Best Things to Do in Beijing — Temples, History & Food

Few capitals layer history the way Beijing does. A Ming-dynasty temple sits a short walk from a glass tower; a 600-year-old palace complex opens onto avenues laid out for emperors; and the Great Wall still climbs the ridgelines to the north. The challenge for a first-time visitor is not finding things to do in Beijing — it is fitting them in without rushing past the details that make the city remarkable.

Our Beijing destination page gathers every bookable experience in one place, the full tours catalog lets you compare experiences across China and beyond, our Beijing things‑to‑do guide walks through the sights in depth, and our cultural tours round up the best temple and heritage walks if you want to go deeper.

The Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the one sight almost every visitor checks off, and for good reason — nearly 1,000 buildings of vermilion walls and golden glazed-tile roofs, laid out on a processional axis that was reserved for emperors for five centuries. Arrive at opening time to enjoy the vast courtyards before the crowds thicken, and allow at least half a day; the scale is genuinely overwhelming and impossible to rush.

Tickets are timed and capped daily, and they often sell out, so book ahead or join a guided tour that includes entry. This is general guidance — opening hours and ticketing arrangements change, so confirm current details with the tour provider or official site before you go.

A Great Wall day trip — along a UNESCO World Heritage Site — is the experience most travellers remember longest. The wall snakes along mountain ridgelines north of the city, and the section you choose shapes the day entirely — Mutianyu is the most popular for restored, photogenic towers and a cable car; Jinshanling is quieter and rewards a real hike; Badaling is closest but most crowded. A guided tour with transport removes the navigation and lets you focus on the views.

Most Beijing tours bundle the Great Wall with a stop at the Ming Tombs or a nearby village, which is an efficient way to see more in a single day — browse our day trips worldwide for more guided escapes from major cities. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water — the steps are steep and uneven, and there is little shade.

The Temple of Heaven is where emperors once prayed for good harvests, and its circular Hall of Prayer is one of the most beautiful wooden structures in China. The surrounding park is at its best in the early morning, when locals gather for tai chi, ballroom dance, and calligraphy practice on the paving stones. It is a calmer, more human-scale counterpoint to the Forbidden City.

Beijing's hutongs are the narrow alleyways of the old city, lined with grey-brick courtyard houses and the kind of everyday life that high-rise Beijing has largely erased. A hutong tour — on foot or by rickshaw — takes you past family homes, small temples, and corner shops, and a good guide explains the architecture and the families who have lived there for generations. It is the most intimate way to see the city's older layer.

Many hutong tours pair with a visit to the Drum and Bell Towers, where you can climb for a rooftop view over the grey-tiled rooftops of old Beijing. These rank among our favourite cultural tours in the city.

The Summer Palace is the imperial retreat where the court escaped the city's summer heat — a lakeside complex of pavilions, bridges, and the Long Corridor, a painted wooden gallery that stretches along the shore of Kunming Lake. Rent a boat or simply walk the lakeside path; it is the most relaxed of Beijing's major sights and a lovely half-day away from the crowds.

Beijing's food markets are where the city's appetite is on full display. Wangfujing's night market is the famous one, but for real eating head to the street-food stalls of Qianmen or the bustling halls of a local market — Beijing duck carved to order, jianbing (egg crepes) folded at a cart, lamb skewers grilled over charcoal, and baozi steamed in bamboo baskets. A guided food walk steers you past the tourist traps to the stalls locals actually use.

For more culinary ideas, browse our food tours worldwide or compare every Beijing tour bookable with our partner GetYourGuide.

One of the world's largest public squares, Tiananmen Square is the ceremonial heart of the capital — flanked by the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China, and the gate to the Forbidden City. Go early in the morning for the flag-raising ceremony, when the square is calmest and the light is at its best.

The Lama Temple is Beijing's most atmospheric working monastery — incense smoke, chanting monks, and a towering 26-metre Maitreya Buddha carved from a single sandalwood tree. It is quieter than the headline sights and a genuine spiritual presence rather than a museum piece.

Use the subway to skip traffic — it is cheap, extensive, and signposted in English. Carry your passport; it is required for Forbidden City and Great Wall tickets. The best seasons are spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October); summer is hot and humid, and winter is bitterly cold. Prices, opening hours, and train schedules change — confirm current details with your tour provider before you travel.

When you are ready to book, every experience on our Beijing page is bookable directly with GetYourGuide, our trusted partner for skip-the-line tickets and local guides. If your travels take you further afield, our Tokyo cultural tours guide covers temples and tea ceremonies, our New Delhi things‑to‑do guide explores India's capital in depth, and our Istanbul cultural tours guide dives into mosques and bazaars.