Imperial capital, hutong breakfasts, and the easiest Great Wall day trips. Big, but the subway makes it simple — and almost everything now books with a passport number.
Tip The Forbidden City closes Mondays and needs a passport booking — peak slots vanish fast. For the wall, choose Mutianyu over Badaling: fewer crowds, far better views.
Route guide
The classic first-timer loop: Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, a hutong morning, and one wall day — all by subway plus a single day tour.
Practical guide
Mutianyu by public bus + shuttle, step by step. When the direct bus runs, what the cable car costs, and why you should skip Badaling on weekends.
Practical guide
Airport Express vs taxi vs Didi from both airports, with prices, passport-check queues, and the late-night fallback options.
Sanyuanqiao ↔ T3 closed for works this weekend. Shuttle buses add ~40 min; taxi from the center ≈ ¥100.
Passport number works on the official WeChat mini-program. Slots vanish in minutes in summer — set an alarm for 20:00 CST.
Jun 15, 10:00. Meet outside Lama Temple station, exit C. No booking, just show up.
Free entry to most halls through August. Galleries close Mondays; evenings are coolest and quietest.
1 DAY · ¥ BUDGET · BUS 916E + SHUTTLE · AVOID WEEKENDS
Open the route →Alipay's "Transport" mini-app generates a QR that works at every gate. No physical card, no deposit, no queue.
¥12 bus + ¥15 shuttle + ¥45 entry. Total under ¥100 with the cable car one-way. The trick is catching the 7:00 bus from Dongzhimen — after 8 it fills with tour groups.
Only here Jun 14–16 and every slot is gone. Is the Jingshan Park view worth it instead? Any chance of returns being released?
Five stops around Gulou, all under ¥10 each, all pay-by-QR. Map pinned in the thread. The fermented mung-bean milk is… an experience. Try it once.