20+ BEST THINGS TO DO IN BEIJING – ACTIVITIES FOR ANY BUDGET

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Beijing is maybe the most underrated city I have ever visited. Most tourists only have a couple of sights on their list, but the city actually has many great attractions, enough to rival heavy-hitters like London or New York!

When I started planning my trip to Beijing I could at most name one or two attractions there. And even after coming up with a list of things to see I only had a vague idea what to expect, partly because information about sights in Beijing isn’t easy to get. Much of what you find is outdated or incomplete, making it much harder to plan your trip.

Hopefully, this post will help you with your planning. During my three weeks in Beijing I did see many of the main sights as well as plenty of smaller and less well-known ones. Read on for my recommendation of the best activities in Beijing for any budget, sorted by type of activity.

Planning a trip to Beijing? Check out my tips for booking a hotel in China!

Some general remarks

One of the nice things about Beijing is that there is excellent public transportation (and it is surprisingly inexpensive). All the attractions on this list can be visited easily by using the Beijing subway.

I visited most of these attractions in June 2026. However, there are a couple of famous and important attractions I did not manage, either due to lack of time, money or because of logistical difficulties. I have included those that I feel confident are worth a visit anyway – they are marked with an *.

Overall, sightseeing in Beijing is very affordable. Many attractions are free or only cost what I consider a negligible amount. Even the big sights (like the Forbidden City) are not expensive. To avoid the list being outdated constantly, I won’t include exact prices. However, I will give a general indication of the price level for all that are not free:

$	Under USD 8
$$	USD 8-25
$$$	Over USD 25

This is not set in stone so attractions may be slightly outside their indicated range (but it should be good enough to give you a decent idea for a first plan).

The indicated cost obviously does not include any money you may spend for eating out or shopping (which can be tempting). This is of course highly dependent on personal tastes and habits. You can get a better idea of how much money you will likely need during your time in Beijing in my budget overview.

Do you have limited time and find it hard to choose what to see? Check out my curated 3-day itinerary for Beijing!

Best things to see and do in Beijing

Beijing’s main cultural Sights

These are the heavy-hitters you likely already have on your list. But they are famous for good reasons so I highly recommend a visit. And luckily, entrance fees are quite reasonable as a general rule.

The Forbidden City is Beijing’s most famous sight

1) Visit The Palace Museum/Forbidden City – $$

Undoubtedly, the Palace Museum (the official name for the Forbidden City) is Beijing’s most famous attraction.

To enter the Forbidden City you have to pre-book/pre-buy your ticket, ideally at least two weeks before your visit. I strongly recommend to get the combo ticket that includes the Treasure House. It is also one of just a few places I would recommend you consider a tour as it can be quite overwhelming (you can read more about my recommendations for the Forbidden City here).

You will do a lot of climbing and walking at Beijing’s New Summer Palace

2) Explore the Summer Palace – $

The Summer Palace is a bit outside the city center in Haidian but easily accessible by subway. Here you will find a large lake and a fascinating combination of palace buildings and a beautiful park. One of Beijing’s most famous sights.

While you can prebook your ticket, I had no issues buying mine at the gate on the day. The Summer Palace can get crowded so a visit during the week is preferable. Visiting this attraction involves a lot of walking (including hills and steps) so wear comfortable shoes!

3) Tour the National Museum* – Free

Beijing’s National Museum is a behemoth of Chinese art and artefacts, reminiscent of the British Museum in London. Unfortunately, it is one of the few major attractions I did not visit myself. I had difficulties getting a ticket and then ran out of time. But it is on the top of my list for my next visit!

Visiting the National Museum requires a free ticket. Tickets get released a week in advance and you can book yours via WeChat (if you are luckier than me and manage to get it to work).

4) Marvel at Lama Temple – $

Lama Temple is the most popular temple for tourists in Beijing and quite impressive. It is though more a working temple so not ideal for taking photos or touring. Still, if it is your only chance to see a temple in Beijing, I recommend a visit (don’t forget to first read my post about Lama Temple!).

Again, I pre-bought my ticket on Trip.com but I think you could probably get it on the day. Your ticket will include some free incense sticks so don’t forget to pick those up at the stall inside the temple grounds.

5) Admire the Temple of Heaven – $

Another of Beijing’s biggest landmarks, Temple of Heaven is an absolute must-see. Aside of the gorgeous park (a highlight in itself), you can see the famous tower and the temple grounds up close. This felt like being in a historical C-drama, swooping birds included.

I bought my ticket ahead of time and would recommend the same as it would be too bad to miss out. However, if you prefer more flexibility you can likely get it on the day.

6) Take a tour to the Great Wall – $$ to $$$

Usually, I am not a fan of including a lot of out of town tours in a Best of City-list but in this case Beijing is your best base to easily visit the Great Wall. And no trip to China would be complete without seeing this architectural masterpiece.

Luckily, excursions to the Great Wall aren’t even very expensive. Read my Great Wall post for more info on different options and a detailed review of my tour to Mutianyu.

7) Experience Tian’anmen Square* – Free

Next to the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven, Tian’anmen Square is probably Beijing’s most famous sight.

Again, I struggled too much with WeChat to get one of the free tickets. Hopefully, you have more luck. Alternatively, most tours of the Forbidden City include entrance to Tian’anmen Square.

8) Visit Prince Kung’s Mansion – $

Prince Kung’s Mansion is yet another opportunity to see a palace and beautiful traditional gardens. It is slightly more intimate/smaller than the Forbidden City or the Summer Palace but also rather crowded.

I probably would recommend pre-purchasing your ticket as it was very crowded when I visited and I am not sure if tickets get sold out. As with the Forbidden City, you have to decide on either the morning or the afternoon session when booking.

9) Have fun at Universal Studios* – $$$

I love amusement parks and seriously considered a visit to Universal Studios in Beijing. However, I have been to Universal both in LA and Florida so it wasn’t the biggest priority and in the end budget and time constraints meant I did not manage to visit.

But if you are a fan of Kung Fu Panda or the Minions (or are traveling with kids), I do recommend you buy a ticket. It will make a nice contrast to all the palaces, gardens, and malls (even if you love them you may burn out at some point). Visiting Universal Studios Beijing is on the pricey side but still more affordable than in the US.

10) Visit Confucius Temple and the Imperial College Museum* – $

This attraction was not on my list prior to my trip and I just noticed it as I was passing by on my way to Lama Temple. It looked like a very interesting site with an emphasis on culture, education, and philosophy. Unfortunately, I did not manage to make it back to go inside but it is on my list for my next trip as it looked like something straight out of a C-Drama.

Nature and Outdoor Areas

Beijing is a surprisingly green city. As a matter of fact, I think it has more parks and green spaces than any city I have been to. Several of the sights in the previous section also have significant garden areas (like the Summer Palace) but I have categorized them according to their main appeal.

11) Old Summer Palace – $

Fairly close to the New Summer Palace in the Northwest of Beijing you will find the Old Summer Palace. This is a huge area and another must-see in Beijing. While there are some ruins and a couple of buildings, the main appeal of the Old Summer Palace is a seemingly never-ending number of lakes, trees, and gardens.

Due to the size the Old Summer Palace is unlikely to sell out so I would just buy a ticket at the gate. That way you can stay flexible and visit on a day with pleasant weather (hopefully). On holidays/weekends some areas may get crowded but the gardens are so extensive that it shouldn’t be a big issue.

12) Beijing Zoo – $

While the Beijing Zoo offers a beautiful park-like environment, its biggest draw are probably the pandas. They are undoubtedly cute and quite rare so this is one of just a few places to see them.

Again, I prebooked my ticket just to make sure (make sure to get the combo with the panda house!). If you want more details, I have a post all about my time at the Beijing Zoo and seeing the pandas.

13) Beijing Aquarium* – $$

The Beijing Aquarium is actually located within the grounds of the zoo so a combo ticket is your best bet. I did not get around to visit, but in general reviews are quite favorable. While more expensive than the zoo (or most Beijing attractions) it is still fairly inexpensive compared to other cities.

14) Stroll along the River in Sanlitun – Free

Unlike most big and old cities, Beijing is not dominated by a river. However, the river does flow through Sanlitun and there is a pretty riverwalk.

15) Spend time at one of the beautiful parks – Free or $

There is a large number of beautiful parks with vibrant community life. Some parks do require a small fee while others are free. I won’t list them all here but you can read my review of Beijing’s best parks to find one that fits into your itinerary.

At many of the parks you can rent various boats for a relaxing time on the water. And the biggest highlight (at least for me) is watching people dancing, singing, playing instruments, playing games, and just living their best lives!

Shopping and cool Neighborhoods

Shopping is big in Beijing. There are more ultra-modern malls, fancy boutiques, cute stores, posh designer stores, and interesting markets than you could ever visit. And there are many cool areas to just stroll, browse, and people-watch – a perfect addition to any sightseeing-heavy itinerary!

16) Visit the Olympic Park Area at night – Free

The northern part of Olympic Park is an actual park with trees and green (I presume – I did not manage to get that far). But the southern part is basically a very long, very wide pedestrianized square/street with cool buildings, an underground mall, loads of shops for souvenirs or food, and a lot going on. Locals stroll along, people enjoy live-music, there is a fountain show, and so much more going on.

Best visited at night (or ideally in the late afternoon so you can see it both in day light and with lights), easy to get to via subway, and a real highlight.

17) Feel hip at Taikoo Li – Free

This outdoor mall reminded me of the Grove in LA. You will find a mix of regular/upscale shops and designer flagships (so many designer stores!) and it is definitely one of Beijing’s “in” spots. It is also one of just a few places where I saw a sizable number of foreign tourists.

18) Visit one of the many other Beijing Malls – Free

Aside of Taikoo Li, there are many other malls that are worth a visit. You can find one for most any taste: elegant with designer shops, artsy and weird, huge and with a vibrant mix, geared to fun or families etc.

19) Wangfujing Pedestrian Street – Free

The famous “Wangfujing Snack Street” seems to have largely disappeared (careful, ai will still recommend it!) but even without it Wangfujing is still worth a visit. It is very “modern China” and similar to places like Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. One of the highlights for me was definitely the large bookstore at the southern end.

And don’t worry – even without the snack street you won’t go hungry. You can find plenty of delicious food in the malls along this wide and popular shopping street as well as along the streets to the north and south.

20) Explore the Hutongs of Beijing – Free

Don’t feel bad if you don’t know what a hutong is. I have watched hundreds of Chinese dramas and still didn’t have a clue. Basically, hutongs are traditional courtyard houses in old Beijing, recognizable mostly by their low height and the uniform grey stones.

Quite a few of these streets are now geared to tourism and you will find plenty of hotels, boutiques, and restaurants inside. It makes a nice counterpoint to the glitz of modern Beijing and the grandeur of the palaces.

21) Shichahai Lake Area – Free

When exploring the Hutong Area, Shichahai makes a great stopping point (check my Lama Temple post for general instructions). Here you can walk along a path along the lakeside and enjoy a huge number of restaurants, street food, bars, clubs, and shops.

The area is very popular with locals and tourists alike and on the weekends or evenings it is a fun, buzzy place. Great for people-watching or just enjoying a nice stroll

22) The 798 Art Zone – Free

This old factory area has gotten a new lease on life with outdoor art installations of all kinds, mixed with various museums, galleries, boutiques, and restaurants. No worries if you are not a serious art enthusiast. 798 Art District is fun for anyone and does not require a deep artistic appreciation (check out my post for more info).

23) Shougang Park – Free

Somewhat similar to the 798 Art Zone, Shougang Park also has repurposed old factories and power plants for a new leisure zone. Instead of art, Shougang Park though leans heavily towards family fun and steampunk.

I really loved my visit there. It has a very unique vibe and aesthetic. While I visited during the day, Shougang Park is supposed to be especially nice at night with the old factories illuminated in neon.

24) Enjoy the CBD skyline with a drink – $ to $$

There isn’t all that much to actually do in Beijing’s Central Business District (unless you are there on business of course). But the skyscrapers are quite impressive and especially pretty at night.

I had a free happy hour included in my stay at China Mall Summit Wing (highly recommended) and loved looking at the cityscape with a glass of wine. Even if you are staying in a different part of town, a drink (or meal) in one of the hotels or bars in this area would be a great opportunity to rest your feet and relax after a long day of sightseeing!

Best Beijing activities for different types of travelers

Beijing has more to offer than most visitor’s short stay can accommodate. I recommend a good mix of different types of attractions but depending on your interests you may want to lean more heavily in some direction.

So here are my personal recommendations based on what you are most interested in:

Best Beijing activities for History Lovers

• Forbidden City
• Prince Kung Mansion
• Temple of Heaven
• Both Summer Palaces

Best Beijing activities for Art Lovers

• 798 Art Zone
• National Museum
• Palace Museum
• One of the more artsy malls

Best Beijing activities for Architecture Buffs

• Great Wall
• Olympic Park
• Evening cocktails at CBD

Best Beijing activities for Garden Lovers

• Old Summer Palace
• New Summer Palace
• Any of the other parks

Best Beijing activities for Shopaholics

• Taikoo Li
• Wangfujing Pedestrian Street
• One of the other malls

Best Beijing activities for Families

• Universal Studios
• Beijing Zoo and Aquarium
• Shougang Park

How about you? Which is your favorite activity in Beijing? Did I miss one on my list?