongzhimen to Huairou (怀柔), then transfer to local shuttle.
  • [ ] Beijing Subway APP (English) or Apple Pay China for metro/bus.
  • [ ] Alipay / WeChat Pay set up with foreign card (see our payment guide).
  • [ ] Passport on you at all times — required for every ticket purchase and every hotel check-in.

Day 1: Imperial Beijing

07:00 — Breakfast

Local breakfast at any hole-in-the-wall near your hotel:

  • Doujiang (豆浆) soymilk + youtiao (油条) fried dough + baozi (包子) steamed buns = 15–25 CNY.
  • Jianbing (煎饼): 8–15 CNY, the Beijing breakfast crepe.

08:00 — Tiananmen Square 天安门广场

  • Arrive at the Tiananmen East metro station (Line 1) by 08:00 — 30 min security line.
  • Walk the square: Monument to the People's Heroes, Great Hall of the People, Mao's Mausoleum (closed Mondays).
  • 1 hour. Free.

09:00 — Forbidden City 紫禁城

  • Enter through the Tiananmen gate (10-min walk through Tiananmen Square).
  • The route: Meridian Gate (Wumen) → Hall of Supreme Harmony → Palace of Heavenly Purity → Imperial Garden → Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwumen) → exit.
  • Plan 2.5–3 hours. Last entry 15:30, closed Mondays.
  • Don't miss: Hall of Supreme Harmony (the biggest wooden hall in China), the Clock and Watch Gallery 钟表馆 (40 CNY extra, in the east wing), the Treasure Gallery 珍宝馆 (10 CNY extra, in the west wing). Both extras are worth it.

12:00 — Lunch at Jingshan / Wangfujing

  • Jingshan Park 景山公园: across from the Forbidden City north gate, 2 CNY entry, climb to the summit for the famous Forbidden City rooftop photo.
  • Lunch: Wangfujing Snack Street is the famous tourist food street — overpriced, skip it. Better: Donghuamen Night Market for dinner, or Jingzun Peking Duck near Wangfujing (~150–250 CNY / person).

13:30 — Nanluoguxiang 南锣鼓巷

  • Hutong (胡同) alley pedestrian street, 1 km north of the Forbidden City.
  • Walk the full length (1.5 km) and side alleys to see traditional courtyard houses (siheyuan 四合院).
  • Don't eat the famous "delicacies" (scorpion skewers etc.) — overpriced, low-quality.
  • 1.5 hours.

15:30 — Drum Tower / Bell Tower 鼓楼 / 钟楼

  • Tower complex at the north end of Nanluoguxiang, 20 CNY combined ticket, climb the drum tower for hutong views.
  • 1 hour.

17:00 — Houhai Lake 后海 + Yandai Xiejie

  • 15 min walk from Drum Tower.
  • Houhai: lakeside bar / restaurant district. Expensive by Beijing standards (80–200 CNY for drinks).
  • Yandai Xiejie 烟袋斜街: 200-m sloped alley, the most-photographed hutong, better than Nanluoguxiang for atmosphere.

19:00 — Dinner: Peking Duck 烤鸭

Options, ranked by value:

  1. Da Dong Roast Duck 大董烤鸭 (Dongcheng branch): 280–400 CNY / person, modern, lighter, beautiful plating. Recommended.
  2. Quanjude 全聚德 (Wangfujing original): 200–300 CNY / person, classic, the original since 1864. Tourist-heavy but famous.
  3. Bianyifang 便宜坊: 150–200 CNY / person, oldest (1416), uses "menlu" (焖炉) method.
  4. Local spots: any 小店 (xiaodian) in the hutongs with a Peking duck on display.

21:00 — Wangfujing Night Walk

  • Free, lit up at night, 1 hour walking back to the hotel.

Day 2: Great Wall (Mutianyu 慕田峪)

06:30 — Pickup / Departure

  • Option A (DIY): Subway Line 2 to Dongzhimen, transfer to bus 916 (12 CNY) to Huairou, then local shuttle to Mutianyu entrance. ~2 hours. Total 30–40 CNY.
  • Option B (recommended): Book a hostel tour or Klook/Viator Mutianyu shuttle, 200–300 CNY round-trip + entrance. ~1.5 hours, no transfers.
  • Option C (private car): ~800–1,200 CNY for the day, fastest (1 hour).

09:00 — Arrive at Mutianyu

  • Entrance fee: 45 CNY.
  • Optional extras:
    • Cable car up + toboggan down: 120 CNY round-trip. The toboggan is the highlight of any China trip with kids.
    • Chairlift: cheaper 100 CNY, more sedate.
    • Hike up: 30–40 min stair climb, free, but the toboggan is more fun.

09:30–12:30 — Walk the wall

  • The wall is ~2.5 km open to tourists on this restored section.
  • Walk to Tower 14 (1.5 hours round-trip, the most-photographed tower).
  • Continue to Tower 20 if fit (2.5 hours round-trip, less crowded).
  • Photo tips: morning light from the west is best; the east side has fewer crowds.

13:00 — Lunch

  • Inside the scenic area: a few restaurants near the entrance, 60–100 CNY / person. Decent.
  • Outside: a few farm-restaurants in the village below, 50–80 CNY / person. Avoid the tourist-trap restaurants on the highway back.

14:00 — Olympic Park 奥林匹克公园 (optional, on return)

  • Drop-off at Olympic Park metro station (Line 8).
  • Bird's Nest 鸟巢 and Water Cube 水立方: 50 CNY combined ticket to enter, 30 CNY to view from outside.
  • 1–1.5 hours.

17:00 — Sanlitun 三里屯 (optional, evening)

  • Beijing's bar / shopping district, Taikoo Li 太古里 mall is the highlight.
  • 1.5–2 hours.

19:00 — Dinner

  • Haidilao 海底捞 (hotpot chain, English menu, 150–200 CNY / person) for a fun experience.
  • Or Duck Neck (Jingya 井格, 80–120 CNY) for a Beijing-flavoured Chongqing experience.

Budget

  • Accommodation (2 nights): 600–1,500 CNY total (mid-range hotel).
  • Transport: 200–400 CNY total.
  • Tickets: ~400 CNY / person.
  • Food: 300–500 CNY / person.
  • Total per person: ~1,500–2,800 CNY (mid-range, 2 days, excluding flights).

Common mistakes

  • Don't book Day 2 Mutianyu on a Monday — closed.
  • Don't try to fit Temple of Heaven (天坛) on a 2-day plan — 1.5 hours minimum, drops Great Wall quality.
  • Don't go to the "Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon" 三潭印月 at Beihai Park in the rain — wasted time.
  • Don't hail taxis at the airport — use Didi or the airport express train.
  • Don't trust "Forbidden City tour guides" at the entrance — they are unlicensed. Hire from the official visitor centre (200 CNY / group, English).

Verdict

Day 1 (Imperial Beijing) + Day 2 (Mutianyu Great Wall) is the right 2-day plan. Add a 3rd day for Temple of Heaven + Summer Palace if budget allows.

Verify before you go on visitbeijing.com.cn, the Beijing Tourism Bureau WeChat account, and the Forbidden City official WeChat ("故宫博物院") for last-minute closures and ticket availability.

Source: Beijing Tourism Bureau, Forbidden City Museum official site, on-site visits in 2025–2026.