When to Go
Best Time to Visit
April–May, September–October. Mild temperatures, blue skies, less smog; summers are humid and winters bitterly cold.
Daily Spend in USD
Budget
Budget
$50/day
Mid-range
$130/day
Luxury
$350/day
Street food and hutong dumplings keep budget days affordable; courtyard hotels push the luxury tier.
With Kids
Family Travel
Great Wall day trips, the Beijing Zoo pandas, kite-flying in Tiananmen Square mornings.
Together
Couples Travel
A Mutianyu Wall sunset, a hutong courtyard dinner, a Peking duck banquet under red lanterns.
On Your Own
Solo Travel
English is limited but translation apps work fine; hostels in the hutongs make solo evenings easy.
Food
What to Eat
- Peking duck. Crisp lacquered duck wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion and hoisin.
- Jiaozi (dumplings). Northern-Chinese pork-and-chive dumplings — a winter staple.
- Zhajiangmian. Hand-pulled noodles with fermented soybean sauce — the Beijing comfort dish.
- Jian bing. Crepe-style street breakfast with egg, scallions, cilantro, crispy cracker.
Transportation
Getting Around
Subway is extensive and cheap; use Didi (China’s Uber) for evenings or remote sights.
Get a VPN sorted before arriving so Google Maps and Gmail work; download offline maps as backup.
Where to Base Yourself
Neighborhoods
- Hutongs (Dongcheng). Old grey-brick lanes — courtyards, dumpling shops, the Drum Tower.
- Sanlitun. Nightlife and shopping district — bars, restaurants, designer boutiques.
- Wangfujing. Pedestrian shopping street — souvenir stalls, big-brand stores, snack streets.
What to Know
Safety
Extremely safe by Western standards. Watch for taxi scams at the airport and pickpockets in dense tourist crowds.