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Beijing
Imperial Capital · Great Wall, Forbidden City & Hutongs
Handpicked itineraries
About Beijing
Beijing was the capital of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Eight centuries of imperial rule left it one of the densest concentrations of heritage on earth, with seven UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Forbidden City spreads across 720,000 square metres and some 9,000 rooms along the central axis — walking it is reading Ming and Qing history. Tickets must be booked ahead; enter at Meridian Gate, exit at the north gate, then climb Jingshan for the full axis view. The Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the hutongs hold the city’s everyday life, and an afternoon on a rickshaw by Shichahai is well spent. Mutianyu and Simatai are quieter than Badaling and just as staggering. Both airports are global hubs and high-speed rail reaches Xi’an and Shanghai in four hours. Allow three to four days; autumn is loveliest.
Beijing tours & packages
Travel guides for Beijing
Flying with a Pet to and from China: Cabin, Hold and Quarantine in 2026
Cabin, live-animal hold or cargo, plus quarantine certificates, the 21-day rabies rule and China entry requirements.
Solo Female Travel in China: Safety, Night Transport and a 2026 Checklist
Registration, late-night rides, payments and emergency numbers: a practical 2026 checklist for women travelling alone in China.
Student Travel in China: 2026 Rail Fare Rules and the Best Hands-On Activities by City
A practical guide to study tours in China: 2026 rail student fare scope, visa-free basis for camps, hands-on activities by city, and group safety standards.
Senior Travel in China: Ticket Discounts, Age-Friendly Rail Services and High-Altitude Preparation
The 2026 guide to senior travel in China: ticket discount age thresholds, age-friendly rail services, whether foreign seniors qualify, and altitude safety.
Shopping in China and the Departure Tax Refund: Thresholds, Bargaining and Export Rules
China tax refund 2.0 explained: the 200 CNY threshold, 20,000 CNY cash cap and cross-province recognition, plus a city guide to specialities, where bargaining works, how to judge authenticity and what you cannot export.
Restaurants in China: Regional Cuisines, Signature Dishes, QR Ordering and Dietary Needs
Eight regional cuisines compared, signature dishes in eight cities, five ways to find where locals eat, six-step QR ordering, western and halal options, tourist-area traps and a dietary phrase table.
Hotel Deposits in China: How Much, How to Pay, and When You Get It Back
A Chinese hotel deposit is a guarantee, not an extra fee, typically CNY 200 to 500, or a card pre-authorisation at upscale hotels. Covers cash versus pre-auth, legitimate deductions, three deposit-free routes and six common mistakes.
Drinking Water in Chinese Hotels: Is Tap Water Safe, and How to Use the Kettle
Tap water meeting GB 5749-2022 is technically potable, but secondary contamination means Chinese hotels expect you to boil it. Covers the four supply setups, kettle practice, bottled water prices and boiling points at altitude.
China Hotel Room Types Explained: Twin vs Double, Suites and Single Supplement
Chinese hotel rooms fall into rooms and suites, with five basic room types and four suite tiers. Twin means two single beds, Double means one. Includes real bed sizes and single supplement.
Departure Procedures for Flights in China: Check-in Cut-offs, Transfers and Missed Flights
Domestic check-in closes 30 to 45 minutes before departure and international 45 to 60 minutes; gates shut 15 to 20 minutes prior. One-ID boarding, through-checked baggage and missed-flight rules.
Flying with an Infant in China: Tickets, Bassinets, Baggage and 2026 Charges
Infant fares are 10 percent of the full adult fare and exempt from airport and fuel fees. Age 14 days to two years, one or two infants per adult, bassinets 24 hours ahead, 10 kg baggage, free stroller.
Baggage Rules on China Domestic Flights: Carry-on, Checked and Power Banks
Since 2021 airlines set their own baggage rules. Carry-on sizes, the 20 kg checked reference, excess at 1.5% of full fare per kg, and the CCC and 100 Wh power bank tiers.
How to Book Flights in China: E-Tickets, Fees and Refund Rules in 2026
How Chinese e-tickets work, the 2026 electronic itinerary rules, using a foreign passport on domestic flights, the fund and fuel charges in your fare, and refund tiers.
China Train Ticket Refunds and Changes: 2026 Fees, Deadlines and How-To
Refunds are free 8 days ahead, then 5%, 10% and 20% as departure nears. Change fees, the 30-minute free window and Spring Festival rules explained.
Types of China Train: How to Read G, D, C, Z, T and K Services
G, D, C, Z, T and K trains explained: speeds, seat classes, fares and when to use each, plus China rail facts for 2026 and ticket tips for visitors.
Overnight Trains in China: Hard Sleeper, Soft Sleeper and High-Speed Sleeper
What hard, soft and high-speed sleepers really mean, how to pick a berth, buying tickets on a foreign passport, and overnight routes worth taking.
Getting Online in China: Hotel Wi-Fi, Public Network Checks and Mobile Data
Hotel Wi-Fi, the real-name check on public networks, local SIM versus travel eSIM, and which apps need replacing before you fly.
How to Make a Phone Call in China: International, Domestic and Mobile Dialling Explained
Dial 00 for international, 0 plus area code between cities, 17911 for cheap long distance: China's dialling rules, area code logic, public phone reality and money-saving options.
Useful Phone Numbers in China: Emergency, Transport, Banking and Complaints
What 110, 119, 120 and 122 each handle, when to use 12306 and 12308, plus the free numbers at hotels and airports: a scenario-based phone list for travelling in China.
How to Call the Police in China: 110, SMS Alarms and Lost-Passport Reports
What to say on 110, what happens when officers arrive, how to bridge the language gap, how SMS alarm 12110 works, and the six-step lost-passport report process.
Street Scams in China 2026: Eight Active Tricks and How to Handle Them
Tea houses, art students, fake monks, black taxis, touts, short change and hidden fees: eight scams still active in 2026, plus one rule that stops most of them.
China Travel Safety Tips: Solo Travel, Hotels, Streets and ATM Habits
Safety as concrete actions: three night rules for solo travel, four steps on hotel arrival, layered valuables, ATM card retention, free time and digital safety.
Is China Safe to Travel in 2026? Real Risks, Scams and Emergency Numbers
Violent crime is rare and late-night travel is comfortable, but traffic, food, pickpockets and weather are the real risks. Includes 2026 visa-free rules and emergency numbers.
Health and Medical Preparation for China: Vaccines, Medicine, Clinics and Insurance in 2026
Yellow fever is the only mandatory vaccine for China. What to bring, which hospital to choose and which insurance covers you: the 2026 practical guide.
What to Pack for China in 2026: A Packing List from Documents to Power and Medicine
Passport validity, baggage limits, 220V sockets and China's 3C power-bank rule: what to pack for China, what to leave at home, plus a 72-hour checklist.
Useful Chinese for Travellers: 20 Everyday Phrases, Four Tones and Street Survival Tips
Which phrases to learn, how to learn them fast and whether a wrong tone matters: six universal words, four tones in ten minutes, greetings, street survival phrases, numbers and prices, emergencies, and where English stops working.
Money in China 2026: Exchange Rates, ATMs, Cash Limits and Departure Tax Refunds
How money works in China in 2026: the notes and coins, current exchange rates, where to change money, ATM withdrawal caps and fees, cash limits at the border, and the upgraded departure tax refund.
Leaving China in 2026: New Exit Rules, Customs Declaration and Tax Refunds
China's new exit-and-entry regulation took effect on 15 September 2026. This is the current position on the six-step departure process, the red and green customs channels, cash limits, prohibited exports, the 200-yuan tax refund threshold, and health declaration - plus the five mistakes that stop travellers at the airport.
China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit in 2026: 57 Countries, 65 Ports, 10 Days
Transit visa-free is no longer 72 hours: citizens of 57 countries may enter via 65 ports and stay up to 240 hours in 24 provinces. Four hard conditions, how the clock runs, and three 10-day routes.
China's Public Holidays in 2026: The Dates to Avoid and How to Plan Around Them
China's 2026 holiday calendar, the five windows worth avoiding, the railway booking rules that decide whether you get a seat, daily caps at Jiuzhaigou, and three fallbacks if your dates are fixed.
The Best Time to Visit China: A Region-by-Region and Month-by-Month Guide
China has no single best season. A region-by-region and month-by-month guide, with the 2026 holiday calendar, Jiuzhaigou ticket rules, Tibet permit changes and crowd-dodging tactics.
WeChat Pay for Foreign Visitors: Linking a Card, Paying by QR and Refunds Explained
China runs on QR codes. WeChat Pay now accepts international credit cards — here is the real sequence: sign-up, linking a card, identity checks, the two ways to pay, the 3% fee and the 2026 waivers.
Top 10 Must-Visit Places in China for Foreign Travelers
From the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army to Zhangjiajie and Jiuzhaigou: the 10 places in China most worth your time, with trip length and best season.
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