History · Beijing · China
8 historic sites to see in Beijing
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Charlie fong 冯成, Public domain
Quick answer
Start with Forbidden City (Palace Museum), Great Wall at Mutianyu and Temple of Heaven. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 20–27 hours across 6 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 20–27 hours
- Areas
- Wangfujing and Dongcheng, Huairou District and Qianmen and Dashilar
Historic sites in Beijing
Palace · Wangfujing and Dongcheng
1.Forbidden City (Palace Museum)
Visitors enter from the south through the Meridian Gate and exit north, passing the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the inner residential palaces; side galleries hold clocks, ceramics and treasures.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Historic site · Huairou District
2.Great Wall at Mutianyu
A cable car or chairlift climbs to the wall, and a toboggan slide offers a fun way down.
- Time needed
- Full day including travel
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Active
- History
Religious site · Qianmen and Dashilar
3.Temple of Heaven
The surrounding park is one of Beijing's best places to see morning life: tai chi, choirs, dancing, chess and kite flying.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Palace · Haidian
4.Summer Palace
Boats cross the lake, and the Suzhou Street canal on the north side is a quieter corner.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Views
.jpg){kind=link}
Landmark · Wangfujing and Dongcheng
5.Tiananmen Square
The flag-raising ceremony at sunrise draws large crowds.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
.jpg){kind=link}
Religious site · Yonghegong and Wudaoying
6.Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)
Its last hall holds an 18-metre Maitreya Buddha carved from a single sandalwood trunk, and the courtyards fill with incense and worshippers.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Iconic
Park · Shichahai and Houhai
7.Beihai Park
You can hire paddle boats in summer, and the Nine-Dragon Screen of glazed tiles is on the north shore.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Kids
- History
.jpg){kind=link}
Museum · Wangfujing and Dongcheng
8.National Museum of China
Temporary exhibitions often feature loans from regional museums.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Wangfujing and Dongcheng | Forbidden City (Palace Museum), Tiananmen Square and National Museum of China | Half a day + 1 hour + 2–3 hours |
| Huairou District | Great Wall at Mutianyu | Full day including travel |
| Qianmen and Dashilar | Temple of Heaven | 2–3 hours |
| Haidian | Summer Palace | Half a day |
| Yonghegong and Wudaoying | Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple) | 1–1.5 hours |
| Shichahai and Houhai | Beihai Park | 1.5–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 free, 5 low cost, 1 mid-priced. Book ahead for Forbidden City (Palace Museum), Great Wall at Mutianyu, Tiananmen Square and National Museum of China. The longest visit is Great Wall at Mutianyu; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Forbidden City (Palace Museum): Tickets are sold online only, with a daily cap and passport registration, and sell out days ahead in peak season.
- Great Wall at Mutianyu: Tickets for the wall and cable car can be booked online; a private driver or organised tour is the easiest way to get there.
- Tiananmen Square: Entry is free but usually requires an advance reservation with your passport number, especially at weekends and holidays.
- National Museum of China: Entry is free but requires an advance online reservation with your passport number.
How to fit them into 6 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Wangfujing and Dongcheng): Forbidden City (Palace Museum) → Tiananmen Square, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Wangfujing and Dongcheng): National Museum of China, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Huairou District): Great Wall at Mutianyu, at least 6 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Qianmen and Dashilar): Temple of Heaven, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Haidian): Summer Palace, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 6 (Yonghegong and Wudaoying and Shichahai and Houhai): Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple) → Beihai Park, at least 3 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- January: highs of 2°C (36°F), about 2 rainy days, quiet crowds. Very cold but often sunny and dry; lakes freeze for skating and sights are quiet outside Lunar New Year.
- December: highs of 3°C (37°F), about 2 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold and dry with low prices; the Great Wall is quiet and occasionally dusted with snow.
- November: highs of 10°C (50°F), about 3 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold mornings and clear days; central heating comes on mid-month and autumn colour lingers early on.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Wangfujing and Dongcheng — Shopping street and hotels a walk east of the Forbidden City
- Qianmen and Dashilar — Old shopping lanes and hutongs just south of Tiananmen Square
- Shichahai and Houhai — Three linked lakes, willow-lined banks and lakeside bars
- Yonghegong and Wudaoying — Lama Temple, the Confucius Temple and a hutong of cafés
- Wudaokou (Haidian) — University district near Tsinghua and Peking universities
More of Beijing
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Beijing?
Forbidden City (Palace Museum). Completed in 1420, the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing emperors covers about 72 hectares of halls, courtyards and gates.
+Which of these are free in Beijing?
Tiananmen Square and National Museum of China.