Top 10 Things to Do and See in Beijing

The fun and best things you can see and do in Beijing are endless. However, you could not afford  it physically and monetarily.

In that spirit, we list the top 10 things to do and see in Beijing which are greatly popularitied and recommended by our customers and real tourists in Beijing.

To save your time online and make the most of your travel plan, here is our best-selling Beijing package tours, and all of the must-sees and must-dos are featured in the trips.

1. Great Wall Tours

'He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man' by Chairman Mao. It is the greatest tourist attraction in the world; greatest human feat in history, and the goal of millions of tourists all over the world. It has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

Great Wall hiking tour is the top one must-do things for any Beijing tour, even China tour.

Related:
* Pick up a pre-ready Beijing Great Wall tour to explore and hike.
* Read more about Beijing Great Wall.

2. Cycling around Beijing

Biking through the streets of Beijing is a cool way to see the city. You can cycle at leisurely pace from site to site, stop for a local lunch, explore old alleys (hutongs) and become one with the Chinese in the bike lane. People chat as they cycle, often carrying oversize loads. Traffic jams will have little effect on you. A bike tour may be the ideal way to get around in Beijing.

Related:
Take a Beijing bike tour to explore the city

3. Explore Old Beijing: Beijing Hutongs

The hutongs are one of the unique features of Beijing, and they can most simply be defined as the old city alleyways. There are thousands of hutongs surrounding the Forbidden City, most of which came into being in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Beijing's hutong culture is a unique gem of Chinese culture. There is much to see, both from the historical and the personal perspective. The hutongs of Beijing reflect the lives of ordinary Beijing people – the opportunity to roam through Beijing's old, narrow hutong streets is understandably attracting more and more overseas visitors.

Related:
* Read more about Beijing hutongs.
* Experience the life of a Siheyuan Beijing.
* Take a Beijing hutong tour from our most popular itineraries. 

4. Modern Beijing Walking Tour

Exploring the commercial center of Beijing by walking through the Wangfujing area, the largest commercial area in Beijing, extending from Dong Chang'an in the south to Wusi Street in the north. The Wangfujing shopping district aims to achieve equal ranking with New York's Fifth Avenue, the Champs-Elysees of Paris and the Ginza in Tokyo. The packed stores in the street selling clothes, tea, shoes, souvenirs, books, hats, etc - you name it, Wangfujing's got it.

Related:
Have a virtual strolling around the Wangfujing area.

5. Walking through the Panjiayuan Market

Panjiayuan antique market is Beijing's most famous antique market, situated west of Panjiayuan bridge and south of the east third ring road. All manner of antiques are on sale on the thousands of market stalls. Paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, jade, furniture, coins, army surplus, "cultural revolution" (1966-76) memorabilia, Buddhist artifacts and much, much more. If you are not an expert, simply wandering around the 40,000 plus stalls is just as much fun!

Related:
* Best markets to buy art and antiques in Beijing.
* Have a virtual shopping tour to Panjiayuan Market.

6. Eat Peking Roast Duck

Beijing Roast Duck is the most famous of all of Beijing culinary dishes, and also is known as one the best dishes in the world. So, a tour to Beijing is not complete without trying this delicious dish. The dish is prized for the thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and a little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook.

The most famous two Beijing Roast Duck restaurants are Quanjude and Made in China.

7. Enjoy Beijing Local Snacks

Beijing has a time-honored history of producing various kinds of snacks. With strong local flavors, Beijing's snacks fall into three varieties: Han, Hui and imperial snacks, which are generally prepared by steaming, deep frying, frying in shallow oil, and rapid boiling. Some people regard the snacks of Beijing as "social fossils." Snack restaurants such as the Longfusi and Huguosi snack counters can now be found all over Beijing.

Related:
A pictorial of Beijing snacks and places to taste them.

8. Watch Kung Fu Show

One of China's most famous exports is the myriad forms of kung fu. Meaning "attainment through effort", kung fu is a western umbrella term that covers many martial arts. See many of them performed by the Shaolin-trained monks who play-fight their way through a mazy plotline filled with impressive stunts such as snapping iron bars over their heads in The Legend of Kung Fu at the Red Theatre - a Vegas-style show with English subtitles.

9. Watching the Peking Opera

With its fascinating and artistic accompanying music, singing and costumes, the Peking Opera is China's national opera. Full of Chinese cultural facts, the opera presents the audience with an encyclopedia of Chinese culture, as well as unfolding stories, beautiful paintings, exquisite costumes, graceful gestures and martial arts.

Since Peking Opera enjoys a higher reputation than other local operas, almost every province in China has more than one Peking Opera troupes. Opera is so popular among Chinese people, especially seniors, that even "Peking Opera Month" has been declared.

10. Relaxing in the Houhai Bars

Houhai is Beijing's newly developed old town of funky nightlife full of small bars and pubs with character. With the glow of lights over the lake Hohai takes on an unreal feeling - this is where Willy Wonka came to party. Most cafes and restaurants are individually owned and have their own unique style and service. Not to say that they don't copy each other's good ideas.

A great place for dinner and then migrate from place to place for drinks. Or a nice stroll with good people watching. A mixture of old Beijing and the modern west, Houhai is worth a look.

Read More:

To What to See in Beijing Page to read more about Beijing attractions.

To Shopping in Beijing Page  to get what to buy and where to buy in Beijing.