Beijing in 7 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

A seven-day visit to Beijing is a great way to see the best things to see and do in Beijing. Overall, Beijing is a city full of wonders, both known and unknown, that offer a unique and exciting experience for everyone who visits.

On this one-day itinerary in Beijing, you will start with a visit to the Summer Palace. For lunch, I recommend trying some delicious local dishes at a street food stall. Afterwards, make a stop at the Olympic Park and, to end the day, you can enjoy dinner at a restaurant specialising in the famous Peking duck.

Visit the Summer Palace

After a hearty breakfast, it's time to enjoy a trip to the Summer Palace. It is best to book a guided tour of the Summer Palace to get a better sense of China's history and culture. It is a former imperial garden located about 15 kilometres northwest of the centre of Beijing.

During the tour you will be accompanied by an expert guide who will give you all the information about each of these special places, although if you want to visit it on your own and without the company of an expert guide, you can also do that. But without a doubt, this is one of the best tours in Beijing.

Go to Olympic Park and Bird's Nest Stadium

After leaving the Summer Palace behind, at around 11:00, you'll love to go and see the Olympic Park, a sports area built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Its main stadium is the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest because its unique architectural design is very similar to a bird's nest.

This stadium is considered to be one of the most impressive stadiums in the world and has been featured in several TV shows and movies.

• Duration: I recommend you stay no less than 2 hours.

Have lunch and take a bike tour of the modern city

After spending just over two hours touring Beijing's Olympic Park, you will definitely want to see other parts of the city. For this reason, I recommend you sign up for a good cycling tour of the city where you will have the chance to see the best aspects of modern Beijing and its hectic life.

But before you start this tour, it will be time to eat. You can have any traditional Chinese food for lunch at one of the restaurants near the Olympic Park.

Dinner at a local food restaurant

At about 18:00 hours, and after you have cycled around modern Beijing, you will probably have a craving for lunch, so I recommend you to go to a local restaurant.

Since dinner could last between one and two hours, you'll have the rest of the evening free to explore Beijing' s lively nightlife or get some rest.

But if you're up for it, you can also book a tuk tuk food tour to really soak up all the flavours and curiosities of Chinese cuisine.

For this second day of your Beijing itinerary, you'll start with a traditional Chinese breakfast at a local street st all or, if you prefer, grab a bite to eat at your accommodation. You will then visit the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and take a rickshaw ride through the hutongs and finally have a hot pot lunch.

Visit the Forbidden City

Right after breakfast you can go to the Forbidden City, where you will enter at around 9:00.

You should keep in mind that a visit to the Forbidden City is a must because it is one of the most emblematic and historical tourist sites in Beijing.

In this case, I also recommend you to book a tour of the Forbidden City because it includes other sights that you can combine perfectly with your 7-day trip in Beijing.

• Duration: about three hours

Visit Tiananmen Square

At around 12:00, it will be time to visit Tiananmen Square, which you will stay to see for at least another hour. Tiananmen Square is just outside the Forbidden City, so you won't have to put much effort into getting there.

If you don't know what to see in Tiananmen Square, I recommend you read this article. But among the highlights are:

• Mao's Mausoleum.
• The Flag Monument.

When you book the Forbidden City tour, Tiananmen is also included. So, if you book it, you will also do this part with a guide.

Take a rickshaw ride through the Hutongs

After finishing your tour in Tiananmen Square, around 13:00, you will definitely want to have a nice lunch in one of the street markets or food courts around the square.

Afterwards, around 14:00, it is a good time to go for a nice rickshaw ride through the hutongs, which are traditional narrow alleys typical of Beijing. A tour of Beijing's hutongs will give you an authentic insight into the local life and culture of the city.

Right after, I recommend using some of your time to explore a bit more of the city, this time on foot, and to enjoy the outdoors before going for dinner at any local food stall.

Dinner at a local hot pot restaurant

Around 19:00 it will be time to enjoy a nice dinner at a local hot pot restaurant. Hot pot is a very tasty local speciality and one of the most iconic dishes in Chinese culture, especially in Beijing.

On your third day in Beijing I suggest a day trip to the Great Wall of China. Afterwards, when you return to the city, you will have free time to relax or do outdoor activities.

Take a day tour to the Great Wall of China

Early in the morning, around 8:00, you can start your day by going on a full day tour of the Great Wall of China. I recommend booking a Great Wall tour that includes a tour guide to explore the different sections of the Great Wall with a picnic stop.

• Duration: depends on the section of the wall you choose and also on the pace of the group, although a tour of the Great Wall of China usually takes just over eight hours.

Return to the city in the afternoon for rest or free activities

After the full day tour of the Great Wall of China, you can return to the city in the afternoon and have some free time to rest or do some free activities in the city before going to enjoy a nice dinner.

As you will arrive back in the city around 16:00, you can take the opportunity to visit one of the city' s iconic Buddhist temples or one of Beijing's best museums. You can also do some other free activities in the city.

Dine at a street market or food court

Finally, to round off the third day, I recommend dining at one of Beijing's most popular street markets, including the Donghuamen Night Market.

Day 4 begins with the Temple of Heaven, where you will see imperial architecture and Chinese culture. Afterwards, you will visit the Beijing Zoo to learn about the various animal species that inhabit China.

Visit the Temple of Heaven

After breakfast, it's time to hop in a taxi or underground to go to the Temple of Heaven, which is an imperial Chinese temple located in Tiantan Gongyuan Park, known for its size and beauty.

Once you've finished your tour, it's time for lunch, so you'll find several options nearby, including Chinese and Western restaurants in the nearby shopping malls.

• Duration: I recommend staying at the Temple of Heaven for about three hours.

Visit Beijing Zoo

After having lunch and enjoying the Temple of Heaven, the clock should be just after 13:30, so at this point I recommend getting in a taxi to take you to the Beijing Zoo, which is about 20 minutes drive from the Temple of Heaven.

• What animals are there: there are typical Chinese animals such as panda bears**, snow leopards and eastern lowland gorillas.
• Duration: I recommend spending about three hours here.

Since you will be leaving the Zoo around 17:00, you can use that time in the late afternoon to start enjoying dinner and nightlife. Sanlitun is a popular area for a night out, with many bars and restaurants to choose from.

For this fifth day in Beijing you will visit the Temple of the Lamas, the Princes' Park and Wangfujing shopping street.

Visit the Temple of the Lamas

After breakfast, it's time to hop on the underground or get a taxi to take you to the Temple of the Lamas, an important tourist and cultural site in the city.

This architectural gem, which you can also visit when you book a Lama Temple tour, combines elements of Tibetan and Chinese culture and is a great example of the influence of Buddhism in China. This temple will take you just over two to three hours to visit.

Have lunch at a Chinese restaurant

As you will be leaving the Lama Temple at around 12:00, you will definitely be in the mood for a bite to eat, so at lunchtime I recommend going to Wangfujing Market, a very popular street food market in the city centre, with a wide variety of traditional Chinese food options at very affordable prices.

Visit the Princes' Park

After lunch, I recommend you to go to the Princes' Park, which is also known as Zhongshan Park and which I recommend you to visit if you want to enjoy a quiet and relaxing space, as it is far away from the noise and bustle of the city.

• What's in the Princes' Park: a large garden with ponds, pagodas and bridges.
• Duration: I advise you to stay around three hours, so you'll be out by around 16:00, perfect time to move on to the next point on your itinerary.

Have a free afternoon with a shopping option in Wangfujing

From 16:00 onwards, you will have the opportunity to spend the afternoon shopping along Wangfujing shopping street, which is one of the most popular avenues in the city and will appeal to you for its busy and lively atmosphere.

It is known for its:

• Brand name shops
• Department stores
• Local food shops and restaurants.

Dine at a hot pot fountain or street food restaurant.

After you have discovered this shopping street, I recommend you to end the day at a hot pot fountain or a local street food stall, including the famous Donghuamen Night Market, a place where you can try various traditional Chinese dishes.

At the end of the day, you can head back to your hotel and prepare for a sixth day of sightseeing in Beijing.

On the sixth day of your tour of Beijing you will start with a visit to Tsinghua University, then go to the National Museum of China and later enjoy a traditional Chinese opera performance at the National Theatre of Beijing. Finish the day with dinner at Xidan, and there's no shortage of food tastings along the way.

Visit Tsinghua University

On this day your journey begins at Tsinghua University to see one of China's most prestigious educational institutions.

If you join a guided tour you will learn about the history of the University and its role in China's development in terms of technology, science and education. But you will also meet Tsinghua students and professors to get a glimpse of daily life on campus.

• Duration: this tour will take you no more than two hours.

Visit the National Museum of China

After the university, you'll head straight to the National Museum of China, which contains important historical and cultural artefacts of the country, but is also one of the largest museums in the world.

• What you'll find: exhibits ranging from China's prehistoric history to the founding of the Republic in 1949.
• What are the most popular areas of the museum: the collection of ancient bronzes, the collection of Ming and Qing dynasty sculptures, the famous collection of Chinese paintings and calligraphy, and the Hall of Treasures.
• Duration: It will take you about two hours, so you will leave at approximately 13:00, which is an ideal time for lunch.

Lunch at the museum café or at the Oriental Plaza shopping mall

For lunch you have the option of eating at the museum café or trying some traditional food at the Oriental Plaza shopping mall. Some of the places you will love to visit are:

• The Horizon
• Zarah Cafe
• Din Tai Fung
• South German Bakery
• Jasmine.

If you prefer, I suggest you sign up for a food tour in Beijing, where you can try different flavours of Asian cuisine. One of the most interesting is to book a gastronomic tour in a tuk tuk to go from place to place in this curious form of transport.

Go to the Beijing National Theatre to see a traditional Chinese opera

After a couple of hours for lunch, you can head to your next destination, which is none other than the Beijing National Theatre, where you can enjoy a traditional Chinese opera performance, which lasts no more than two hours.

Traditional Chinese opera is an ancient art form that combines music, dance, singing, drama and acrobatics, and the Beijing National Theatre is the ideal place to see it.

If you don't want to enjoy the opera, you can also join a kung fu show in Beijing or buy tickets for an acrobatic show at the Chaoyang Theatre.

Dine in Xidan, visiting a night market

For dinner you will go to the Xidan district, which is known for its restaurants and shopping. It is generally a shopping area in the centre of Beijing where you can find a wide variety of dining options ranging from traditional Chinese cuisine to international food.

For your final day's itinerary in Beijing you will go to the Beijing Botanical Garden and CCTV Tower to enjoy panoramic views of the city from the top. Afterwards you will enjoy the city's attractions on your own.

Take a half-day tour to Beijing Botanical Garden

On this day you can go to the Beijing Botanical Garden in the northwest part of the city, where you will enjoy beautiful scenery with lakes, gardens and spectacular flowers.

• Duration: I recommend spending around two hours in the garden, although it all depends on the organisation of the guide.
• What these tours include: usually lunch.

Visit the CCTV Tower

After returning to the city you will go to the CCTV Tower, one of the most iconic and modern buildings in the city. You will be able to go up to enjoy the most breathtaking views of Beijing and its surroundings.

• Duration: just over an hour.

After visiting the CCTV Tower, you can return to your hotel to rest and get ready for an early departure back home.

With this tour you would be completing your seven-day itinerary visiting the city of Beijing. During this time you will certainly have had the opportunity to see many of the city' s most interesting and iconic sights.