- Home
- Itineraries
- 5-Day Beijing Family Itinerary 2026: With Kids and Teens
★ Itinerary · 5 days · 3 UNESCO sites
5-Day Beijing Family Itinerary 2026: With Kids and Teens
A 5-day Beijing itinerary designed for families with kids and teens. Includes Great Wall toboggan, Beijing Aquarium, Olympic Park, and Peking duck.
Quick Answer
What is this 5-day itinerary like?
This 5-day itinerary covers 3 UNESCO sites, involves 18 km of walking, and offers a total cost of $920.
Day by day
Book this trip →Five days covers Beijing family-style: Day 1 Forbidden City + Tiananmen, Day 2 Great Wall (toboggan!), Day 3 Beijing Zoo + Aquarium, Day 4 Olympic Park + science museums, Day 5 hutongs + Peking duck.
1
Day 1 · Mon
Imperial Beijing
Tiananmen Square · Forbidden City (¥60, kids free) · Jingshan Park · Peking duck dinner
- 09:00Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square
- 11:00Forbidden City
¥60, kids free
- 13:00Jingshan Park
Jingshan Park
- 15:00Peking duck dinner
Peking duck dinner
🏨Stay tonightWangfujing or Qianmen· D: Peking duck
2
Day 2 · Tue
Great Wall + Toboggan
Mutianyu Great Wall (¥45) · Cable car up + TOBOGGAN down (kids love it) · Return: Wangfujing Snack Street
- 09:00Mutianyu Great Wall
¥45
- 11:00Cable car up + TOBOGGAN down
kids love it
- 13:00Return: Wangfujing Snack Street
Return: Wangfujing Snack Street
🏨Stay tonightSame hotel· B: hotel · L: wall · D: street food
3
Day 3 · Wed
Beijing Zoo and Aquarium
Beijing Zoo (¥19, including pandas) · Beijing Aquarium (¥120) · Afternoon: Children's Palace playground
- 09:00Beijing Zoo
¥19, including pandas
- 11:00Beijing Aquarium
¥120
- 13:00Afternoon: Children's Palace playground
Afternoon: Children's Palace playground
🏨Stay tonightSame hotel· B: hotel · L: zoo · D: noodle shop
4
Day 4 · Thu
Olympic Park and science
Beijing Science and Technology Museum (¥30) · Olympic Park (Bird's Nest, Water Cube) · Evening: Chaoyang Park
- 09:00Beijing Science and Technology Museum
¥30
- 11:00Olympic Park
Bird's Nest, Water Cube
- 13:00Evening: Chaoyang Park
Evening: Chaoyang Park
🏨Stay tonightSame hotel· B: hotel · L: Olympic · D: Korean BBQ
5
Day 5 · Fri
Hutongs and departure
Rickshaw ride in hutongs (¥100 per person) · Yandai Byway · Drum Tower + Bell Tower · Departure
- 09:00Rickshaw ride in hutongs
¥100 per person
- 11:00Yandai Byway
Yandai Byway
- 13:00Drum Tower + Bell Tower
Drum Tower + Bell Tower
- 15:00Departure
Departure
✈️DepartureHotel· B: hotel · L: hutong · D: airport
Book this trip
All routes →Top sight tickets and any private drivers sell out first; everything else can wait until a week before.
If 5 days isn’t quite right
All routes →Beijing essentials
Forbidden City · Great Wall · Temple of Heaven. For short stopovers.
Beijing → Xi'an → Shanghai
Imperial, ancient, and modern China on one HSR loop.
Beijing → Xi'an → Chengdu → Guilin → Shanghai
Adds Sichuan pandas and Li River karst.
Lock in the essentials before you fly
We may earn a commission when you book through these links. This does not affect our editorial recommendations.
Itinerary FAQ
How far in advance should I book the main sights?
Book the top restricted-access sight 7 days before, at midnight local time, via the official channel. Same-day tickets are not sold at most major sites.
Is 5 days too long for a first trip?
No — 5 days is the sweet spot. Three days covers the highlights but you will be exhausted. Five lets you add a day trip and an unhurried afternoon without rushing.
Can I do this itinerary without speaking Chinese?
Yes. Install Pleco (offline dictionary) and a translation app before you fly. Metro and attraction signage is in English in major cities; international-hotel staff speak English.
What's the worst time of year to run this exact route?
Golden Week (October 1–7) — every timed entry is impossible to get. Also avoid the Spring Festival rush (late Jan/Feb) and Labor Day (May 1–5). Mid-July to mid-August is hot and crowded with domestic travelers.
How much cash do I actually need?
Almost none. Alipay (linked to a foreign Visa/Mastercard) covers 95% of vendors. Carry ¥500–800 in cash as backup for small stalls. Tipping is not expected.
Is this route safe for solo travelers?
Yes. The main risk is traffic — e-bikes and scooters use sidewalks. Stay alert at intersections, especially outside Beijing/Shanghai where drivers may not stop. Solo female travelers report no issues.