# 3 days in Beijing: an itinerary day by day

> Three days in Beijing: the palace, the Wall and the temples. Day one: the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, the hutongs and Houhai. Day two: the Great Wall at Mutianyu. Day three: the temples — the Temple of Heaven with its round Hall of Prayer, the working Tibetan Lama Temple with its 18 m Maitreya, the Confucius Temple and Imperial Academy, and the pedestrian hutong of Nanluoguxiang in the evening.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/in-3-days

## Day 1

1. [Forbidden City](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/forbidden-city.md) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h 30 min · ¥40 Nov–Mar, ¥60 Apr–Oct
   Lunch break, about 1 h
   ↓ 22 min by transport
2. [Beijing hutongs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-hutongs.md) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; rickshaw about ¥100–200
   ↓ 16 min on foot
3. [Houhai Lake and Shichahai](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/houhai-lake.md) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free

Total with walks: 8 h 8 min

## Day 2

1. [Great Wall at Mutianyu](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-wall-mutianyu.md) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥40–45 entry; cable car ¥100–140

Total with walks: 4 h

## Day 3

1. [Temple of Heaven](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/temple-of-heaven.md) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · ¥10–15, ¥28–34 with halls
   ↓ 33 min by transport
2. [Nanluoguxiang](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/nanluoguxiang.md) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, open 24 hours
   Lunch break, about 1 h
   ↓ 19 min by transport
3. [Confucius Temple and Imperial Academy](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-confucius-temple.md) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥30, one ticket with the Guozijian
   ↓ 5 min on foot
4. [Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/lama-temple.md) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥25, booked in WeChat

Total with walks: 7 h 12 min

## How the three days work

The first two days are the 2-day itinerary. Day three starts at the Temple of Heaven in the south, then heads north: the Lama Temple and Confucius Temple are five minutes apart, and Nanluoguxiang is close by.

Remove any stop with the cross or drag it with ≡, and add another one nearby — the times recalculate.

## The Temple of Heaven

The park opens at 6:00, when locals come for tai chi, dancing and singing. The park is 10–15 yuan, 28–34 with the three main halls. The halls open Tuesday–Sunday from 8:00, last entry 17:00.

## Is 3 days in Beijing enough?

Yes, for the highlights. With more time, the [Summer Palace](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-summer-palace) and the ruins of the [Old Summer Palace](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/old-summer-palace) make a half day in the north-west; the [798 Art Zone](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/798-art-zone) has galleries in old factory halls. [Xi'an](https://yesgo.io/china/xian) is 4.5–6 hours by high-speed train.

## Tips

- Be at the Temple of Heaven at opening — the morning park life is the point.
- The Lama Temple is a working monastery: keep quiet, no flash.
- Many museums and parks in China admit visitors only with a passport booking — via WeChat, the website or a mini-app, usually 1–7 days ahead. Carry your passport.
- China runs on Alipay and WeChat Pay — link a foreign card before you go; keep some cash yuan as a backup.
- Keep a metro map and a translator app offline on your phone.

## Questions

### What is a good 3-day Beijing itinerary?

The Forbidden City and hutongs; the Great Wall; the Temple of Heaven, Lama Temple, Confucius Temple and Nanluoguxiang.

### Is 3 days in Beijing enough?

Yes for the highlights. The Summer Palace needs another half day.

### How much is the Temple of Heaven?

Park 10–15 yuan, with halls 28–34.

### How much is the Lama Temple?

About 25 yuan, bought on WeChat with your passport.

### When is the Confucius Temple open?

Tuesday–Sunday 9:00–17:00; closed Mondays.

### How much do three days cost?

About 300–400 yuan in tickets with the Wall cable car, plus transport.

### Is it good with kids?

Yes; day three is a lot of walking but with short hops.

### Where to go after Beijing?

Xi'an for the Terracotta Army or Shanghai — 4.5–6 hours by train.

### When is the best time?

Spring and autumn.

### How do I pay in Beijing?

China runs on Alipay and WeChat Pay — link a foreign card before you go; keep some cash yuan as a backup.

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