Beijing 3-Day Itinerary: Central Axis, Great Wall and Royal Lakes

With three full days in Beijing, the secret to a relaxed trip is dedicating each day to a single geographical axis so you never cross the Second and Third Ring Roads twice in one afternoon. Before flying, complete your Alipay, WeChat Pay and eSIM setup and reserve your real-name passport slots for the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square a week ahead.

Day 1: The UNESCO Central Axis (Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City & Jingshan)

• Morning at the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan): ride Subway Line 5 to Tiantan East Gate early in the morning to watch locals practise tai chi beneath ancient cypresses, then use the through-ticket to visit the blue-tiled Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Echo Wall and the marble Circular Mound Altar.
• Midday on the Imperial Axis: ride north to Qianmen or Tiananmen East to walk across Tiananmen Square and enter the Forbidden City through Meridian Gate (Wumen); follow the Outer Court plazas, then turn into the Six Western and Eastern Palaces and the Treasure Gallery before exiting at the northern Gate of Divine Might (Shenwumen).
• Late afternoon & evening: climb ten minutes straight up Jingshan Park to Wanchun Pavilion for sunset over the golden palace roofs, then head to Donghuamen or Wangfujing for fruitwood-roasted Peking duck.

Day 2: The Ming Great Wall at Mutianyu & Olympic Green

• Morning to early afternoon on the Mutianyu Great Wall: take an early direct scenic shuttle bus from Dongzhimen/Qianmen or a private car to Mutianyu in Huairou; ride the enclosed cable car up to Watchtower 14, climb the Hero Slope to Watchtower 20 for views toward Jiankou, and walk east along the ridge to Watchtower 6 to descend via chairlift or the toboggan slide.
• Late afternoon & dinner: stop on the return drive at the Beijing Olympic Park (Line 8) as the Bird's Nest and Water Cube light up at dusk, then warm up over charcoal copper-pot mutton hotpot or spicy crayfish under the red lanterns of Ghost Street.

Day 3: Summer Palace, Lama Temple & Shichahai Hutongs

• Morning at the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan): take Subway Line 4 to Beigongmen to climb over Longevity Hill past the Tower of Buddhist Incense to Kunming Lake, the painted Long Corridor and the Seventeen-Arch Bridge.
• Afternoon & evening in the hutongs: ride back into northeast Dongcheng to visit the Lama Temple and its giant sandalwood Buddha, pause for coffee in Wudaoying Hutong, climb the Drum and Bell Towers, and stroll across Silver Ingot Bridge at Shichahai for a courtyard dumpling and zhajiangmian dinner. Have two extra days? Expand to our five-day itinerary.