The Top Things to do in Beijing

Visiting China and not going to Beijing would be like visiting England and not seeing London. I suspect for some it’s the only part of China that they see. However, especially weather wise, Beijing in July is no one’s idea of fun. It’s hot, we topped out at 96 degrees most days, it’s smoggy, and it’s very, very busy. We spent most days with sweat running down our backs and coughing up smog in the evening. For some reason, a lot of other folks decided to be in Beijing when we were there too. Here are the top things to do in Beijing.

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As a Westerner in China, you’re in a tiny minority. While we expected it to be different in Beijing, it was still the same, although there were a few more Western faces. There do appear to be some concessions to Westerners visiting.  The subway for instance is great, including information in English.  It’s very easy to navigate, gloriously air-conditioned, and cheap to use.  It’s only 2 RMB – or 20 pence, 0.30 USD per trip anywhere on the subway system!

It’s easy to find hostels and hotels where English is spoken well enough for you to feel a little more comfortable.  It’s also not hard to find restaurants where the menu has been translated while retaining some semblance of sense.

Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City

Beijing is confusing, frustrating, massive and it surprises you.

We tackled Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City on a Sunday, along with half of China. We experience the security, the lines, and the unique Chinese lining up, which involves ignoring any Westerners in a line unless you want a photo of them.

We frustrated ourselves senseless with the “GPS automatic English Audio Tours” for the Forbidden City, which seemed to work intermittently and cut off midstream. If you’re contemplating spending the money for them there or in the Summer Palace, my advice is don’t and buy a guidebook instead.

Food and Drink

We wandered through the famous hutongs of Beijing, with still what seemed like half of the population of China, drank a beer at the PassBy Bar, accepted a free beer when the owner wanted to move us to a different table to accommodate a big group and we watched the world go by.

We found the Drum and Bell Tower closed for the busiest part of the season, but the much-vaunted pub nearby wasn’t. We ate Peking Duck at the oldest Peking Duck restaurant in Beijing (Peking).  Doing this in Beijing is one of the truly unique things to do in China.

We paid handsomely for it to find out that it’s pretty much the same taste as the UK, but just served somewhat differently.

Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace

We found peace (eventually) in the Temple of Heaven, but it was hard work, canned music from speakers throughout the park doesn’t help. We yomped through the Summer Palace, not realizing how big the park was, or how hot it was going to be.

Mausoleum of Chairman Mao

On the third attempt, we got to see Chairman Mao in his mausoleum.  It is all over quickly as move swiftly in line past him and the overall lighting gave a somewhat bizarre glow around his head.  We then decided against paying 3 RMB to lay a white flower in a completely different room to a bad waxwork-like body.

Travel and eat local

We took subways and public buses all over the city, and when we couldn’t find the right stop we walked back to the hotel.  Sauntering through a local hutong 30 minutes north of the Temple of Heaven area and ate the “best Tofu ever” from a street vendor for 1/40th the cost of that Peking Duck.

We were waited on by a small Chinese girl in a family restaurant, where we ordered, as usual by pointing and where she painstakingly wrote down the Chinese characters.

At another local restaurant where a bowl of hot coals was the Centrepoint to our table, the griddle on top where we were supposed to cook our own food, we had the cooking taken out of our hands, by the waitress, who clearly saw that she’d not get the table back before midnight unless she took matters into her own hands.

And when all was frustrating us about Beijing, when we couldn’t understand things and spent too much lining up for everything, about the heat and the pollution there was also the Wall. The Great Wall. And you can read about our adventures getting to China’s Great Wall here.

Read our Common Sense Guide to VPNs – and why you need one, especially in China

• Peking Duck in Beijing – Quanjude
• What to see in Beijing
  • Temple of Heaven Park
  • Bell and Drum Towers
  • The Pearl Market
  • The Water Cube at Olympic Park
  • The Birds Nest at Olympic Park
  • Chairman Mao’s Memorial Hall
  • Forbidden City Palace Museum
  • Tiananmen Square
  • Summer Palace

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China

If you like visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites, then our guides to these Chinese World Heritage sites will be useful

• How to Visit Huanglong National Park [the Yellowstone of China]
• Discover Xian’s Terracotta Army
• How to Visit The Great Wall of China – [Independent Public Transit Route]
• The Forbidden City of Beijing
• The Historic Center of Macau
• Jiuzhaigou National Park
• Huangshan National Park and Sacred Mountain
• Wulingyuan and the Zhangjiajie National Park
• The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries
• Tiger Leaping Gorge

Travel Tips for Exploring China

• Read our China Travel Check List here
• Get Travel Insurance: Civitatis includes medical expenses, repatriation, theft, luggage delays. No deductibles or upfront payments. Get a quote here.
• Get online immediately with an eSIM for China here.
• Download and install a VPN BEFORE you travel to China > discount coupon here
• Book Transport and Airport Transfers in China here
• Book the best China tours and guides on Trip
• Save money in China with a Wise debit card
• Book Trains in China with Trip
• Book accommodation in China with Trip

Final Words on Beijing

Beijing is an amazing place to visit. There are so many places that you have heard of and you now get the chance to visit in person. The food is amazing, but you should definitely eat local as this was the best food we ate at a fraction of the cost of fancier restaurants. And our final piece of advice…..do NOT go to Beijing in July. It is far too hot, there is smog and also way too many people visiting as well. Choose a cooler and quieter month and your visit will be even more amazing.

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