Itinerary · 3 days · balanced
Beijing weekend — 3 days in the capital
Three days in Beijing covering the Forbidden City, Great Wall at Mutianyu and the Temple of Heaven — the irreducible core of the capital, managed at a pace that avoids pure exhaustion.
Three days is a tight but workable window for Beijing's main sites if you plan transport in advance. Book Forbidden City tickets online before arrival — they sell out. The airport express train connects PEK with Dongzhimen in 25 minutes. The key constraint is the Wall: allow the full second day for Mutianyu rather than squeezing it into a half-day, which is the most common mistake first-time visitors make.
Day by day
Day 1 · beijing
Forbidden City and Jingshan Park
Arrive Beijing. Airport Express (¥25) or taxi to Dongcheng. Pre-booked Forbidden City tickets for late morning — allow three hours inside. North exit to Jingshan Park for the aerial rooftop panorama. Afternoon: Beihai Park lake if legs allow. Evening: Peking duck on Qianmen Street or in Wangfujing.
Attractions: forbidden-city, jingshan-park, beihai-park
Stay in: Wangfujing or Dongcheng — closest area to the imperial axis.
Day 2 · beijing
Great Wall at Mutianyu — full day
Leave the hotel at 7:30. Hired car to Mutianyu (90 min). Cable car up; walk a 2km section of the fully restored wall with excellent views. Toboggan descent. Lunch at the base. Back in Beijing by 3:30pm. Lama Temple (Yonghe Gong) if energy allows — the incense-filled courtyard is calming after a physical day.
Attractions: great-wall-mutianyu, lama-temple
Day 3 · beijing
Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace or hutong walk
Morning Temple of Heaven — the circular Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the wide park lawns. Choice for the afternoon: Summer Palace (30 min by metro, 2h to see the Long Corridor and Kunming Lake) or a hutong walk in the Shichahai area near Drum Tower. Transfer to PEK or PKX for evening departure.
Attractions: temple-of-heaven, summer-palace, nanluoguxiang
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥600 |
| Mid-range | ¥1500 |
| Comfortable | ¥3500 |
Per person total 3 days. Hired car to Mutianyu ¥600–900 round trip. International flights excluded.
Cities covered
Attractions covered