Beijing Travel Guide: Arriving, Paying and Getting Around
Updated 2026-10-24
Beijing is a large city spread across ring roads, with the main sights far apart: the Forbidden City and Tiananmen in the center, the Summer Palace in the northwest, the Temple of Heaven to the south, and the Great Wall sections an hour or more outside the city. Planning how you move between them matters more here than in most capitals.
This guide covers arrival, how long to stay, the payment and app setup visitors run into, and when a private car · guide · interpreter is worth arranging. If you already know your dates, you can go straight to our Beijing service page.
Getting from the airport to the city
Beijing has two international airports. Check which one is on your ticket — they are on opposite sides of the city.
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)
PEK is northeast of the center. Options into town:
- Airport Express (metro): runs from the terminals to Dongzhimen, where you can change to other subway lines. Many subway gates now accept contactless Visa and Mastercard, and QR codes from Alipay or WeChat also work.
- Taxi: use the official taxi queue outside arrivals. Have your hotel address written in Chinese characters; many drivers do not read English addresses.
- Airport buses: several routes go to major hotels and transport hubs.
- Pre-arranged car: a driver meets you at arrivals and takes you straight to the hotel. This is the simplest option if you land late, travel with children or older relatives, or carry a lot of luggage.
Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX)
PKX is far to the south of the city, so allow more time for the transfer.
- Daxing Airport Express (metro): runs north to Caoqiao, where you transfer to other lines (Line 10 and Line 19, among others) to reach central areas.
- Intercity rail: an intercity rail line runs from Daxing toward Beijing West; check current schedules on the day.
- Taxi or pre-arranged car: the drive is long, and traffic adds to it. A car makes the most sense when you are heading to a hotel that is not close to a metro station.
Arriving by high-speed rail
Many visitors arrive from Shanghai, Xi'an or elsewhere by train. The main stations:
- Beijing South: most trains from Shanghai and the southeast. Connected to Subway Line 4 and Line 14.
- Beijing West: trains from Xi'an, Wuhan, Guangzhou and the southwest. Connected to Subway Line 7 and Line 9.
- Beijing (Beijing Railway Station): central, near Dongcheng, served by Line 2.
- Beijing Chaoyang and Beijing Fengtai: newer stations for some routes. Check your ticket for the exact station name — "Beijing" alone means the central station.
Train stations are busy, and the taxi queues at Beijing South and Beijing West can be long at peak times. If a driver is meeting you, agree on the exit and a meeting point beforehand.
How many days to plan
A common pattern for a first visit:
- 2 days: Forbidden City and Tiananmen area on one day, a Great Wall section on the other. Tight, with little time for anything else.
- 3–4 days: the core list — Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, one Great Wall section, hutong areas around Shichahai or Nanluoguxiang — at a pace that leaves evenings free.
- 5+ days: adds a second Great Wall section, the Ming Tombs, museums such as the National Museum of China, the 798 art district, or a day trip.
The Great Wall day is the one that shapes the rest. Sections such as Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling and Simatai differ in distance, crowds and terrain. Budget most of a day for any of them.
Payments and apps: what visitors run into
China runs mostly on mobile payments. Setting up before you arrive saves trouble.
Alipay and WeChat Pay. Both let you link foreign cards (Visa, Mastercard and others) and pay by scanning QR codes, the way local people do. Register and link your card before you fly, and do a small test payment if you can. Some larger transactions can have limits or extra verification for foreign cards — keep a backup.
Cards and cash. Large hotels, malls and major sights increasingly accept foreign cards, and Beijing has expanded foreign-card acceptance in recent years. Small restaurants and vendors may only take QR payments. Carry some cash in yuan as a fallback.
Ride-hailing. DiDi works for visitors, including through an English interface and as a mini-program inside Alipay. Drivers may call or message in Chinese to confirm pickup points, which is where it often gets stuck.
Maps. Google Maps often has gaps and outdated data in China. Local apps such as Amap (Gaode) or Apple Maps work better. Save your hotel name and address in Chinese.
Internet access. Many international services are blocked. Check your roaming plan or eSIM before you go.
Tickets and real-name booking. Train tickets and many major sights in Beijing — including the Forbidden City and the National Museum — require advance booking under your real name with your passport number, and tickets can sell out on weekends and holidays. Bring the same passport you booked with to the gate. Book as early as the official channels allow.
About tickets: you book and hold your own train and sight tickets. We can tell you what to book and when, but the tickets are in your name.
When a private car · guide · interpreter helps
These are three different roles. Many visitors only need one of them.
A private car with driver helps when:
- you are going to the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs or anywhere outside the subway network;
- you have luggage, children, older relatives or limited mobility;
- you want to link several sights across the city in one day without transfers.
A driver drives. A driver is not a guide and usually will not walk the sights with you or explain them.
A guide helps when:
- you want the history and context of the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven or the hutongs explained as you walk;
- you want someone to handle the order of the visit, entry lines and timing;
- it is your first trip and you would rather not plan every step.
An interpreter helps when:
- you have business meetings, factory or trade-show visits;
- you need help at a hospital, a bank, a police station or with paperwork;
- you are meeting family or partners who do not share a language with you.
An interpreter works in your language, which may not be English. Tell us your working language when you write.
You can combine these — for example a car for a Great Wall day and a guide for the Forbidden City — or book just one. Our guides on booking a private car in China and how to choose between a guide and an interpreter go into more detail.
A sample way to split the days
- Day 1: arrive, transfer to the hotel, evening walk around Wangfujing or Qianmen.
- Day 2: Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in the morning, Jingshan Park for the view, hutongs in the afternoon.
- Day 3: Great Wall section of your choice, by car.
- Day 4: Temple of Heaven early, Summer Palace in the afternoon.
Adjust this to your arrival airport, ticket availability and pace.
FAQ
Which airport is closer to central Beijing, PEK or PKX?
PEK (Capital) is generally closer to the center and the northeast. PKX (Daxing) is in the far south. Both have airport express metro lines.
Can I pay in Beijing with a foreign card?
Often, yes — many subway gates now accept contactless Visa and Mastercard, and many hotels and major sights accept foreign cards. Smaller places may only take QR payments, so set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your card before you arrive and carry some cash.
Do I need to book the Forbidden City in advance?
Yes. Entry requires an advance, real-name booking with your passport, and slots can sell out. Book as early as the official channel allows.
Is a driver the same as a guide?
No. A driver handles the car and the route. A guide walks the sights with you and explains them. You can book one or both.
Who holds the train and entry tickets?
You do. Tickets are booked in your name with your passport. We can advise on what to book and when.
Do your guides and interpreters only work in English?
No. Tell us the language you want to work in when you write, and we will tell you what is available in Beijing for your dates.
How do I start?
Send your city, dates, party size and language on WhatsApp. We reply there and work out the plan with you.
Plan your Beijing trip
Send us your city, dates, party size and language on WhatsApp, and tell us whether you need a private car · guide · interpreter, one or several. We will reply on WhatsApp and talk through the details.