Beijing itinerary — 3 days

47-hectare theme park representing different areas of the world, with replicas of famous landmarks.

Hutongs are narrow alleys surrounded by traditional courtyard houses, and they are one of the most distinctive features of old Beijing. Walking through them offers a glimpse into the everyday life of the city and its rich history — a side of Beijing that feels personal, alive, and full of stories. It's the perfect place to stay if you're interested in local culture, vernacular architecture, or how the communities of old Beijing lived. Instead of spending our entire budget and staying at a standard hotel in central Beijing, we decided to stay in the Hutongs (you'll find accommodation recommendations at the end of this post). Essentially, the Hutongs are the suburbs of Beijing where the local residents lived. We really enjoyed staying here, as it gave us an insight into life in Beijing.

The majestic Drum Tower and Bell Tower are inseparable symbols of Beijing. Until roughly a hundred years ago, they served as the city's official timekeepers, announcing curfew and coordinating night watch patrols. Today you can climb both towers to see old-world views, listen to the hourly drum performance, and admire China's largest bell. The Drum Tower was originally built as far back as 1272 for musical purposes and is now a tourist attraction after ceasing to be the city's timekeeper. The nearby Bell Tower houses the largest and heaviest bell in China, weighing a full 63 tons (a.k.a. my weight after eating dumplings). I grouped the Bell and Drum Towers together, as they are located very close to each other, so you can easily visit both.

Peking duck — or Peking roast duck — is considered one of China's national dishes. Once considered worthy of the imperial court in ancient China, Peking duck is still served on important occasions, such as weddings or banquets with important foreign diplomats. The reason eating this dish is so luxurious lies in the very labor-intensive process of its preparation. It is said that you cannot visit Beijing without trying Peking duck. I'm always ready to try new dishes, and this sounded pretty good. On our first night in Beijing, we sat in a Chinese restaurant with Mom and Valerie and ordered our Peking duck.

14th-century Confucian temple with grounds including monumental pavilions, gates & carvings.

Prince Gong Mansion (Gongwangfu), near Beijing's Shichahai lakes, is the best-preserved Qing dynasty princely residence in China. Originally built in 1777 for the official Heshen, it became the estate of Prince Gong in 1851. Covering 60,000 square metres, the property features grand siheyuan courtyards, an exquisite classical garden with rockeries and pavilions, and the sacred 'Fu' stele inscribed by Emperor Kangxi.

If you want to bring back exclusive souvenirs from your trip to Beijing, this antique market is the place to visit. Stretching just over 750 meters, this street offers everything: antique coins, books, stamps, paintings, ink stones, and much more. Its picturesque corners are also home to wine shops, tea houses, and restaurants. Among the hundreds of hutongs in Beijing, Liulichang Cultural Street is a must-visit, especially if you are interested in Chinese art. As you stroll along these narrow paths, you will see painted fans, calligraphy paintings, and even old Chinese records for sale in the shops.

Free, massive (2.2 million-sq.-ft.) museum of Chinese history & art with more than 1 million relics.

Although it is located in isolation along the North Third Ring Road, this Qing dynasty temple is worth a detour to admire its main attraction, the enormous Yongle Bell...

One of China's oldest zoos, opened in 1906 on the grounds of a former imperial garden west of central Beijing. Across 86 hectares of ponds and classical-style pavilions live hundreds of species; the main stars are the giant pandas in their own Panda House. The grounds also hold the historic Changguanlou mansion favoured by Empress Dowager Cixi, and the Beijing Aquarium on a separate ticket.

The Beijing National Aquatics Center, popularly known as the Water Cube, is a landmark of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing's Olympic Green. Its distinctive facade evokes a structure of soap bubbles, engineered from translucent ETFE membrane pillows that glow with dazzling lights at dusk. The venue saw 25 world records broken in 2008 and was successfully transformed into the Ice Cube for curling at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Expansive walkway built for the 2008 Olympics & showcasing contemporary stadiums & many sculptures.

The 'Garden of Gardens', the Qing emperors' residence burned by Anglo-French troops in 1860. Hundreds of hectares once held palaces, pagodas and European-style pavilions with fountains. Today it is a quiet memorial park: the ruins of a stone maze and columns in the Western Mansions zone hint at the former splendour, and a large-scale model shows the garden as it looked at its height.