How many days in Beijing: 3 minimum, 5 to do it properly
Three days is the minimum. Five is what most people actually need. Two days means the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and nothing else. Once you get past five you are adding day trips out of the city rather than more of Beijing.
| Days | What fits | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Forbidden City, Tiananmen, one Great Wall trip | No room for a slow meal or a hutong walk |
| 3 | Adds the Temple of Heaven and an evening in the hutongs | Two sights a day, and a Monday costs you the palace |
| 4–5 | Adds the Summer Palace, Beihai or 798, a second wall section | The version most people leave happy with |
| 7+ | Adds Chengde or Datong, or repeat visits without rushing | Only worth it if you want a second city |
Do not give Monday to the Forbidden City
The Palace Museum closes on Mondays except for statutory holidays, and it sells no same-day tickets at all — you book online or you do not get in. The Summer Palace's separately ticketed interiors close on Mondays too, as do the halls inside the Temple of Heaven, whose park stays open all week. If your trip is short, put the Great Wall on the Monday and keep Tuesday to Friday for the ticketed sights.
Book the two things that sell out
Forbidden City: tickets are released seven days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time through the official Palace Museum WeChat mini program, with a passport number required and a daily cap of 40,000 visitors. Admission is ¥60 from 1 April to 31 October and ¥40 from 1 November to 31 March; the Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery are ¥10 each. The gate opens 8:30, last entry is 16:00 in peak season and 15:30 off season. Enter at the Meridian Gate carrying the same passport you booked with.
Great Wall at Mutianyu: entry is ¥45, the compulsory shuttle bus ¥15, and the cable car ¥100 one way or ¥140 return. Peak season hours are 7:30–18:00 on weekdays and 7:30–18:30 at weekends, with ticket sales stopping an hour before closing. It sits roughly 70 km northeast of the centre, so it takes a full day.
Where to stay, and how you enter
Base yourself in Dongcheng, walking distance from a metro station. Staying near the sights costs more per night and saves you a commute every morning — compare all the main booking sites before you commit.
Book hotels, flights & trains across China — all in one place
On entry: citizens of 54 countries can transit China visa-free for up to 240 hours (10 days) with a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, and Beijing is one of the eligible regions. Rules differ by nationality, and some passports have separate visa-free arrangements, so check your own case rather than assuming.
Last checked: 2026-10-03
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