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Cheap flights to Beijing
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What first-timers get wrong in Beijing
Cash is nearly extinct, so set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before arriving or you will struggle in shops and taxis alike. Every major site needs advance booking against a passport, and Forbidden City slots vanish in minutes. Bag scans happen at every subway entrance. The tea-house invitation from friendly English-speaking students near Wangfujing is the long-running scam.
What things cost in Beijing
Subway rides cost ¥3 to ¥6 for most city journeys on a distance formula. A bowl of noodles is ¥15 to 25, while a whole Peking duck for two at Siji Minfu comes to ¥250 to 350. Forbidden City entry is ¥60 in summer. Mutianyu totals about ¥180 with cable car and shuttle. A Didi across the third ring runs ¥30 to 60.
What's actually worth your time in Beijing
The Forbidden City must be booked online in advance against passport details, sells nothing at the gate, closes Mondays, and charges ¥60 in summer or ¥40 in winter. Choose Mutianyu over Badaling for the Great Wall: ¥45 entry, ¥120 return cable car, and a toboggan back down. The Temple of Heaven's park at dawn, full of tai chi and choirs, is the underrated one.
Beijing with kids, realistically
Beijing is spread out and a day here means real distance, since the Summer Palace, Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven each involve a couple of hours on your feet. The zoo's pandas and the aquarium beside it suit under-eights. Subway transfers are long, every entrance scans bags, and lifts are inconsistent. Winter cold and spring dust storms both bite hard.
When the weather turns in Beijing
Rain concentrates into July and August here and arrives violently rather than steadily. The National Museum and the Capital Museum both give whole free days indoors once reserved. 798's galleries connect under cover in stretches. The malls at Sanlitun and Wangfujing are vast. Air quality usually improves after a storm, so save the day afterwards for the Wall rather than the day of.
When to go to Beijing
| Best months for flights-to | Avg daily high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| April | 22°C / 72°F | 3 days |
| October | 19°C / 66°F | 4 days |
| May | 28°C / 82°F | 5 days |
The month to avoid is January — around 2°C (36°F) with roughly 1 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: April is the sweet spot, January the month most people skip.
Pack for peak season: Summer clothes, plus one light layer for air-con and evenings, Evenings turn genuinely cool — pack a warm layer for after dark, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.
Where to base yourself in Beijing
- Hutongs (Dongcheng) — Old grey-brick lanes — courtyards, dumpling shops, the Drum Tower.
- Sanlitun — Nightlife and shopping district — bars, restaurants, designer boutiques.
- Wangfujing — Pedestrian shopping street — souvenir stalls, big-brand stores, snack streets.