How to Visit Beijing in Two Days

If you have two full days for sightseeing in Beijing, here is the quick guide to your tour arrangement.

For the second day, we suggest you have a full day excursion to the most beautiful sections of the Great Wall – Mutianyu Great Wall  and the mysterious Dingling  (one of the 13 imperial tombs in Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644).

1. Mutianyu Great Wall

Hiking the Great Wall of China is one of not-missed activities for the first-time tourists coming to Beijing China. Mutianyu Great Wall is one of the most beautiful sections of the Great Wall around Beijing.

Taking a taxi to Mutianyu Great Wall from downtown Beijing costs you around RMB 500. If you are price sensitive, you may go to the Dongzhimen Bus Station for one and half hour bus ride to Huairou District, then connect a local small bus or taxi to Mutianyu Great Wall.

2. Ming Tombs

Though listed as the site of UNESCO world cultural heritage, it is always controversial whether Ming Tombs should be included or not in travel plan when people make their maiden trips to Beijing.

My suggestion is that, if you do have extra 2-3 hour during your stay in Beijing, visiting Ming Tombs is quite worthwhile though there still many travelers don’t choose Ming Toms on their first time visit in Beijing.

The fact is that everyday there are a great number of traveler coming to the Ming Tombs to explore the stories and artifacts behind these imperial tombs.

Only one of the 13 Ming Tombs has been excavated. It is formally named “Dingling” and nicknamed “Underground Palace”. Another Tomb often visited is called Changling, not far from Dinging.

The Dingling (underground palace) and Changling are located in Changping District, 50km north of Beijing downtown.

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for Beijing guided tours:

Further Readings