Most first-time visitors need three to four days in Beijing. That gives one day for Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Jingshan, one full day for the Great Wall, and one for the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and a hutong. A fourth day adds the Ming Tombs or the Lama Temple, or simply a slower pace.
- Short visit: 2 days for the Forbidden City and the Great Wall
- Most first-timers: 3 to 4 days
- Unhurried: 5 days, with an evening at Gubei Water Town
- Plan around: Monday closures and reservation windows (as of November 2026)
- Next stops: Xi’an from about 4 hours 10 minutes and Shanghai from about 4 hours 18 minutes by high-speed train
Why three to four days works
The big sights are far apart, and several of them take half a day or more. The Great Wall takes a whole day on its own: Mutianyu, the section we suggest for most first visits, is about an hour and a half to two hours each way by car. The Forbidden City alone measures 961 m from its south gate to its north gate, and Beijing’s tourism portal suggests about three hours inside, before you add Tiananmen Square at the start and the climb up Jingshan at the end. The Summer Palace is 40 minutes to an hour’s drive from the center and fills half a day.
Allow for the day you arrive, too. A taxi from Capital Airport to Wangfujing takes about 45 minutes to an hour in normal traffic, and from Daxing Airport about an hour to an hour and a quarter. On the day you land, plan nothing bigger than a walk near your hotel and an early dinner.
In winter, plan for shorter afternoons. From November to March the Forbidden City’s last entry is 15:30, as of November 2026, so we put palace visits in the morning.
Mondays and reservation windows
Mondays
The Forbidden City, the National Museum and the Mao Memorial Hall are closed on Mondays, except public holidays. Outside summer, the main halls at the Temple of Heaven and the ticketed courtyards inside the Summer Palace may also close on Mondays, though both parks stay open. Spend a Monday at the Lama Temple, in the hutongs or at the Ming Tombs. Mutianyu stays open on Mondays, but travelers report it is at its busiest that day, when the city museums are shut, so we put the Great Wall on another day when we can.
Reservation windows
Most major sights use real-name booking with your passport, and each opens its dates on its own schedule, as of November 2026:
- Forbidden City: 20:00 Beijing time, seven days before the visit. No tickets are sold on the day.
- Tiananmen Square: one to seven days ahead, with new dates added daily at noon. The flag-raising at sunrise needs its own slot.
- Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Jingshan: one to seven days ahead.
- Mutianyu Great Wall: up to 30 days ahead.
So the order of your days matters. On our private tours we book the reservations listed as included with your passport details, and plan the order of sights around the reservation slots and your pace.
Beijing in 2 days
Day 1: Tiananmen Square in the morning, then north through the Meridian Gate into the Forbidden City, out by the Gate of Divine Prowess and across the road to Jingshan for the view back over the roofs. Peking duck for dinner.
Day 2: the Great Wall at Mutianyu. Take the cable car to Tower 14, walk as far as you like, and be back in the city by late afternoon.
Our Forbidden City private tour and Mutianyu Great Wall private tour cover these two days. Two days works best from Tuesday to Sunday. If one day has to be a Monday, make it the Great Wall day and arrive soon after opening, since travelers report long lines at Mutianyu on Mondays.
Beijing in 3 days
Days 1 and 2: as above.
Day 3: the Temple of Heaven early, when the park opens around 6 am and you’ll often see locals at tai chi under the cypresses. Walk from the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests along the Danbi Bridge to the Circular Mound. After lunch, the Summer Palace: the Long Corridor, the Marble Boat and, from spring to early November, a boat across Kunming Lake. End with a stroll through a hutong as the lights come on.
This is the plan behind our Beijing 3-day private tour, and it is the one we suggest most often.
Beijing in 4 days
Keep the three days above and add one of these:
- The Ming Tombs: about an hour’s drive from the city. Walk the Sacred Way past 18 pairs of stone animals and officials, then go down into Dingling’s underground palace, which stays cool even in summer, so bring a jacket. Half a day covers the key tombs.
- The Lama Temple with 798 or the Olympic Park: incense in the temple courtyards in the morning, then galleries in a 1950s factory complex, or the Bird’s Nest stadium. Many 798 galleries close on Mondays, so give this day a Tuesday to Sunday slot.
- A second Great Wall section: a walk on Jinshanling, or the new China Great Wall Museum at Badaling, where the south funicular is running while the north cable car is closed for maintenance until 25 December 2026.
Our Beijing 4-day private tour starts the fourth day at the Lama Temple, then lets you choose the Ming Tombs or Wudaoying Hutong and 798.
Beijing in 5 days
Add Simatai and Gubei Water Town, about two to two and a half hours’ drive from the city. Explore the water town in the afternoon, then ride the cable car up Simatai at dusk and walk the wall at night. From November to April, night entry starts at 17:30, as of November 2026, and the water town stays open until 22:30 from Sunday to Thursday and 23:00 on Friday and Saturday. Staying the night nearby saves a late drive back to Beijing. Our Beijing 5-day private tour follows this plan; the hotel is not included, but we can book it for you.
| Days | What you see | Pace |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Forbidden City, Great Wall | Full |
| 3 | + Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, hutong | Comfortable |
| 4 | + Ming Tombs, Lama Temple or a second wall section | Relaxed |
| 5 | + Simatai at night and Gubei Water Town | Unhurried |
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.
Adding Xi’an and Shanghai
If you have a week or more, the classic route continues by high-speed train. On a sample November 2026 date, the fastest train from Beijing West to Xi’an North took 4 hours 10 minutes, and most fast trains took between 4 hours 10 and 4 hours 25 minutes. From Beijing South to Shanghai Hongqiao, the fastest took 4 hours 18 minutes, with around 40 direct high-speed trains a day. Second-class fares on both routes started at about CNY 525 (about US$78) one way, and fares vary by train.
Tickets usually go on sale 15 days before departure. You book with your passport and bring the same original passport to the station. Our Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai 8-day private tour includes second-class train tickets, station transfers and a guide in each city.
For a short note on each major sight, see our list of things to do in Beijing, or read what Beijing is famous for if you are still deciding.
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
Is 3 days enough for Beijing?
For a first visit, it is. Give one day to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Jingshan, one to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, and one to the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and a hutong. A fourth day lets you slow down or add the Ming Tombs.
Can I see Beijing in 2 days?
You can see the two essentials: the Forbidden City with Tiananmen Square and Jingshan on one day, and the Great Wall on the other. Make sure the Forbidden City day is not a Monday, when the museum is closed except on public holidays.
How far ahead should I book the Forbidden City?
Tickets open at 20:00 Beijing time seven days before each date, as of November 2026, and none are sold on the day. Plan your other days around the Forbidden City date, since it is the hardest reservation to move.
What should I do in Beijing on a Monday?
Visit the Lama Temple, walk the hutongs or drive out to the Ming Tombs, all open on Mondays. The Forbidden City and the National Museum close that day. Mutianyu stays open too, but travelers report it is at its busiest on Mondays, so we plan the Great Wall for another day when we can.
How long is the train from Beijing to Xi'an and Shanghai?
On a sample November 2026 date, the fastest Beijing West to Xi'an North train took 4 hours 10 minutes, and the fastest Beijing South to Shanghai Hongqiao train took 4 hours 18 minutes. Tickets usually go on sale 15 days ahead and are booked with your passport.
How many days do I need for the Great Wall?
One full day for one section. Mutianyu is about an hour and a half to two hours each way by car, so the drive alone takes a good part of the day. With a fourth or fifth day, add a second section such as Jinshanling or Simatai at night.
Facts checked: 5 November 2026. Ticket prices, opening hours and entry rules can change; we re-check before every booking.