There is so much to see and do in Beijing that if you are visiting this city for the first time or the even the tenth time, it can feel overwhelming (and we mean that in the best of ways). The city is a constant whirl of motion, and it is in the midst of an intense period of growth.
Prepare to have your tastebuds delighted with the most delicious food you have ever tasted (don’t be afraid to try something new!). Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for amazing architecture, both old and new. And brace yourself for a cacophony of unfamiliar sounds and smells that fill this bustling, hustling city that will make you realize, happily, that you are truly halfway around the world.
ATTRACTIONS
- Bathe at Shuang Xing Tang, the last remaining traditional bath in the city
- Experience a tui na massage
- Beijing National Stadium
- Catch a few innings at a Beijing Tigers baseball game
- Check out courtyard homes in Cuandixia Village
- Go dancing in Sanlitun
- Go grape picking at Beijing’s Vineyard
- Instagram street art in the 798 Arts district
- Learn about and receive acupuncture at the Donzghimen Hospital
- Discover underwater life at Beijing Ocean Park
- Lugou Bridge (Marco Polo Bridge)
- Meet rare animals at the Beijing Zoo
- Ride in a tuk tuk
- Shop at the Silk Market
- Spend an evening at Cherry Lane Movies (movies with English subtitles on Friday nights)
- Relax in the hot springs at Beijing Jinyufengshan Spa Resort
- Rent ice bicycles at Shichahai skating rink
- See a very large crystal (4600 kg) at the Beijing Antique City
- See the Water Cube lit up at night
- Self-tour Peking University, ranked in the top 60 in the world
- Tour the mysterious Ancient Cliff House (Guyaju)
- Virtual reality D3IN VR Experience Shop
- Visit Happy Magic Water Cube (different than the one above!)
- Visit the beautiful Central Train Station
NATIONAL PARKS
- Shihuadong National Park
- Walk The Great Wall at Badaling in Shisanling National Park (closest to Beijing)
MEMORIALS / MUSEUMS
- Chairman Mao Memorial Hall (aka Mausoleum of Mao Zedong)
- Check out the exhibitions at Beijing International Art Camp (BIAC)
- Explore history at the Temple of Heaven
- Explore the Ming Tombs, there are 13 of them!
- Explore the Memorial of Jiaozhuanghu Tunnel Warfare Site
- Get lost at the National Museum of China, one of the largest in the world
- Learn history at the Zhangfang Ancient Battle Tunnel – only known underground military facility in Beijing
- Museum of West Zhou Yandu Relics
- Participate in Tai chi at Temple of Heaven
- Pass through Meridian Gate, the highest building in the Forbidden City
- See jade antiques at the Treasure Hall in the Forbidden City
- See ancient stone tablets at the Confucius Temple
- See National Treasures at the Poly Art Museum
- Stroll through Tian’anmen Square
- The Ancient Coins Museum
- Tour Summer Palace
- Visit the Museum of Chinese Medicine
- Walk the campus at Imperial College (Guozijian) – an important heritage site
OUTDOORS AND PARKS
- Check out the panoramic views at the Bell and Drum Towers at the Forbidden City
- Climb the hill at Jingshan Park to overlook the Forbidden City
- Discover Jade Flower Island at the center of Beihai Park
- Feed birds at the Hundred-Bird Garden – the only bird sanctuary in Beijing
- Go for a boat ride at Shichahai Park
- Hike at Haizi village ending at Silver Pagodas
- Hike The Great Wall at Jinkou, part of the Wild Great Wall because of its location and steepness
- Make an offering at the Vairochana Buddah at Jingshan Park
- People watch at Lake Houhai
- Play chess at the Jifang pavilion, the Pavilion of Gathering Fragrance in Jingshan
- Ride a bike along one of Hah Bicycle shop’s routes
- Ride a gondola to the Great Wall
- See the 28,000 square foot garden at Prince Gong’s Mansion
- Silver Mountain at Yinshan Pagoda Forest Scenic Area
- Take a trip with the Beijing Hiking Club to the Yellow Sea or Inner Mongolia
- Take a walk through Olympic Park
- Visit the Lake of Glasses and see the spectacles (two ponds) it was named for
- Visit the Wu Dao Ying Courtyard
- Slide Down The Great Wall at Mutianyu (less crowded than Badaling)
- Walk Guo Zi Jian Street, what locals call the prettiest street in Beijing
- Get fit at the Dongdan outdoor exercise park
- Yuan Dynasty City Wall Relics Park – largest linear park in Beijing
- Zhou Kou Dian (Peking Man Site)
SHOWS AND VENUES
- Attend a live performance, theater, or audio/visual project at Zajai Lab
- Attend the Beijing Opera, a cultural treasure of China
- Be amazed at the Legend of Kung Fu show
- Go to the Tianqiao Acrobatics Theatre, the oldest in the city
- Listen to traditional Chinese music at Red Moon Bar
- Watch a Chinese puppet play at the China Puppet Theater
SHOPPING
- Check out the Shengxifu Hatter Shop, one of Beijing’s most famous shops
- Be wowed at Bird and Insect Market (Guanyuan Shichang)
- Hunt for antiques at Panjiayuan Antique Market
- Shop in Wangfujing
- Shop on Nanluoguxiang Street
- Browse the aisles at the Sanlian Taofen Bookstore
- Visit the Donghuamen Night Market
- Window shop on Nanluogu Lane
- Check out the bamboo bike at Fixed Gear Bikes & Juggling
- Visit The Bookworm – a coffee shop, library, and restaurant all in one place
FOOD
- Delight in Peking duck at Quanjude
- Drink Chinese whiskey at Mai Bar
- Eat a candied mangosteen stick, (aka as a sugarcoated haw)
- Eat a street crepe (ji dan bing)
- Eat roasted chestnuts at the Qiulixiang (near Jingshan Park)
- Eat a Western-style breakfast at Grandma’s Kitchen
- Enjoy a pint at Regain Element Brewery
- Enjoy a pour over coffee at Fresh Bean
- North Capitol Grill (within the Dragon Hostel, open to the public)
- Recaffeinate at Cafe Flat White (798 art district)
- Sample a flight of beers at Panda Beer Microbrewery
- Sign up for a dumpling-making class at the Culture Exchange Center
- Slurp chicken pho at Wan pho
- Snack on Szechuan Spicy Peanuts at Jian Guo Bar
- Spend an afternoon at the Liuxianguan Teahouse
- Try Mongolian Hotpot at Man fu Lou
- Try Panda Tea, the most expensive tea in the world at Maliandao Tea Market
- Try the teriyaki beef at Suzuki Kitchen (not Chinese but still tasty!)