Beijing
4 nights · Dongsi / Dengshikou
A central base for the palace day and hutong walks, with a simple return after the Wall.
Beijing · 4 nightsBeijing: the big sights, with room to breathe
Five days for the palace, the Wall and the neighbourhoods in between.
Why this itinerary works
Keep the Forbidden City and Jingshan together: cross the palace, then look back over its roofs.
Give Mutianyu its own day; lanes and dinner deserve time that is not borrowed from a long drive.
Four nights make arrival and departure gentle. With four days, remove the Temple of Heaven day rather than doubling up after the Wall.
The itinerary
See the itinerary on a map
The moments you’ll remember
Lakeside lights ripple across Houhai on your first evening.
Shichahai (Houhai Lakes) ›Morning footsteps echo through the palace’s red gateways.
The Palace Museum (Forbidden City) ›From Jingshan, golden palace roofs fill the afternoon below.
Jingshan Park ›
Crisp duck skin, warm pancakes, another round at Siji Minfu.
Make roast duck the meal at Siji Minfu Dengshikou ›Your first watchtower, cool stone and wind along Mutianyu’s ridge.
Mutianyu Great Wall ›Wind brushes the battlements between Mutianyu’s watchtowers.
Mutianyu Great Wall ›
Tai chi beneath the trees, blue tiles above the morning crowds.
Temple of Heaven ›7 moments · swipe →
Before you go
- Mutianyu Great Wall — Official English booking calendar: 30 calendar dates including today (up to 29 days ahead). Check that channel for your visit date.
- The Palace Museum — Official international website and 故宫博物院 mini-program: book before the visit day; same-day tickets are not sold. Sales open at 20:00 Beijing time seven days before the visit.
Day by day
MorningAfternoonEvening
Beijing · 4 nights
Day 1
Settle in beside the hutong lakes
Arrive, check in and recover first. The short Shichahai walk is easy to drop if you arrive late.
Settle in beside the hutong lakes
Free
Day 2
Through the palace, above its roofs
Move this day when the palace calendar requires it. Dinner is Siji Minfu’s Dengshikou branch; leave a wait buffer rather than treating it as a timed reservation.
Day 3
Watchtowers along the Mutianyu ridge
Mutianyu is the default. The outing can run into the afternoon; leave the return and evening open.
Free
Free
Day 4
The Temple of Heaven, then your own afternoon
This is the extra day in the five-day version. For four days, remove this day and one Beijing night.
Free
Free
Day 5
A last Beijing breakfast, then departure
Keep the day for breakfast, packing and your actual departure connection.
A last Beijing breakfast
Free
Free
Comes with the plan
Before you go
- Mutianyu Great Wall — Official English booking calendar: 30 calendar dates including today (up to 29 days ahead). Check that channel for your visit date.
- The Palace Museum — Official international website and 故宫博物院 mini-program: book before the visit day; same-day tickets are not sold. Sales open at 20:00 Beijing time seven days before the visit.
On the ground
Beijing practical card →Perks on this itinerary
Turn a long layover into a look at Beijing →Check the senior entry benefit before buying →Browse perks and check eligibility →Your dates, checked
Use the calendar to check holidays and typical weather. Published sessions and opening days depend on your exact dates.
Check dates →Not quite your case? Ask it.
Make it yours
Pick your dates and review how the itinerary fits your trip.