Beijing has a long list of must-sees, from the Forbidden City to the Summer
Palace and the Great Wall, but China's capital is more than the
sum of its attractions. Seek out its beautiful traditional alleyways, dazzling markets
and exciting contemporary art in the Dashanzi art district.
Background
The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square form the traditional centre of
this sprawling city, with the Summer Palace at least a 45-minute taxi ride to
the north-west and the Temple of Heaven 20 minutes south. To the immediate
north are Beihai and Houhai Lakes, surrounded by bars and beautiful
hutong traditional alleyways. Most of the restaurants, bars and clubs are
clustered in the east around Sanlitun and the Worker's
Stadium.
First-time visit
Gaze at panoramic views across Beijing from the hill-top pagoda in Jingshan
Park, close to the back of the Forbidden City. After a stroll through
China's imperial history at the Forbidden City, arrive at the vast
Tiananmen Square and visit Mao's Mausoleum. Leave a day
for trips to both the Great Wall and the Summer Palace, surrounded by
lakes and rolling hills. At sundown, stroll along the Liulichang Culture
Street or eat crispy Beijing duck in a traditional courtyard restaurant.
Return visit
Head to Houhai Lake for traditional Chinese dishes whilst watching either ice
skating or paddle boating on the lake. Afterwards, go east to wander the
area's traditional hutong alleyways. Take a trip to the Dashanzi art
district to see China' most exciting modern art, or stroll around
Panjiayuan market for a vast array of beautiful faux-antiques, propaganda
posters and kitsch curios. Finish your day with a cheap but luxurious massage and a
trip to the bars and restaurants around Sanlitun.
The futuristic Beijing Capital International Airport is located to the north east of
the city, around 26km (16 miles) from Tiananmen Square. It is China's
biggest and busiest airport, transporting more than 55 million passengers annually.
The airport was refurbished in 1999 and a third terminal opened in 2008.
Walkways link Terminals 1 and 2, and shuttles connect Terminal 3 to the other
terminals.
Airport parking
There is a secure six-floor car park covering 170,000 square metres. Attendants are
on duty 24 hours a day. There's short-term parking in front of the terminal
buildings.
Time zone
GMT +7 (GMT+8 in winter)
Useful Tips
You are likely to be approached by illegal taxi drivers charging exorbitant fares for
a ride into the city. Ignore them and go to the official taxi rank, where metered
fares shouldn't cost more than RMB80, plus an RMB15 road toll, for a ride
into the city centre.
Please note that you won't be able to make changes to your hotel or car booking. If you want to change your booking you will have to cancel your current booking and make a new booking. This can be done on ba.com.
We cannot guarantee that the same hotel room or car rental option will still be available if you have to cancel and make a new booking.
