Beijing with kids and grandparents works best at an easy pace: one big sight a day, a long lunch, and a rest at the hotel in the afternoon. Ride the cable car at Mutianyu, see the Forbidden City in a morning session, take a rickshaw through the hutongs, and save an afternoon for the pandas at Beijing Zoo.
- Great Wall: Mutianyu, with an enclosed cable car to Tower 14
- Pace: one major sight a day, with a break after lunch
- Best seasons: spring and autumn; July is the hottest and wettest month
- Bring: an original passport for every traveler, children included
- For kids: the Beijing Zoo pandas, Universal Beijing Resort, a toboggan ride with a parent
An easy-pace plan for five days
- Day 1, arrival: settle into the hotel and take a short walk. The drive from Capital Airport to Wangfujing takes about 45 minutes to an hour in normal traffic.
- Day 2, the Forbidden City: book the morning session and walk the core route north from the Meridian Gate to the Imperial Garden. Lunch, then back to the hotel. Anyone with energy left can climb Jingshan across the road from the north exit.
- Day 3, the Great Wall: Mutianyu by cable car, a gentle walk between towers, and lunch nearby before the drive home.
- Day 4, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace: the temple early, when the park opens around 6 am and you’ll often see locals dancing and practicing tai chi, then the Summer Palace in the afternoon, with a boat across Kunming Lake from spring to early November. Once the boats stop for the winter, borrow a free wheelchair at the East Palace Gate, which comes with a card showing step-free paths.
- Day 5, the hutongs and the pandas: a rickshaw ride around Shichahai in the morning, and Beijing Zoo’s panda hall after lunch.
Our Forbidden City private tour, Mutianyu Great Wall private tour and hutong walking and rickshaw tour each fit one of these days. With a private car and driver, you can go back to the hotel at lunchtime, rest in the car between sights, and skip anything on the day. Families who traveled with grandparents in 2026 report that the security checks and the walking between gates tire people as much as the sights do, which is one more reason to keep to one big sight a day. Faster versions are in our guide to how many days to spend in Beijing.
Walking level, sight by sight
| Sight | Walking | The easier way |
|---|---|---|
| Forbidden City | Long and one way: 961 m from south gate to north gate | The 2-hour core route; wheelchairs and strollers may be brought in |
| Jingshan | A climb of about 15 minutes | A gentle path suits strollers |
| Temple of Heaven | A 1,200 m main axis between the two altars | Enter by the East Gate and keep to the main halls |
| Summer Palace | A large park; plan on half a day | Free loan wheelchairs at the East Palace Gate; a boat across the lake from spring to early November |
| Mutianyu | Steep steps on the wall | The cable car to Tower 14 |
| Hutongs | Lanes on foot; stop whenever you like | A rickshaw ride |
| Drum and Bell Towers | 69 and 75 steep stone steps | Hear the drumming free from the square |
| Jinshanling | Moderate to hard | An optional cable car |
At the Ming Tombs, Dingling’s underground palace is reached by steps and stays cool, so bring a jacket even in summer.
The Great Wall at Mutianyu with grandparents
Mutianyu is the section we suggest for older travelers and young children. A shuttle bus runs about 3 km up the valley in six or seven minutes, and the enclosed cable car carries you up to Tower 14 at about 640 m. Without it, the two main footpaths up are about 1,100 steps each, roughly 40 minutes of climbing. Once you’re on the wall, walk a few towers and turn back when it suits you.
- Toilets on the mountain: at the cable car’s upper platform, Tower 3 and Tower 7.
- Visitor service center: as listed by the scenic area, free hot and cold water, left luggage, phone charging, and strollers and wheelchairs to borrow. A wheelchair helps on the approach; the wall itself is steep and stepped.
- Health note: the operator advises against the cable car for people with a fear of heights, high blood pressure or heart disease, some pregnant women and some frail older visitors. Tell us in advance and we’ll plan the day around it.
- The toboggan: it is run by a separate company from the cable car. Travel guides report that children under 10 ride with an adult and that the ride is not suggested for anyone with high blood pressure or a heart condition. Travelers also report that riders over 60 may be turned away, so grandparents usually take the enclosed cable car; we confirm the current rules on the day.
The Forbidden City at an easy pace
The palace runs one way, south to north. Everyone enters by the Meridian Gate and leaves by the Gate of Divine Prowess in the north or the East Prosperity Gate. Wheelchairs and strollers may be brought in, and the museum’s visitor map marks accessible passages, baby-care rooms, medical points and toilets. The museum has no car park of its own, so we plan in advance where your driver drops you off and where to meet again at the exit you choose.
From November to March the last entry is at 15:30, as of November 2026, and morning-session ticket holders must pass the ticket check by 12:00. We book the morning session, walk the core route through the three great halls to the Imperial Garden, and stop to rest whenever you like.
If you add the National Museum on Tiananmen Square, visitors aged 60 and over can use the Priority Access lane at its North Gate during their booked time slot.
Tell us your dates, group size and what you would like to see. We reply with a day-by-day plan and a written quote.
Tickets and concessions for seniors and children
Senior and child discounts in Beijing depend on the site and, sometimes, on nationality. These are the published rules, as of November 2026; where a rule says only “valid ID”, we confirm eligibility for passport holders when we book:
- Mutianyu: visitors aged 60 and over from outside Beijing pay the reduced (concession) entrance price, and so do foreign children over 6 and up to 18. Children under 1.2 m ride the shuttle bus and cable car free; everyone taller pays the full lift price.
- Jinshanling: visitors 60 and over enter free with their own passport, a rule in force from 23 July 2025.
- Ming Tombs: free for visitors 60 and over with valid ID, and for children up to 6 years old or 1.2 m tall.
- Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan): free for visitors 60 and over with proof of age.
- Lama Temple: free for children up to 6 years old or 1.2 m tall.
At the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, Jingshan and Badaling, discounts for seniors and children are offered, but how they apply to foreign visitors is not always spelled out. Bring your passport and ask at the ticket office whether any concession applies. On high-speed trains, children aged 6 to 14 pay the child fare, and each adult can bring one child under 6 free without a seat.
Sights kids love
- Beijing Zoo’s pandas: the new Giant Panda Hall opened on 16 July 2026, with four indoor halls and five outdoor yards. The zoo has 10 pandas, and the yards rotate, so which pandas you see varies from day to day.
- Universal Beijing Resort: in Tongzhou District, with a theme park, the CityWalk area and two hotels. Universal Resort station is on Line 1 (Batong) and Line 7. Tickets, ride heights and park rules are in our Universal Beijing Resort guide.
- The Echo Wall: at the Temple of Heaven, a whisper along the curved wall can carry around it.
- Boats on Kunming Lake: painted boats cross the Summer Palace lake from spring into early November; in winter the lake freezes.
Food tips for mixed ages
Peking duck suits all ages. Often the chef carves at the table, and you roll the slices in thin pancakes with scallion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce; some restaurants serve the crisp skin with a little sugar for dipping, which children tend to like. Zhajiangmian, chewy noodles with a soybean-paste sauce, comes in vegetarian versions too. Copper-pot mutton hot pot uses a light broth, and you cook thin slices of meat at the table in a few seconds. In winter, buy tanghulu, hawthorn berries in a glassy sugar shell.
Drink bottled water. Tap water must be boiled first, and hotels supply bottled or boiled water or kettles. Our evening food tour has vegetarian and no-spice options; tell us about allergies when you book.
Weather and health
Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for older travelers. October averages a high of about 19 °C (67 °F) with mostly dry days. July is the hottest and wettest month, with average highs near 32 °C (89 °F), so plan summer sightseeing for the morning. In January, average highs are just above freezing, so bring warm layers.
If someone feels unwell, your guide can contact a clinic or hospital for you and translate. In an emergency, dial 120 for an ambulance. For more ideas, see our full list of things to do in Beijing.
Tell us your dates, group size and what you would like to see. We reply with a day-by-day plan and a written quote.
Frequently asked questions
Which part of the Great Wall is best for seniors and young children?
Mutianyu. A shuttle bus runs up the valley and an enclosed cable car carries you to Tower 14, so you skip the roughly 1,100 steps of the footpaths. Children under 1.2 m ride the shuttle and cable car free, and there are toilets at the upper platform, Tower 3 and Tower 7.
Is the Forbidden City wheelchair-friendly?
Wheelchairs and strollers may be brought in, and the museum's visitor map marks accessible passages, baby-care rooms, medical points and toilets. The route runs one way from the Meridian Gate in the south to the north exit, so plan a shorter core route and rest stops.
Do foreign seniors get free entry at Beijing sights?
At some. As of November 2026, visitors 60 and over enter Jinshanling free with their own passport, and the Ming Tombs and the Old Summer Palace are free for 60-plus visitors with ID or proof of age. At Mutianyu, visitors 60 and over from outside Beijing pay the reduced price. Elsewhere, bring your passport and ask.
What is there for kids to do in Beijing?
See the pandas in Beijing Zoo's new Giant Panda Hall, opened in July 2026, spend a day at Universal Beijing Resort in Tongzhou, ride the toboggan at Mutianyu with a parent, take a boat on Kunming Lake from spring to early November, and try whispering along the Echo Wall at the Temple of Heaven.
Can older children ride the Mutianyu toboggan alone?
Travel guides report that children under 10 ride with an adult, and travelers report that riders over 60 may be turned away from the toboggan. We confirm the current rules on the day, and grandparents can take the cable car down and meet the family at the bottom.
What happens if someone in our group feels unwell?
Your guide can contact a clinic or hospital for you and translate. With your own car and driver, you can also stop, rest or go back to the hotel at any point. In an emergency in China, dial 120 for an ambulance.
When is the best time to visit Beijing with grandparents?
Spring and autumn. October brings mild, mostly dry days with average highs around 19 °C (67 °F). July is the hottest and wettest month, and winter days are cold, with January highs just above freezing.
Facts checked: 5 November 2026. Ticket prices, opening hours and entry rules can change; we re-check before every booking.