Trip Overview
When: Early Autumn (June, National Day holiday - the busiest time to visit)
Duration: 5 days
Travelers: Two friends (me + my bestie Saijuan)
Budget: ~1,400 RMB (~$200 USD) per person
Transportation: Didi (China's Uber), bicycles, and a lot of walking
Essential Foreigner Info
Getting Around: Beijing's metro is efficient and cheap (2-7 RMB per ride), but for attractions outside the city (Great Wall, Summer Palace), you'll need a combination of metro + buses or Didi. Cycling is a great way to explore hutongs—look for the green QR codes on shared bikes (Mobike, Hello Bike).
Money Matters: Most places accept mobile payment (Alipay/WeChat Pay), but bring 100-200 RMB cash for small vendors, tips, and places that don't take cards. Large restaurants have POS machines.
Language: Younger staff at tourist spots speak some English, but older vendors often don't. Have your destinations written in Chinese characters ready to show taxi drivers or locals.
Peak Season Reality: This trip was during National Day (October 1-7), China's biggest holiday. Expect: crowds at all major attractions, longer queues, higher prices, and hotel rates that double or triple. Pro tip: Book everything 2 weeks in advance, or accept that you'll be doing a lot of waiting.
Day 1: Conquering Mutianyu Great Wall
I traveled thousands of miles to Beijing for National Day, filled with excitement to celebrate Motherland's birthday! The one-sentence summary of this trip: "Walking left me physically exhausted, squeezing through crowds left me mentally drained." Too much to say—it's all tears...
Before diving into the detailed text, here are some teaser shots to give you a glimpse:
Final portrait shot for the win:
The Backstory
Not every journey starts with longing, and not every trip carries joy. I rewrote this section a dozen times—delete, rewrite, delete again—hoping to make it sound casual and matter-of-fact. More importantly, I wanted to avoid repeating past mistakes in word choice.
Sometimes people are just strange—we do what we know we shouldn't, say what we know we shouldn't, and even when we see a wall ahead, we still crash into it.
One line for everyone who ever had a "main character syndrome" moment in their career:
—"We were all once vulnerable, but we'll eventually become bulletproof."
10 Must-Do Things in Beijing
1. Climb the Great Wall (长城)
2. Visit iconic landmarks (Forbidden City, Prince Gong's Mansion, Summer Palace, Yuanmingyuan, Bird's Nest, Water Cube)
3. Hit museums and art galleries—it's the capital, after all; their collections beat other cities
4. Tour the famous universities (Tsinghua, Peking University)—go ahead, get crushed by the academic elites
5. Visit Beijing Film Academy or Central Academy of Drama to see today's hunks and beauties, tomorrow's stars
6. Wander Beijing's hutongs (胡同) to experience old Beijing charm
7. Don't miss Beijing's autumn scenery—Ginkgo Avenue at Ditan Park, ginkgo forests at Zhanggezhuang and Xiaojing Village, Ginkgo Avenue at Diaoyutai (why all of them? Because they're crowded! Cast a wide net to find less-crowded spots for Instagram-worthy shots. I didn't actually visit any of the last three...)
8. Try the most authentic old Beijing hot pot at Xiyuanju (玺源居老北京涮肉), plus explore Dashilar (大栅栏). Feel the old Beijing vibe.
9. Watch a show at the National Centre for the Performing Arts at night—since it's National Day, everything was thematically "red," so we missed this one. My political awareness is apparently nonexistent, which explains why I keep making mistakes.
10. Experience unique spots: Beijing's bars, artistic coffee shops, literary bookstores (actually, all for photo ops—didn't check off a single one. I guess being surrounded by patriotic sites killed my bourgeois soul.)
Mutianyu Great Wall: Conquering the Mountain Section
This time I chose Mutianyu Great Wall (慕田峪长城). The transportation is a bit of a hassle, but precisely because of that, there are way fewer people! Badaling is the most famous and convenient section, but it's a sea of people. If you want convenience, go to Badaling; if you don't mind shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, also go to Badaling.
I think I was super lucky. To get to Mutianyu, you have to take the highway. I chose it purely because it's less crowded and transportation is relatively convenient. I never thought about whether there would be traffic jams during National Day. Turns out, there was none—I'm extremely grateful. So sometimes, overthinking only holds you back and makes you miss beautiful scenery. If I had thought about potential highway traffic, I probably wouldn't have chosen Mutianyu.
I arrived early and spent time taking photos. By the time I was done, more people started arriving. It was quite cold that day, with light drizzling—it is National Day, after all. On the Great Wall, people had umbrellas, some wore raincoats, some wrapped themselves in thick clothes. By 9 AM, there were already so many people that you couldn't get a shot without heads in it.
After conquering the Great Wall in the morning, I took the bus back to the city. If you're staying near the Great Wall, I suggest walking to the bus stop—it's about 20-30 minutes, downhill all the way so it's not tiring at all. The asphalt road is in great condition with almost no cars. The scenery along the way is beautiful—walk, stop, and take photos.
Night Cycling Around Shichahai
After resting at the hotel, washing up, and having dinner, it was already night. Saijuan hadn't arrived yet. Considering she wouldn't have energy to go out after arriving, and I was already bored, I got ready, rented a bicycle, and explored the neighborhood to get familiar with the area.
I cycled to the Drum Tower (钟鼓楼) and finally arrived at Shichahai (什刹海). Wow, the crowds! Looking at the opposite side of the river, behind the white railings, was just a dense mass of people.
Look at all those people in the photo—I had no desire to go in.
Jingshan Park: Sunrise at Wan Shou Ting
To get a panorama of the Forbidden City with no one in it, we went straight to Jingshan Park (景山公园) at dawn, rushing in with a bunch of Beijing elders doing their morning exercises. For the best view of the Forbidden City panorama, Wan Shou Ting (万寿亭) in Jingshan Park is the optimal spot. We were actually the first ones to start climbing. About halfway up, both of us were already gasping for breath—every step felt like overcoming tremendous difficulty. Behind us, a fit elder sprinted past us with Beijing dialect, successfully becoming first place. If it weren't for fighting for the best photo spot, I would have taken breaks like I did climbing the Great Wall. We gritted our teeth and kept climbing, finally reaching the top fourth.
I captured the sunrise over Beijing from Wan Shou Ting, but due to the weather, the results weren't great. I think it was smog—even though I didn't see gray skies during my time in Beijing, all the photos had bad skies. All photos in this travelogue have been post-processed, so they look good. This photo was an idea I got from a photographer's Weibo, combining portraits for multiple exposures—pretty cool, right?
After getting the perfect Forbidden City panorama, I felt the mission was complete. I think Jingshan Park doesn't have anything particularly worth visiting—it's just a regular morning exercise park. While climbing Wan Shou Ting, you'll pass by the place where the last Ming Emperor hanged himself—it's just a pavilion, worth a brief stop.
Exploring Inner City Attractions: Crowds Everywhere
First, I went to Prince Gong's Mansion (恭王府)—too many people, basically didn't take photos. The mansion once belonged to Heshen (和珅), the famous rich official. Worth mentioning is the rockery in the garden. I heard Heshen secretly hid the "Fortune" character stele, written by Emperor Kangxi, in the rockery. We were originally going to see the real inscription. I guess everyone had the same idea—the tiny rockery was packed with three layers of people inside and out. Unfortunately, we missed it.
Why are there vegetables planted in Prince Gong's Mansion? Look at the cucumbers and chili peppers in the photo, plus other vegetables. Beyond curiosity, I'm more envious—if I could grow flowers and vegetables in such a prime location in Beijing, I could brag about it everywhere!
After Shichahai, I randomly wandered through hutongs. I thought this spiderweb-like mess of electrical wires only existed in small third and fourth-tier cities—after all, in my hometown, such scenes disappeared early. I didn't expect to see it so commonly in the hutongs of the capital.
Such a relaxing scene. When I was a child, such scenes were common in my hometown too. Now with urban planning and demolition everywhere, commercial buildings rise everywhere. The whole city has become a construction site. Such independent houses with their own courtyards have disappeared everywhere except in rural areas. People always yearn for urbanization when they're behind, but after becoming urbanized, they long to return to simple living. People are so contradictory and never satisfied.
The sunshine is really nice! I really can't resist not taking photos!
After exiting Yonghe Temple (雍和宫), I went to Beihai Park (北海公园). I have to complain—crowds were comparable to Spring Festival travel! I bought the ticket but had no desire to tour—even resting near the entrance. Why did I take this photo like this? Because even the lake was full of people on tour boats!
Evening Stroll Along Beijing's Central Axis
At night, I wandered around Tiananmen Square (天安门广场) area along Beijing's central axis.
Tiananmen Square—under the People's Hero Monument, it's all people. Forgive me for taking such a quirky photo.
Comparing the posture of the People's Liberation Army soldiers with regular people. Honestly, are you guys so well-built because the Party forces you to not eat meat?
The sky was getting dark at Tiananmen Square. The sky in the photos came out blue. By the way, we正好 caught the flag-lowering ceremony. Unfortunately, people were packed so tightly around the flagpole—from the center expanding outward in diameter—I couldn't squeeze in at all.
We walked and walked, and soon it was completely dark.
Getting hungry, we made a phone reservation for Si Ji Min Fu (四季民福) near Dashilar to eat Peking duck. We reserved too late—it would be 2 hours before our turn. So we killed time wandering around Dashilar (大栅栏).
Bought a sugar-coated hawthorn stick (糖葫芦) to tide me over and strike a pose.
Should we go in? No! Because I've already seen the one in Hong Kong.
The Peking duck preparation process is completely transparent. The kitchen is open-concept—you can see the entire process through the large floor-to-ceiling glass walls. I learned for the first time that Peking duck is both luxurious and wasteful. A whole duck costs nearly 300 RMB, half a duck costs over 100 RMB—yet the chef only slices a small part with skin, and all the remaining meat goes directly into the trash! I was stunned outside the wall. So wasteful! I never really cared about eating Peking duck anyway. I heard Quanjude (全聚德), such a famous brand, has performance less than a third of Jue Wei Ya Bo (绝味鸭脖)—what a waste of the brand. Let's go eat hot pot instead!
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pot (前门店)
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pot (玺源居老北京涮肉) was planned into our food experience schedule before arriving in Beijing. We were especially craving old Beijing hot pot—this was recommended by our inn's owner. It's an old-time honored restaurant with unchanged quality—regular Beijing locals go often. We went after wandering for a bit at night.
Traditional Beijing hot pot (老北京涮肉) uses only boiling water as the broth, with green onions, ginger, and wolfberries. Compared to the colorful broths we usually eat, this is truly the "stream of clarity." It seems the broth doesn't do much for the dipping ingredients, but it lets you taste the most original flavor of the lamb.
Xiyuanju's sesame paste dipping sauce is what I like most—they say this is the taste of Beijing! It includes preserved tofu (腐乳), chive flowers (韭花), shrimp oil (虾油), and chopped cilantro (香菜)—optional based on personal preference. Fresh and savory, with thick and satisfying texture! Each table also has free phone charging cables—very convenient.
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pot
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pot
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pot
Their meat focuses on lamb and beef. They have partnered pastures in the grasslands of Sunit (苏尼特) in Inner Mongolia. There are many types of hand-cut fresh lamb, each with a different texture. The meat has a small amount of fat—fine-grained, with some oil but not fatty. Their "Bai Tian Lamb" (百天羊) and "Lamb Knuckle" (羊瓜条) should be among the store's specialties. It's said to be a must-order for Beijing-style hot pot. Dip into the clear broth—the meat is tender and springy, meat juices burst from the fibers as you chew, the more you chew, the more fragrant. The flavor is addictive!
After leaving the restaurant, Saijuan had no energy to keep exploring. But I still had a few night spots to check off. So we split up—she took the leftovers back to the hotel to rest, while I continued with my camera to check off the remaining spots.
Sorry, my political awareness is quite low—I've forgotten what these buildings are called...
Day 3: Scorching Heat Visiting Summer Palace and Yuanmingyuan
Originally, I planned to spend two days on these two parks plus Tsinghua and Peking University. But there were so many people at both parks—wherever you went, there were crowd limits. People inside had to exit before people outside could enter, one batch after another. Even if you wanted to stop and look longer, you'd be pushed forward by people behind you. It was like an assembly line. After rushing through both parks, it was only mid-morning. With most of the day left, I decided to visit Tsinghua and Peking University on the spot.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge (十七孔桥), a must-see for tour groups. When we arrived at Summer Palace (颐和园), there was almost no one. By the time we did a full loop and came back, it was around 9:30 AM—already a sea of people. The photo below is what we took when we came back. The bridge is full of people.
The sunlight is great! Enough chit-chat—let me pose for 2 shots.
After exiting Summer Palace, I went to Yuanmingyuan (圆明园). We weren't so lucky this time—there were crowds everywhere. Fortunately, I found spots that others overlooked.
Arriving at the ruins, it's heavy history. Never forget, strengthen ourselves!
Yuanmingyuan
After lunch at Yuanmingyuan, I rode directly to Tsinghua University (清华大学) on a bicycle. We were incredibly lucky—we entered through a small gate and went straight through. Later we learned that because there were too many visitors during National Day, tourists had to queue to check ID cards, fill out registration forms, and could only enter during specific time slots. Our luck ran out at Peking University (北京大学)—we circled the wall and all the side gates wouldn't let us in. We could only enter through the designated gate for visitors. When we arrived at the only gate open to tourists, the line was incredibly long. There were still over 2 hours until opening time, and people couldn't leave the line. We queued for half an hour, then a really long line formed behind us. The sun was blazing—I权衡 after weighing the options, I decided to come back next time.
For dinner, we just grabbed something quick. Full and satisfied, we headed to the Bird's Nest (鸟巢) and Water Cube (水立方) to check them off the list.
Because I wanted to take that panoramic photo of the Bird's Nest and Water Cube that everyone shares online, Saijuan and I split up again. She went to explore the Bird's Nest and Water Cube, while I rode my bicycle onto overpasses and climbed high buildings, searching everywhere for the perfect vantage point. Online it said the overpass next to the subway station has the best view. I sneakily climbed up, but found a row of tall trees blocking the view among the highway traffic—the photo result wasn't great. So I entered surrounding buildings and took a look around. I couldn't get onto the rooftops of commercial buildings, and I couldn't get into residential buildings. Finally, I found the best vantage point—it's the nearby Olympic Tower (奥林匹克塔). Looking at the ticket price, I chose to give up.
I only took a photo of the Bird's Nest. The most widely shared photo online shows the Bird's Nest with its reflection in the lake. But I circled around and didn't see a lake. By then, I had walked so much and was exhausted. I didn't even have energy to take a photo of the Water Cube.
This photo was taken from the overpass next to the Bird's Nest and Water Cube.
Last night before sleeping, Saijuan said she wanted to go to Badaling Great Wall. I asked her why she suddenly wanted to go to the Great Wall. She said she was looked down on by Xiao Ke—coming to Beijing without climbing the Great Wall equals not visiting Beijing. Xiao Ke is also our college roommate. Saijuan was giving her live updates of the itinerary throughout the trip. Okay, so today I'd go alone to check it off my list.
Day 4: Temple of Heaven at Dawn
I went to Temple of Heaven (天坛) early in the morning, just to take a photo of it with no one there.
What I mainly wanted to photograph is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (祈年殿). This is the avenue leading to it—it's very, very long. The tower protruding from behind the three doors in the photo below is the祈年殿. You can see it from far away.
Had another hour before opening. First, I photographed the surrounding scenery. Getting close to the wall, you can see the Hu Qian Palace (皇乾殿) and a corner of祈年殿.
Had to wait a long time, so I took selfies at the entrance. Well—some came out ugly, so I won't scare people by showing them.
As soon as the doors to祈年殿 opened, I rushed in first and took this photo—only to find staff had already been shuffling around inside... How did they get in?
Then I started my selfie mode again. I blended into the crowd, put down my phone and tripod, walked over without making a sound, took a photo, walked back and retrieved the tripod—the whole process was smooth as if nothing happened.
By the time I reached the Circular Mound Altar (圜丘), I could only take a photo like this. There's a famous Echo Wall (回音壁) here—a thick circular wall. I heard if two people stand on opposite sides of the wall, one whispers close to the wall, the other can hear clearly. I saw many people testing it—I'm not sure if it really works. If you're curious, you can try it.
RANDOMLY walked to North Drum Tower (北锣鼓巷), separated by a street from South Drum Tower (南锣鼓巷), but it's very quiet—basically no one.