North China
Seven centuries of capital, an imperial axis running due north, and hutongs that still hold the city together at street level. Beijing is bigger and louder than most visitors expect, and the Wall is worth the early start.
The case for going
The largest surviving wooden palace complex in the world. Enter at opening and go against the flow.
About 70 minutes from the city, and far less crowded than Badaling.
The circular hall in the south, with the best acoustics in the capital.
Courtyard houses, old snack shops and the lanes behind the Bell Tower.
The Qing imperial garden and the Kunming Lake causeway.
The best Tibetan Buddhist temple in the north, and the largest contemporary art district in China.
Practical
Continental. Cold and dry in winter with occasional snow, hot and humid in summer.
Peking International (PEK) and Daxing (PKX) both have express rail links into the city. The high-speed rail arrives at Beijing South, which is the closest station to most central hotels.
Airport. Beijing Capital and Daxing International Airports (PEK / PKX)
Rail. Beijing South for high-speed services; Beijing West for the conventional trains.
In pictures
Questions travellers ask
Four full days is the honest minimum: Forbidden City and the axis, the Great Wall at Jinshanling, the Temple of Heaven with the hutongs, and the Summer Palace. Five is comfortable.
Inside the second or third ring, near the hutongs east of the Forbidden City, for a walkable old town. Wangfujing and Qianmen put the axis on foot; the airport express and the high-speed stations all connect by metro.
Fly into Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX), or arrive on the high-speed rail — 4.5 hours from Shanghai, 4.5 to 6 from Xi'an. Every classic China route starts here for a reason.
Yes — if you dress for it. The wall at Jinshanling under snow, the frozen lakes at the Summer Palace and the hutong mornings are the city at its quietest, and hotel rates drop hard.
Routes through here
North China
5days
Beijing in the cold months is a different city: empty palace courtyards, clear air over the mountains and the kind of light you do not get in autumn. This route is built around the openings and the cold, not in spite of them.
From US$1,450per person
Where to eat
Michelin 3 Stars
The flagship of China’s most decorated regional fine-dining group, holding three Michelin stars for its coastal Taizhou…
Michelin 3 Stars
Three-starred Chaozhou cooking in the heart of the Beijing CBD — cold crab, superior shark-fin-free broths and claypot…
Michelin 2 Stars
Two-starred revival of imperial-era Beijing cooking inside the Ritz-Carlton. Red-clay stews, roast lamb ribs and lost…
Michelin 2 Stars
A two-starred vegetarian temple in a restored hutong courtyard beside the Lama Temple. Seasonal tasting menus built…
Michelin 1 Star
DaDong’s star-holding flagship reimagines Peking duck as lean, crackling-skinned art, plated with an artist’s eye and…
Michelin 1 Star
The wine-lover’s duck house: one star for crackling duck carved tableside and a cellar of Burgundy that puts most hotel…
Michelin 1 Star
The Hong Kong institution’s Beijing outpost, starred for dependable Cantonese: double-boiled soups, crispy roast pork…
Michelin 1 Star
Chef Duan Yuexin’s one-starred homage to new-Beijing cooking — smoked fish with osmanthus, lamb with sesame paste…
Local Institution
Roasting duck since 1416 — the oldest continuously operating duck house in Beijing and the standard-bearer of the…
Michelin 1 Star
The PuXing’s star-holding Cantonese dining room on Wangfujing, where slow-cooked soups and dim sum carts serve as a…
Where to stay
Bulgari · Ultra Luxury
On the Liangmaqiao river, with the 800-metre private Bulgari river park running alongside the property. Beijing at its most discreetly expensive.
From US$3,230 per night
Valid to 2026-12-31
Rosewood · Luxury
A courtyard compound in the middle of the embassy district, with a proper residential feel and one of the best spa programmes in the capital.
From US$1,620 per night
Valid to 2026-12-31
Independent · Luxury
The former Aman Summer Palace, now run independently under its own name: 51 rooms and suites in Qing-style courtyards a gate away from the Summer Palace, with a private entrance into the gardens.
From US$720 per night
Valid to 2026-12-31
Sofitel · Luxury
On the edge of Wangfujing, the most convenient base for first-time visitors who want to walk to the Forbidden City, Tiananmen and the hutong lanes.
From US$100 per night
Valid to 2027-03-31
Shangri-La · Luxury
Inside Beijing’s tallest commercial tower, with direct access to the Guomao metro interchange. The business-district choice for travellers combining China with a few meetings.
From US$650 per night
Valid to 2026-12-31
Ritz-Carlton · Luxury
On the Financial Street business district with the best airport-transfer benefit on this list — a car and driver included for airport pickups.
From US$500 per night
Valid to 2026-12-31
