My first day in Beijing: impressions and tips
Arriving in Beijing for the first time is overwhelming in the best possible way. The first thing I did after dropping off my luggage was to learn about transport in Beijing, because getting around well is the key to the whole trip. That same afternoon I wandered through the hutongs of Beijing near my hotel. […]
Beijing in Winter: Cold but Magical
Most travel guides will tell you to avoid Beijing from December through February. Most travel guides are wrong. Yes, the cold is real — the weather in Beijing in January can drop to -10°C overnight, and the wind off the northern plains has a way of cutting through cheap coats. But the winter city has […]
Hutongs and Hidden Alleys: The Real Beijing
Behind the glass towers and ring roads, the older Beijing still lives in its hutongs. These narrow alleyways, lined with single-storey courtyard houses, made up most of the city until the 1990s and survive today in pockets across the central districts. The most accessible cluster is around Nanluoguxiang, north of the Forbidden City. Yes, it […]
Beijing Subway Guide for First-Time Tourists
The metro system in Beijing is one of the largest in the world and the fastest way to cross the city by far. With more than 20 lines and signage in both Chinese and English, it is surprisingly easy to navigate even on a first visit. Trains run from roughly 5:30 a.m. until 11 p.m., […]
Beijing on a Budget: Cheap Eats and Free Sights
Travelling to Beijing does not require deep pockets. Some of the most memorable experiences in the city cost nothing at all. The hutongs around Nanluoguxiang and Wudaoying are free to wander and reveal a side of the capital that disappears behind the high-rises elsewhere. Many of the smaller parks charge only a couple of yuan, […]
Spring vs Autumn: When is the Best Time to Visit Beijing?
For most travellers the best time to visit the Chinese capital is either late April through mid-May or mid-September through October. Both seasons offer mild temperatures, low rainfall, and the kind of clear skies that make outdoor sightseeing genuinely pleasant. Spring brings flowering trees through the city parks and around the Summer Palace; autumn brings […]
A Day Trip to the Great Wall: What to Expect
The Great Wall stretches for thousands of kilometres across northern China, but most visitors to Beijing see one of three accessible sections. Badaling is the closest and most restored — also the most crowded. Mutianyu offers a more dramatic landscape and a toboggan ride back down, which sounds gimmicky but is genuinely fun. Jinshanling is […]
Why the Forbidden City is a Must-See
No trip to Beijing is complete without spending at least half a day inside the Forbidden City. The complex served as the imperial palace for 24 emperors over nearly 500 years, and the scale of the place becomes clear only once you are walking its courtyards. Plan for two to three hours minimum. Arrive early […]
Top 10 Things to Do in Beijing
Planning a trip to Beijing? This sprawling capital packs millennia of history alongside its glass-tower skyline, and there is more to see than any single visit can cover. The classics, of course, deserve their reputation. The Forbidden City sits at the heart of the city and remains one of the most visited palace complexes in […]
Beijing in Winter: Cold but Magical
Most travel guides will tell you to avoid Beijing from December through February. Most travel guides are wrong. Yes, the cold is real — the weather in Beijing in January can drop to -10°C overnight, and the wind off the northern plains has a way of cutting through cheap coats. But the winter city has […]