Our Beijing layover tour is a private trip from Capital or Daxing airport to the Great Wall at Mutianyu or to the city’s central sights, then back to the airport for your onward flight. It works on a long layover, typically most of a day, and only if you can leave the airport, either visa-free or with a Chinese visa.
From US$170 per person, based on 2 travellers. Larger groups pay less per person.
| Option | 1 traveller | 2 travellers | 3 travellers | 4 travellers | 5-6 travellers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City route | US$325 | US$170 | US$120 | US$95 | US$90 |
| Mutianyu route | US$440 | US$240 | US$175 | US$140 | US$135 |
Prices are in US dollars per person for a private tour (only your group). Groups of 7 or more: ask for a quote.
- Duration: most of a day between flights, planned around your flight times
- Group: private, just your group with your own guide and driver
- Pick-up: arrivals hall at Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX), and back to the airport
- Walking level: easy to moderate, depending on the route
- Best for: travelers with a long daytime layover who qualify for visa-free entry or hold a visa
Itinerary
Arrival: immigration first
After landing you go through immigration as a visa-free visitor (see below for who qualifies). You fill in a foreigner arrival card, either online before you fly or on a kiosk or paper card at the airport, and show your passport and onward ticket to the border officer. Your guide meets you in the arrivals hall once you’re through. At Capital Terminal 3 and at Daxing, the “Beijing Service” counters in international arrivals sell local SIM cards and help with payment apps, if you want either.
Route one: the Great Wall at Mutianyu
Mutianyu, in Huairou District north of the city, is the Great Wall section we suggest from Capital Airport, which sits on Beijing’s northeast side. A shuttle bus and the cable car take you up to Tower 14, which looks out along the ridge toward Jiankou, and two hours or so on the wall is about right before the drive back. Mutianyu’s real-name tickets are booked in advance with your passport details. As of November 2026, from 16 November to 15 March the site is open 8:00 to 17:30, so a winter visit has to fit in daylight hours.
Route two: central Beijing
For a shorter layover, or from Daxing, the city route usually fits better. Central Beijing is about 45 minutes to an hour by road from Capital Airport and about an hour to an hour and a quarter from Daxing, which lies about 45–50 km south of the center. The usual choice is Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The museum’s own two-hour route, from the Meridian Gate through the Hall of Supreme Harmony and out past the Imperial Garden, fits a layover well. We book any reservations they need with your passport details and plan the order of sights around your slot. If there’s time left, Jingshan Park faces the palace’s north exit, and a climb of about 15 minutes takes you to Wanchun Pavilion for the view back over the roofs.
Back to the airport
We work backwards from your departure time. Your airline sets the check-in cut-off, and you also clear exit immigration and security before your gate. If you arrive at one airport and leave from the other, the drive between Capital and Daxing is about 80 km, roughly 70 to 100 minutes, so we build it into the day.
What’s included
- Airport pick-up and drop-off (Capital or Daxing)
- Private car or van with driver for your group
- English-speaking guide
- Entrance tickets for the sights in your chosen route
Not included
- Meals
- Transit entry procedures (you complete these at immigration)
- Personal expenses and tips
Who can leave the airport without a visa
There are two visa-free routes, as of November 2026. Our China visa-free entry guide covers both in full.
240-hour visa-free transit (including US citizens)
- Passport: an ordinary passport from one of 57 eligible countries, including the United States, Canada, the UK and Australia, with at least three months’ validity left.
- Onward ticket to a third country or region: a confirmed onward ticket, with date and seat, leaving China within 240 hours. The trip must run A to China to C. Los Angeles to Beijing to Tokyo qualifies; New York to Beijing and back to New York does not.
- Beijing ports: in Beijing, only Capital and Daxing airports are 240-hour ports. You can’t enter on this scheme at a Beijing railway station.
- Counting: the 240 hours start at 00:00 on the day after you arrive.
- At immigration: you apply at border inspection on arrival and receive a temporary entry permit. People with past Chinese visa refusals or immigration violations in the last five years may be refused, among others.
30-day visa-free entry
Ordinary passports of 50 countries, among them the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea, can enter for up to 30 days, counted from 00:00 the day after arrival. For most of these countries the scheme is currently valid until 31 December 2026, so check before you book. The USA is not on this list; US citizens on a layover need the 240-hour transit conditions above, or a visa.
Meeting the entry conditions is your responsibility as the traveler, and the border officer decides on arrival. If you send us your flight details, we can check your plan against the published rules before you book. The National Immigration Administration’s 240-hour transit page has the official list.
Planning the day around your onward flight
Your driver waits at each stop and your guide has the tickets, so the only schedule is your flight. There are no shopping stops, and you can cut a sight short if you’d rather head back early. We plan a generous margin for the return drive, because Beijing traffic can’t be predicted to the minute, and we would rather drop a sight than squeeze it in. Our Beijing airport to city guide explains both airports in more detail.
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.
Send us your flight times first
- Message us with your flight numbers and times, your passports’ nationality and the number of travelers.
- We check the plan against the entry rules and send a written plan with timings, plus a quote.
- You confirm in writing; payment details are in your booking agreement.
Read how booking works for the details.
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.
If you choose the city route
Planning a city route? See Forbidden City tickets and reservations, or browse all private Beijing tours.
Frequently asked questions
How long does my layover need to be?
A long layover, typically most of a day. Add up immigration on arrival, the drive out and back, time at the sights, and your airline's check-in cut-off. Central Beijing to Mutianyu alone is about an hour and a half to two hours each way. Send us your flight times and we will tell you what fits.
Can US citizens leave the airport without a visa?
Yes, under 240-hour visa-free transit, if they hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, such as Los Angeles to Beijing to Tokyo. A round trip back to the USA does not qualify. The USA is not part of the 30-day visa-free scheme, as of November 2026.
Which airports does the 240-hour transit cover in Beijing?
Only Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). No Beijing railway station is a 240-hour port, so you cannot enter on this scheme by train into Beijing.
How are the 240 hours counted?
From 00:00 on the day after you arrive, so if you land on a Monday evening, the clock starts at midnight going into Tuesday. Your onward flight to a third country or region must leave within that window, and your passport needs at least three months of validity.
Who is responsible for meeting the entry conditions?
You are, as the traveler, and the border officer decides on arrival. We are happy to check your flight plan against the published rules before you book, but we cannot complete immigration for you.
Which route is better, the Great Wall or the city?
From Capital Airport, on the northeast side of Beijing, Mutianyu suits a long daytime layover. From Daxing, about 45 to 50 km south of the center, or on a shorter layover, a central Beijing route usually fits better.
What if I land at one airport and leave from the other?
That works too. Capital and Daxing are about 80 km apart by road, roughly 70 to 100 minutes' drive, so we build the transfer into the day's timings.
Facts checked: 5 November 2026. Ticket prices, opening hours and entry rules can change; we re-check before every booking.