Central Business District
4.3 miles from downtown
In Beijing's CBD, sharp-suited businesspeople march into countless skyscrapers. The area is filled with hotels, high-end malls and restaurants. Stroll through the pedestrian village Jianwai SOHO, a newly built development that has a well-earned reputation for cool-and-casual East-West dining, or find clothes and food at China Central Mall.
Places to stay from $47 a night
Hai Dian
5.6 miles from downtown
Say "hi" to Haidian, a district with intellectual life at its core. Students studying at Tsinghua University, Peking University and the Renmin University of China love to zone out in the area’s picturesque parks. Study the whimsical bridges and ancient Qing-era ruins in Yuanmingyuan Park, or try Beijing Botanical Garden for fields of flowers.
Places to stay from $29 a night
Xicheng
1.1 miles from downtown
See the picturesque imperial gardens the way they're meant to be seen – by bike. Beihai Park is one of Beijing’s most beautiful, with its glistening lake and majestic hilltop pagodas. Ride past the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Beijing’s oldest Catholic church, then go temple-spotting in Zhongnanhai, adjacent to the Forbidden City.
Places to stay from $18 a night
Chaoyang
4.3 miles from downtown
Shop and dine at Solana Mall, or blow your fabric budget on Silk Street. Show your skills at the Olympic Green, or head to Chaoyang Park for swimming, amusement parks – or just to smell the roses. Shop for contemporary art in the Dashanzi Art District (798 Art Zone) or just lounge around in the bars on Sanlitun Bar Street.
Places to stay from $23 a night
Dongcheng
1.4 miles from downtown
The ubiquitous "hutong" (traditional alleys) in Nanluoguxiang complement the skyscrapers, endless malls and tourists in and around Tiananmen Square. Wangfujing is charming for shopping, particularly for popular local brands. For culture, try the Poly Art Museum, a must-see for its collection of 3,000-year-old Shang Dynasty bronzes.
Places to stay from $19 a night
Houhai
1.8 miles from downtown
Houhai is one of three areas in Shichahai, where traditional life flourishes in "hutong" (traditional alleys). Don't miss the stunning pagodas in Houhai Lakeside Park, a relaxing place to stretch and stroll. The Former Residence of Soong Ching-ling is a museum with gorgeous gardens and ponds. Retreat to Houhai Bar Street for a delicious hot pot.
Places to stay from $20 a night
Sanlitun
3.3 miles from downtown
Time flies while exploring Sanlitun’s luxurious shopping areas. You’ll find a million reasons to shop in the international brand-name stores, and the restaurants take a splash of traditional, a dash of Western, and a bit of variety to serve up a choice selection of high-end dining. It’s also the best place to get your groove on after dark!
Places to stay from $47 a night
China’s sprawling capital of Beijing is jam-packed with attractions such as historical temples, royal gardens and bustling food markets. In this megacity, visitors can discover a way of life that is ancient and modern, peaceful and spirited.
Beijing’s history is celebrated through a huge collection of monuments – many of which listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There’s the Forbidden City, a palace that dates back to 1406 and presides over Tiananmen Square. Here, you can admire the striking traditional Chinese architecture outside and browse historical artworks at the Palace Museum inside. There’s also the Temple of Heaven, a captivating religious complex known for its symbolic layout and design. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, annual ceremonies were held wherein Emperors would pray to the gods for a good harvest.
Out of all Beijing’s stunning sceneries, none of them are more breathtaking than the Summer Palace. This vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces offers a truly indescribable serenity. While work began on this peaceful retreat in about 1153, it wasn’t completed until 600 years later. The dedication shows, and nowadays, visitors are able to see a perfectly preserved oasis from a bygone era.
A visit to Beijing isn't complete without exploring its exciting narrow hutong alleyways, most of which are filled with delicious foods. Check out Wangfujing Snack Street for a variety of local and exotic street foods and deserts. Afterwards, walk towards Wangfujing Pedestrian Street to discover a range of retail and souvenir stores.
Tonight
From $51 per night
This weekend
From $101 per night
Next weekend
From $101 per night
Most popular time to visit | October-December |
Cheapest time to visit | January-March |
Local currency | CNY 10 = $1.49 |
Language | Mandarin |
Average weekend price | $91 per night |
Average weekday price | $86 per night |
Average stay | 2 nights |
Forbidden City
0.1 miles from downtown
Tiananmen Square
0.7 miles from downtown
Wangfujing Street
1.1 miles from downtown
Sanlitun Barstreet
3.7 miles from downtown
The architecture is amazing, the streets are wide and...
October 22, 2021
The architecture is amazing, the streets are wide and everything looks spacious and orderly. There are a lot of foreign restaurants, but they're all very spread out and it's not always easy to find them. What I really didn't like is the biting cold and the poor taxi/DIDI service - it's very, very difficult to get a ride in Bj.
Cultural Place!
June 16, 2020
Cultural Place! Great for an Intro to China for Internationals. It is a city partly built with Westerners in mind so don't fear too much about going. You will find plenty of food-western and eastern. Culture-So much from the Great Wall to the Temples to the Palaces... You may be surprised at how many people do speak English. You should be able to get around ok. Remember to take a lot of RMB (Yuan) Chinese Money. The parks/attractions range in price about 40Y to 70+yuan. Many places do take credit card but have plenty of cash on hand as well. If you want postcards... They are mainly only sold at the attractions themselves. The park shops are places you will probably spend most of your money. If you go to the Wall- I recommend getting a tour bus from your hotel. It is worth the money. They will probably take you to 3-4 different locations as well- A tea house, a Jade jewelry shop, or others. Places to buy silk....Expect to spend a whole day on such a trip. The Wall is about an hour from the city to the north west. Great place to start a tour of China. Remember, There is More than just BJ. ;)
I really like how to get around in this city.
March 22, 2020
I really like how to get around in this city. There are convenient metro you can take to the main attractions. Numerous choices of food you can have with reasonable price (recommend using app to select places to eat). The vibe around the city is fantastic. Everywhere filled with historical data, which can enrich the visiting experience when exploring the city.
the place was surprisingly clean and organized (it could be...
February 12, 2020
the place was surprisingly clean and organized (it could be because it was wintertime, though). it's the perfect mix between modern and traditional. i realized there were tons of public bathrooms, and they were mostly clean! totally erased my initial mindset about the city - Beijing is lovely!
If there's anything you should see in Beijing, it will...
February 9, 2020
If there's anything you should see in Beijing, it will be The Great Wall. Forbidden City is ok, but no proper restaurant nearby, given to the size of Forbidden City, either you walk with empty stomach or go somewhere quite far to eat first then visit. Waste of time and reducing the pleasure.
I studied there for a semester and returned for 4 days after...
January 31, 2020
I studied there for a semester and returned for 4 days after traveling abroad only to return home. Since it was during the corona outbreak and the Chinese new year it was quite a calm and empty. During a normal season it's nothing like that. To sum up Beijing and China as a whole you always need to keep in mind that you are in a country different from any Western one, and that there things are more sketchy than in other places. Chinese people generally love foreigners, but in Beijing they generally don't ask to take pictures with you. Very little people speak English there so have a translation app always handy (use Baidu apps for translation and maps). Like everyone that was with me during my semester you will either love or hate China, but personally it impressed me, specially how incredibly safe it is. You can go anywhere at any time alone and be you can be sure that you will be fine. The Beijing metro is the best one I've used by far, it's cheap and it's always on time.
Dongcheng, Beijing
From $359 per night
Dongcheng, Beijing
From $194 per night
Dongcheng, Beijing
From $169 per night
Chaoyang, Beijing
From $157 per night