In this post, I’ll tell you all about how I managed to fit in some of Beijing’s best bits in a day. Keep reading if you’re interested in finding out how to visit the Great Wall of China, Summer Palace, Nanluogoxiang and still have some downtime to yourself.
Morning Time
First of all, I got up at 5:30am to be ready for the driver to pick me up at 6am. The driver cost 700RMB but you’re paying for a car and there is an 800RMB minivan option. ‘Go to the Great Wall’ are a well-known husband and wife duo in Beijing. They have little to no-English but great enthusiasm and kindness! You can ccan the QR code below to chat with them on WeChat.
It was 7:20am when I arrived at the Mutianyu Great Wall and my entry ticket and shuttle bus cost 60RMB. You can be taken to other parts of the wall but this one suited me. There is also an open cable car up and toboggan ticket you can get for 140RMB. The open cable car is great but make sure your pockets are empty, your backpack is at the front and you’re ready to move on and off the seats fast. You can also hike up and down.
The wall is nothing less of spectacular and I got there just after 8am. It wasn’t too hot and I had several moments where I had parts of the wall entirely to myself. Most tour groups arrive at 9am. I went on a Monday so it wasn’t too busy but I’m sure closer to the weekend and during peak season it will be even more crowded.
Also, if you’re planning to walk a lot of it, be prepared to sweat and choose shoes with a good grip. Some parts are steep both up and down. If it rains, it could be dangerous. That said, the air was incredibly clean, a big win for anyone who knows air pollution in China!
When I was coming down from the Great Wall, I haggled a 45RMB coffee down to 20RMB. I also brought a packed lunch which I would recommend doing. There’s also a Burger King at Mutianyu Great Wall if you decide to visit it!
Still Morning Time
I got back down to the main entrance for about 10:20am. Tobogganing will get you down quickly if there is no queue. From there, I went straight to the Summer Palace, which used to be my favourite tourist attraction in Beijing but I think the Great Wall has overtaken it. It’s about an hour away if there’s no traffic.
Entry to the Summer Palace was 30RMB and you can get an audio guide with 7 languages available for 40RMB with a 50RMB deposit. I’ve never seen the Summer Palace without crowds but it’s well worth a visit and a great place to walk about and explore. A lot of the interiors are not open since Covid and the ‘buy/sell street’ is also closed. It’s still worth a trip.
Mid-Afternoon
I was done by 3pm and got the subway from Beigongmen (line 4) back to Nanluogoxiang (line 6 -change at Ping’anli) which was about 40mins away. Once you get out of the subway you can walk along the main street and admire the hutongs. This is another street that I have never seen without crowds.
Then, as I hadn’t eaten properly all day, I took a trip to Cafe Zarah for some food and drink. This cafe is pretty popular with foreigners in Beijing with a few locals sprinkled in as well for good measure.They have nice food and a long corridor with tables and chairs. The partially open ceiling was a nice touch on such a sunny day. To be honest, if Beijing had a laptop club, they met here. When I arrived, almost every table had someone with their back against the wall and their eyes glued to their laptops.
Late Afternoon
After that, I took a Hello Bike (the blue and white ones) down towards Wangfujing Shopping Street which has undergone some changes since I was last there. The Wangfujing snack street with scorpions, etc. has been cleared completely but most of the major brands still have shops with massive billboards imposed on you down the street. It’s the perfect place if you want to buy anything though as all the major brands are there along one street.
I had just enough time there to browse quickly before taking the subway one more time to Shuangjing to catch up with some old friends for the evening. Take line 1 at Wangfujing and change at Guomao line 10. Shuangjing is popular with locals but it’s also a very busy area and rush hour subways in Beijing are insanely hectic.
Wrapping Up
In summary, it can be done! You can get around to see some of Beijing’s best bits in a day with a bit of planning, patience and let’s be honest, the money for a private driver. I hope that you liked my post and I hope you’ll read a few more in the future.
