Beijing for First-Timers: Forbidden City, Badaling & Summer Palace in

Three days covering the Central Axis and Forbidden City, the Badaling Great Wall and Ming Tombs, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace: the leanest first-time Beijing itinerary.

Designed for first-time visitors with just one long weekend. Day 1 follows the Central Axis through Tiananmen, the Forbidden City and Jingshan. On Day 2, take the suburban railway or high-speed train to Badaling and stop at the Ming Tombs on the way. On Day 3, visit the Temple of Heaven in the morning and the Summer Palace in the afternoon before leaving Beijing. Stay in the Qianmen area, which is close to both the Central Axis and the Temple of Heaven. To fit it all in, the hutongs and in-depth museum visits are skipped, so the pace is fairly tight.

The Forbidden City is closed on Mondays, so avoid Monday for Day 1. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons.

Day by day

Day 1 · Tiananmen, the Forbidden City & Jingshan

Beijing（Tiananmen Square、The Palace Museum (Forbidden City)、Jingshan Park）

After landing in the morning, take the Airport Express and then the subway (about 1 hour) to Qianmen, then walk to Tiananmen. Enter the Forbidden City through the Meridian Gate and exit via the Gate of Divine Prowess, then cross the street to Jingshan.

Forbidden City tickets must be reserved under your real name 7 days in advance. Bring your ID card or passport.

Stay: Qianmen Dashilar

Day 2 · Badaling Great Wall & the Ming Tombs

Beijing（Badaling Great Wall、Ming Tombs）

Take a high-speed train from Qinghe Station or a suburban railway train from Beijing North Station to Badaling (about 1 hour). In the afternoon, take a taxi or charter car (about 40 minutes) to the Ming Tombs. The return to the city in the evening takes about 1.5 hours.

Badaling requires online reservations. It gets crowded on weekends and holidays, so arrive early.

Stay: Qianmen Dashilar

Day 3 · Temple of Heaven & the Summer Palace, Then Departure

Beijing（Temple of Heaven、Summer Palace）

Walk or take the subway from Qianmen to the Temple of Heaven. After the morning visit, take the subway (about 1 hour) to the Summer Palace. In the late afternoon, take a taxi (about 1 hour) from the Summer Palace to Capital Airport.

Gardens-within-the-garden at the Summer Palace require separate tickets. Leave plenty of time to get to the airport.

Similar itineraries