Itinerary · 3 days · packed
Beijing 3-day blitz — first-timer fast pass
Three full days in Beijing covering the Forbidden City, Great Wall at Mutianyu, the Temple of Heaven and the hutong lanes — the absolute core of the capital for visitors with limited time.
Three days is a reasonable minimum for Beijing. The city is vast and transport is slower than it looks on a map, so this itinerary keeps movement tight: the central imperial axis on day one, the Wall on day two, and southern Beijing with a hutong wander on day three. Book the Forbidden City online before you travel — it regularly sells out a week in advance.
Beijing's scale is a recurring surprise. The map makes the Forbidden City look close to the Great Wall; they are 90 minutes apart by car in good traffic. The Temple of Heaven looks walkable from Tiananmen — it takes 40 minutes on foot or 10 minutes by subway. Allow for this. The subway (地铁) is the single most reliable way to move around the central city — clean, fast, signposted in English, and cheap at ¥3–¥6 per journey. A Yikatong transit card (available from any subway station) avoids the queues for individual ticket purchase.
The Forbidden City's official name is the Palace Museum (故宫博物院, Gùgōng Bówùyuàn). It holds 1.8 million imperial artefacts — only a fraction are on display at any one time, in rotating exhibitions across the side halls. The central axis (which most visitors follow) shows the ceremonial architecture; the residential courts and inner sanctum north of the last ceremonial hall are less visited and more intimate.
Day by day
Day 1 · beijing
Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Jingshan
Arrive early at Tiananmen Square, then walk north into the Forbidden City (pre-booked tickets essential). Allow three to four hours inside. Climb Jingshan Park for the aerial view over the golden rooflines. Evening: Nanluoguxiang hutong for street food and a beer.
Attractions: forbidden-city, jingshan-park, nanluoguxiang
Stay in: Wangfujing or Qianmen — walking distance of the palace.
Day 2 · beijing
Great Wall at Mutianyu
Leave the hotel by 7:30 for the 90-minute drive to Mutianyu. Hire a car and driver (¥600–900) rather than joining a packed tour bus. Three hours on the wall — the cable car up, the toboggan down — then back in Beijing by mid-afternoon. Temple of Heaven if energy remains; Peking duck dinner in Qianmen.
Attractions: great-wall-mutianyu, temple-of-heaven
Hired car ¥600–¥900 round trip with waiting time.
Day 3 · beijing
Lama Temple, Beihai, departure
Morning at the Lama Temple (Yonghe Gong) — the finest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Beijing. Walk south to Beihai Park for an hour around the lake, then to Wangfujing for any last shopping. Depart from Capital Airport (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) in the evening.
Attractions: lama-temple, beihai-park
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥500 |
| Mid-range | ¥1200 |
| Comfortable | ¥2800 |
Per person total for 3 days. Does not include international flights.
Cities covered
Attractions covered
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