Imperial Palaces, Microbrews, and Dumplings: The 4-day Weekend in Beijing

Beijing Travel Guide: Where to Stay

As we mentioned, Beijing is super spread out; so it makes sense to stay near the Forbidden City, which is about as central as you can get. You’ll find plenty of mid-range hotels there, like the Jingshan Garden Hotel, pictured, although the area is more touristy than outer neighborhoods and a little deserted at night.

If you’re OK being just a little out of the way (and don’t mind navigating the winding alleyways to find your accommodations), the hutongs of Doncheng North are home to numerous courtyard hotels that’ll give you a taste of what it’s really like to live in Beijing (161 Lama Temple Courtyard Hotel has a prime location near some of the coolest streets in the city).

And if you’re there for the nightlife, you’ll want to rest your head (or not) in Sanlitun, which, for all it lacks in history, makes up for in shopping, bars, and restaurants. The boutique Opposite House Hotel is smack in the middle of it all.

Beijing does have an excellent, easy-to-navigate subway system—even for non-English speakers—and it’s the best way to get around, thanks to the nonstop traffic caused by the sheer amount of people in the city. So even if you end up in outlying areas, like Dongcheng South or Xicheng, you’ll still be close enough to the action.

Thursday: A Taste of the Local Cuisine

Evening: You’re going to be jet-lagged, so stay close to home: Dongcheng Central is the heart of historic Beijing, where pointed tips of imperial palaces peek out over the criss-crossing hutongs. Grab dinner at Little Yunnan, where the rustic decor and tables tucked into the eaves make it feel like you’ve stumbled on a hidden local spot. The kitchen serves up dishes from south China, which you can wash down with local beers. For “dessert” (or just for the Instagram opp), head about three-quarters of a mile south to Wangfujing Snack Street, a pedestrian alleyway filled with stalls offering all kinds of delicacies, including skewers of still-moving scorpions, cockroaches, and spiders.   

Friday: Pints and the Forbidden City

Morning: You can’t go to Beijing and not visit Tiananmen Square, the site of the 1989 pro-democracy protests. While impressive for its size, there’s not much to see there (although thousands of domestic tourists visit the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall in the center of the square each day). Do a lap to take in the Gate of Heavenly Peace, a part of the Imperial City Wall that dates back to the 15th century (it’s most famous for the giant portrait of Chairman Mao in the middle of it), then cross over into the Forbidden City. Make sure to grab breakfast and snacks somewhere beforehand; this area doesn’t offer much in the way of eating.

Afternoon: The Forbidden City is worth dedicating a major chunk of time to: 24 emperors lived here over 500 years, and it’s the world’s largest palace complex with 980 buildings. It can be a little overwhelming, but you’ll definitely want to stop and appreciate the Gate of Supreme Harmony, in front of which there’s a courtyard that can hold 100,000 people (it’ll feel like there are that many, too). As you work your way through the following Three Great Halls, pay attention to period details—like the copper water vats, guardian lions, and dragon-head spouts. You’ll wrap up in the Imperial Garden, full of cypress trees and small, intricate pavilions, and can even take a stroll along the top of the north wall before popping out of the North Gate.

Evening: When you leave the Forbidden City, you’ll be a short walk from Beihai Park, home to the former palace of the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan. It’s a great spot for people watching or temple spotting, but if you’re all walked out, you can cut through to the Xicheng North district. This neighbood, at the top of the park, is full of bars and restaurants. You can eat pho and poutine at 4Corners, donkey meat at Wang Pangzi, or roast duck at Kao Rou Ji. Then grab a pint at NBeer Pub, one of the few all-Chinese microbreweries in Beijing, and wander the Houhai bar strip, which you’ll find by the sheer amount of neon lights and karaoke bars. 

Saturday: Street Art and Structural Splendors

Morning: Every city has a hipster arts area, and Beijing is no exception. Start your day by roaming the galleries, cafés, and boutiques in the 798 Arts District. The Xin Dong Cheng Space for Contemporary Art is a great spot to discover up-and-coming Chinese artists, while Danish gallery Faurschou Foundation Beijing has hosted big names like Ai Wei Wei and Yoko Ono. If you’re not into gallery hopping, there are a ton of public installations and street art, too (FYI: The best graffiti area is right behind 798 Live House). Plus, you can take in the whole scene from above while walking the raised footpath through the factory roofs. 

Afternoon: Once you’ve gotten your fill of art, grab lunch at the nearby Baoyan Dumpling Restaurant—they serve them in three colors!—before heading back to Dongcheng North for more sightseeing. If you start at Drum & Bell Square, you can hike up the Bell Tower (it has better views than the Drum Tower across the square) to check out the 600-year-old bell. Then, weave your way through the hutongs to Great Leap Brewing, Beijing’s original microbrewery, or Arrow Factory Taproom, another tiny backyard brewery. You could get lost in the hutongs for hours, but pull yourself out to head over to the Lama Temple, one of the most incredible Buddhist structures outside of Tibet. 

Evening: You’ve got two options here: Across from the Lama Temple, you’ll find some of the coolest hutongs in Beijing. Wudaoying Hutong feels like you just teleported to Williamsburg, thanks to its twinkly lights, hipster coffee shops, and plant stores. But just south, you’ll find Gui Jie, or Ghost Street, which is home to countless Chinese seafood and hot pot restaurants—it gets crazy crowded, but you’ll fare just fine in any one of the restaurants lining the street (some even have picture menus for non-Chinese speakers). 

You have to end the night at Capital Spirits, Beijing’s first baijiu bar. Baijiu is a seriously hard liquor (mostly used during ceremonial events) that tastes like nail polish remover or fermented licorice, depending on the strain. Be warned: A tasting of four mini shots will get you drunk. The bar is hard to find, tucked down a hutong right next to people’s residences, so the term “speak easy” very literally applies here—but the hunt is worth the work.  

Sunday: Dumplings and a Trip to Heaven

Morning: If you can handle it, wake up early to avoid the lines at the Temple of Heaven Park, one of the most beautiful sites in Beijing. This is where the Chinese emperors used to come to for divine guidance—the stunning Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Round Altar, and Imperial Vault of Heaven are all cosmological, astrological, and numerological masterpieces, and the entire park is perfectly aligned to the points of a compass. There are also some fun acoustic properties to the complex, which you can really only experience when it’s at its most empty.  

Afternoon: Catch a cab over to Dashilar, where some of the city’s oldest and most prestigious shops (like Ruifuxang, a famous silk store) are still open for business. You’ll enter through Qianmen Dajie, which looks like a Disney-fied version of old Beijing, but things feel more natural once you turn onto Dazhalan Jie. Grab a matcha ice cream and take in the sights, or stop for a snack at any of the many street vendors lining the sides of the road. Keep an eye out for Liulichang Dongjie, where there’s prime antique shopping.

Evening: Before you go home, go big: First, gorge on dumplings one last time at Goubuli, where you can choose from eight different fillings, including prawn and crab. Then catch a Peking opera performance at Huguang Guild Hall or the Liyuan Theatre, or watch a foreign or Chinese musical at the futuristic-looking Tianqiao Performing Arts Center.