4-Day Beijing Itinerary: A Day-by-Day Template
Four days covers the Forbidden City, a stretch of the Great Wall, the temple parks and one day in the hutong lanes that survive between them.
Beijing · 4 days China
Best time: September and October for clear skies and mild days.
The imperial centreDay 1
🌆8:30 AM
Tiananmen Square
The vast paved square at the centre of the city, with the Monument to the People’s Heroes and the Great Hall of the People along its edges.
🚶 ~20 min · 🚗 ~3 min · 0.7 mi
📍10:00 AM
Forbidden City
The Ming and Qing palace complex; book the timed ticket well ahead and walk the central axis north, then branch into the quieter side courtyards.
🚶 ~17 min · 🚗 ~2 min · 0.6 mi
🌳4:00 PM
Jingshan Park
The artificial hill directly north of the palace, built from the earth dug for its moat, and the one place you can see the whole roofscape at once.
The Great WallDay 2
📍7:30 AM
Mutianyu section of the Great Wall
The restored section northeast of the city, less crowded than Badaling, with a cable car up and a long walkable ridge of towers.
🚶 ~11 min · 🚗 ~1 min · 0.4 mi
🏰1:00 PM
Walk the ridge towers
Head away from the cable car exit in either direction; the crowd thins within two towers and the wall keeps climbing.
🚗 day trip · 38 mi
📍6:30 PM
Return to the city
The drive back is about ninety minutes; plan dinner near your base rather than in the centre.
Temples and parksDay 3
⛩️9:00 AM
Temple of Heaven
The circular Ming ritual complex in a huge park; arrive early to see the surrounding grounds used for tai chi, cards and choir practice.
🚗 ~37 min · 11 mi
🏰1:30 PM
Summer Palace
The lakeside imperial retreat northwest of the city, with the Long Corridor running along the water and a hill of pavilions above it.
🚗 ~25 min · 7.1 mi
📍6:00 PM
Houhai lakes
The chain of lakes north of the centre, ringed by bars and snack stalls and busiest after dark.
Hutongs and the old cityDay 4
📍9:30 AM
Nanluoguxiang hutong
A restored lane of courtyard houses, shops and small cafes; the quieter side alleys running off it are the better walk.
🚶 ~18 min · 🚗 ~2 min · 0.7 mi
🏰1:00 PM
Drum and Bell Towers
The pair of towers that once kept the city’s time, with a steep climb and a view over the grey courtyard roofs.
🚶 ~29 min · 🚗 ~4 min · 1.1 mi
⛩️5:30 PM
Lama Temple
A Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the northeast of the old city, still active, with an eighteen-metre Maitreya carved from a single sandalwood trunk.
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The route, mapped
Every stop below, numbered in the order you would do them.
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Best time to goSeptember and October for clear skies and mild days. Spring brings dust; midsummer is hot and wet; winter is cold but the sites are empty.
Getting aroundThe subway is enormous, cheap and signposted in English, and reaches almost every site. Traffic above ground is heavy enough that the subway is usually faster.
Local tip: Bring your passport. It is required to buy tickets for the Forbidden City and several other state sites, and they are checked at the gate against the booking.
Related itineraries
The full plan as text
The same day-by-day plan as text. Times are starting points, not homework.
Day 1: The imperial centre
8:30 AM
Tiananmen Square
The vast paved square at the centre of the city, with the Monument to the People’s Heroes and the Great Hall of the People along its edges.
10:00 AM
Forbidden City
The Ming and Qing palace complex; book the timed ticket well ahead and walk the central axis north, then branch into the quieter side courtyards.
4:00 PM
Jingshan Park
The artificial hill directly north of the palace, built from the earth dug for its moat, and the one place you can see the whole roofscape at once.
Day 2: The Great Wall
7:30 AM
Mutianyu section of the Great Wall
The restored section northeast of the city, less crowded than Badaling, with a cable car up and a long walkable ridge of towers.
1:00 PM
Walk the ridge towers
Head away from the cable car exit in either direction; the crowd thins within two towers and the wall keeps climbing.
6:30 PM
Return to the city
The drive back is about ninety minutes; plan dinner near your base rather than in the centre.
Day 3: Temples and parks
9:00 AM
Temple of Heaven
The circular Ming ritual complex in a huge park; arrive early to see the surrounding grounds used for tai chi, cards and choir practice.
1:30 PM
Summer Palace
The lakeside imperial retreat northwest of the city, with the Long Corridor running along the water and a hill of pavilions above it.
6:00 PM
Houhai lakes
The chain of lakes north of the centre, ringed by bars and snack stalls and busiest after dark.
Day 4: Hutongs and the old city
9:30 AM
Nanluoguxiang hutong
A restored lane of courtyard houses, shops and small cafes; the quieter side alleys running off it are the better walk.
1:00 PM
Drum and Bell Towers
The pair of towers that once kept the city’s time, with a steep climb and a view over the grey courtyard roofs.
5:30 PM
Lama Temple
A Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the northeast of the old city, still active, with an eighteen-metre Maitreya carved from a single sandalwood trunk.
Make this Beijing plan yours
Forward your real booking confirmations to Petrel and it builds this exact day-by-day view for you: flights, hotels, reservations, live flight status, and the travel time between stops. Under a minute.
Start your free tripFirst trip free. No account, no credit card.