On arrival at Beijing Airport you’ll be greeted by one of our representatives in the arrival area. Keep a close eye out for your name….. it may be misspelt. Be sure to ask our representative where you can exchange your currency for Chinese Yuan or where you can find an ATM at the airport; best to get that out of the way on arrival. You’ll receive a Beijing city map in English. Then it’s off to the city centre; the ride will take about an hour.

China Online offers three accommodation options in Beijing based on the price in proportion to the quality of the accommodation:  
- a mid-class hotel in the city centre
- a cosy courtyard hotel in a historic Chinese suburb, a 'Hutong'
- a luxurious 4 star hotel with swimming pool, lobby bar and every comfort you’ll need to relax and unwind

More information on these options and the prices for each can be found at the bottom of this page. The rest of your first day in China is free to fill in as you wish. Many flights arrive in the morning, which means you can spend the afternoon resting up or walking through the surrounding area. Exploring the area around the hotel can be an adventure all in itself; be sure to bring the hotels business card with you when you head out the door….. just in case.

Around 8:30am in the morning a car with chauffeur and English-speaking guide will be waiting for you by the front door of your hotel. The first stop of the day will be Tian'anmen Square; you’ll definitely want to see this first. Tian’anmen means ‘Gate of Heavenly Peace’ and it is the largest urban square in the World. It is also the heart of China and background to historic events that shocked the world such as Tian'anmen Square protests of 1989 and the unforgettable image of a lone student standing trying to stop advancing tanks. The square is bordered by buildings of parliament and the mausoleum dedicated to Mao Zhedong, China’s communist leader during the 60’s who personally lead the country’s Cultural Revolution.

After visiting the square you’ll continue on to the Temple of Heavenly Peace (entrance fee 35 Yuan, approx. $7). The temple is located in a city park filled with pine trees and picnic spots. This is where the Chinese have their religious ceremonies. After about 1.5 hours you’ll have seen the entire temple and you’ll continue on to the Lama Temple of the Tibetan Lama Buddhism (entrance fee approx. $5). The scent of incense and sandalwood will follow you during your visit to the red temple houses and curled wood pagodas.

At around 12:30 your chauffeur will drop you off at Tian'anmen Square. You’ll say goodbye to your chauffeur; however your guide will spend the rest of the day with you. He’ll help you to decipher menus and order lunch and together you’ll visit the Forbidden City at your own pace. In all honesty, you may want to think twice about waiting forever to enter Mao’s mausoleum….. we didn’t think it was worth the wait during our visit.

The Forbidden City was the secluded home of Chinese emperors for many centuries. It was completely closed off from the outside world. While strolling through the empiric living quarters dating back to the 18th century, you may feel as if you’re walking through the set of the movie ‘The Last Emperor’. The city is filled to capacity with Chinese tour groups in the morning, that’s why we’ve planned this excursion for the afternoon…. It’s usually much less crowded. The Forbidden City closed its Gates at 4:00pm and it will take you about two hours to see the entire city (entrance fee 60 Yuan, approx. $12). Once you’ve seen enough, your guide will help get a taxi back to your hotel.

Peking duck obviously was named after the city of its origin Peking or better known as Beijing. If you’re interested in tasting this city’s delicacy we can make arrangements for you to enjoy this dish in one of the best Peking duck restaurants in the city. Your guide will take you to the restaurant and for $60 per person (including transfer to/from hotel) the restaurant’s chef will personally place this duck speciality on your plate. This dish is delicious and unmistakably Chinese!

During your Beijing travel, spend one of your evenings at Hou Hai Lake. This lantern lit lake lies in the centre of the city and is the place to be in the evenings; Chinese of every class, background and age can be found there.

Ask China travellers why they are travelling to China and most will say one reason is to be able to stand on the Great Wall of China. You’ll be picked up from your hotel early in the morning and then you’ll drive north for 3 hours to Jinshanling; a quiet part of the Great Wall of China. This is where your 10km walk to Simatai will begin. Many parts of the wall will be climbed, other times you’ll descend. Large portions of the wall have not been restored, so caution is advised at all times. There are three points along the wall where you’ll pay an entrance fee of approximately $10. Locals sell water, sodas and cookies. If you don’t feel like finishing the 10km walk, ask for a short cut and you won’t walk on the wall any longer. You’ll fly down the last kilometre while hanging on a cable above a lake. A mini bus will be waiting for you on the other side of the lake, but first you can have some dinner (not included in the price of the trip). You’ll be back in Beijing at around 7:00pm.

Keep in mind that in August for instance, temperatures during your walk can soar to more than 30C. During our visit, we found the walk to be quite challenging. If you decide not to do the walk, for instance because of fear of heights, then we will arrange a visit to the Great Wall of China for you at Mutianyu. This area is more touristy, since you’ll only be in one area, however the wall is easier to walk on here (there is also a gondola available) and it is just as beautiful.

From June 1st until October 31st, this Great Wall of China trip can also be done on Day 2 (and the city tour can be done on Day 3).

After 3 nights in Beijing, most travellers take the night train to the city of the Terracotta Army; however you can also fly there.  

If you do decide to take the train, you’ll have the rest of the day to spend in Beijing. There are taxi cabs in abundance and a ride in the city usually doesn’t cost much more than $5. We really enjoyed being able to explore the city so easily on our last day here. Either go on foot, by Chinese bicycle or seated in a rickshaw to visit the historic hutong neighbourhoods. The best streets to visit can be found behind Guloudajie Street, near the impressive Bell and Drum Towers. 

In Beihai City Park you’ll find classical gardens, Chinese doing Tai Chi, tango dancing, sailing on the lake or playing a game of mah-jong. The park entrance fee is 10 Yuan. You can also row on the swan lake if you wish. A boat will cost you 30 Yuan (approx. $6) per hour. Wait to decide whether you want to do this on the day itself… you may still have sore muscles from walking the Great Wall of China.