If you decide to visit Asia and get acquainted with its unique culture, then our useful guide will certainly come in handy. Especially for you, we have collected the most necessary information about Beijing for independent tourists, useful tips and tricks. Beijing is an amazing city, here everyone will discover something new. It will certainly conquer you from the first day of your stay. Here you can stroll through the most beautiful parks, have a picnic by the lake, spend an evening in an authentic bar, taste delicious dishes and just enjoy the local flavor. You definitely can't go wrong if you go to Beijing in spring or autumn. Of course, the city can also be visited in the summer, but keep in mind that for many at this time it will seem too stuffy and not very comfortable for long walks. Winter holidays are also possible in Beijing, but it may not work to make colorful and beautiful photos. Many discourage a trip to Beijing when the Chinese New Year is celebrated here, frightening with crowds of tourists, but, as practice shows, at this time you can have a great rest here without any discomfort. A nice bonus – various additional discounts in stores.

How to get to Beijing on your own

The easiest way, of course, is by plane. It is convenient to get there without transfers by an Aeroflot flight. The flight from Moscow will take 7.5 hours, back a little longer. You can also make a flight with transfers by buying tickets for Turkish airlines, Azal, China Southern Airlines, Finnair, but this is less comfortable and more expensive.

Visa

If you purchase a ready-made tour, then you should not worry about a visa. The travel agency will take care of the arrangements. If you are traveling on your own, you can obtain a visa at the Consulate or Visa Application Centre. To obtain a visa, you must prepare the following documents:

You will also need to make a payment in the amount of 4,400 rubles. Processing time 5 working days. If you need to get a visa faster, then it will cost more. It is possible to issue a visa in one day for 9,900 rubles.

The address of the China Visa Center: Moscow, st. 1st Kadashevsky per., 13, building 1, floor 2.

How to get around in Beijing

The most convenient way is, of course, the subway. The fare is two yuan. So, without any problems and traffic jams, you can easily get from one end of the city to the other. For convenience, we recommend downloading the application with the metro map, it will definitely come in handy. Keep in mind that avoiding a large number of people during rush hours is definitely impossible, so try to choose a more suitable time for traveling on the subway.

How to get from the airport to the center

There are several possible options. One of the most convenient is the Aeroexpress, the route of which passes through the 2nd and 3rd terminals, as well as the Dongzhimen and Sanyuanqiao subway stations. Aeroexpress will deliver tourists to the city without any problems from 6 am to 11 pm. The fare is 25 yuan. Do not rush to throw away the ticket, as you will need it when you exit. If you arrive late at night, we recommend taking a taxi. For travel from the airport to the city, you will pay about 100 yuan. Keep in mind that you will have to stand in line.

Of course, private traders will offer their services to you, but we strongly recommend that you refuse them. In order to avoid problems with the driver, prepare a note written in hieroglyphs in advance with the right address, since local taxi drivers are not doing well with any foreign languages. Another option is to print a hotel business card from the site. The Internet is here to help you. The cheapest way to get from the airport to the city is by bus. The trip will cost you approximately 1 to 3 yuan. The only obstacle may be the language barrier if you do not know the exact stop or route. In general, in order not to get lost and not to train the language of gestures and facial expressions on local residents, we recommend that you find out in advance which route you need, the bus number, and the name of the stop.

Where to stay

tourism.com.de recommends the following hotels:

Where to eat. Trying the local cuisine

For more information on local venues, visit CityWeekend or TheBeijinger. We can advise you to look into one interesting bar – Beetle In a Box. Original interior, good service, fragrant coffee and delicious sandwiches are guaranteed. There is a choice of stronger drinks. Address: Jiaodaokou, 交道口. Bldg 4, 24 Jiaodaokou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District, 东城区4号楼24号.

Not far from this bar there is another great place – Alba Café. Finding it is not difficult, you just need to go a little further in the same direction. Here you will be offered very tasty dishes. You will certainly appreciate the interior of this establishment and attentive service. In addition, the cafe has Wi-Fi.

If you are thinking about where to spend the evening and dine, then we recommend stopping by one of the most popular places in Beijing – F1 First Floor. Address: Ground Floor, Tongli Studios, Sanlitun Beixiaojie, Chaoyang district, 朝阳区三里屯北小街同里大厦一层. It is especially nice to visit this place on Monday, because on this day there is a 50% discount on the entire menu. Free Wi-Fi is provided for customers of the establishment.

For picky and thrifty tourists, we recommend trying delicious dishes in local chifanki. These are small Chinese restaurants. Of course, you will not see starched napkins and china cups here, but you can definitely eat on a budget and very hearty. Portions in chifanki are always huge and various nice “buns” are often offered: free snacks, beer, etc.

If you need something quick to eat between sightseeing, then you should definitely try the overton, which you can buy near the metro. You can also buy sweet pancakes, a tortilla with herbs and ham from a seller with a trolley, exotic lovers can try fried scorpions on a skewer. As for sweets, we definitely recommend trying hawthorn berries in sugar syrup. Also in Beijing, you can always find familiar and familiar food at Pizza Hut or, for example, at KFC. In general, you will definitely not stay hungry in Beijing.

First day

Sightseeing usually starts from Tiananmen Square. It is a kind of starting point. Its unique feature is its size. It is the largest in the world. But this is where tourists run into scams. Be vigilant and do not deceive yourself if someone shows a special friendliness to your person.

National Theater

Near the square is another popular attraction – the national theater. If you missed a performance, don't be discouraged. In any case, you need to go in, because inside there is something to see and there is something to admire.

forbidden city

Now is the time to visit the Forbidden City. What is it that attracts tourists so much? Of course, the scale and the opportunity to see the unique architecture with your own eyes. Of course, because of the crowds of tourists, it is quite difficult to get to the windows of the imperial chambers, but you should definitely look in.

Hotels near the Forbidden City:

Beihai and Jingshan Park

If you walk north of the Forbidden City, you will find yourself in Beihai Park, and Jingshan Park is also very close. We recommend visiting both, because, for example, in Beihai Park you can enjoy peace and tranquility. Jingshan Park offers unique attractions. In addition, in this park you can see the place where the emperor committed suicide.

Second day

Qingyyuan Park

Today, you can spend time exploring Qingyyuan Park, known as the Summer Imperial Palace. We recommend that you go there as early as possible, since already around ten o'clock it is simply not overcrowded here and it is rather problematic to appreciate the beauty of the place. The easiest way to get to the place is by metro. You need line 4, Beigongmen station. This park has hardly changed since the reign of Emperor Qianlong and is divided into three zones to this day. In the first of them you can see the palace buildings located near the Eastern Gate. In the second zone, there is the tower of Fosyange, which rises on the southern slope of the Mountain of Longevity. The third zone is located behind the mountain and is notable for the fact that Suzhou Canal Street was restored here not so long ago.

Garden of Perfection and Purity

Not far from Qingyyuan Park is the Garden of Perfection and Purity. Here you can take a leisurely walk and enjoy the beauty of lakes and hills. You can also see the ruins of palaces here.

The third day

Sky Temple

Today you can visit the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan), which includes a complex of buildings and a park area. This complex is open for visitors from 9 am to 4 pm. The entrance fee for one person is 15 yuan. If you plan to visit the temples located in the park, you will need to pay an additional 20 yuan.

You can get to the place by metro. You need line 5, Tantandongmen stop. In the Temple of Heaven, be sure to take a photo of the blue tiles, watch the calligraphy masters, make sure that the Echo Wall really works, experiment with the Heavenly Soul Stone.

National Bolshoi Theater

Today you can also visit the National Bolshoi Theatre, which is unlike any other theater in the world. Over 50 years of work on the development of the project and the result is simply amazing. The author of the project was the French architect Paul André. Unusual architecture is a distinctive feature of this building.

Even if you are not a fan of theatrical art, you will find something to do here. Restaurants and shops are open to visitors at the National Bolshoi Theater. The entrance ticket costs 30 yuan. To get to the place, use the subway. You need the first line, Tiananmen West station.

Fourth day

Zoo

Today, you can spend an exciting time in one of the largest zoos in China, founded in 1906. Almost 15 thousand representatives of the fauna live here. On the territory of the zoo there are ponds and lakes built at the end of the Qing Dynasty. The Big Panda House deserves special attention, where the most popular mammals live, including the unique giant panda. You can get to the zoo by subway line 4, Beijing Zoo Station.

ancient observatory

Another attraction in Beijing that certainly deserves attention is the Ancient Observatory. Today it represents a thematic museum, which presents ancient exhibits – astronomical equipment. The observatory was built in 1442. If you take the subway, then you need the first and second lines, Jianguomen Station.

metro line 8

Also devote time to Metro Line 8 (Olympic Branch Line), the opening of which was timed to coincide with the Olympics, which took place in Beijing in 2008. You can visit the Bird's Nest National Stadium and the Water Cube National Swimming Center, which currently has a water park.

The fifth day

Art Zone 798

Today we recommend visiting another unique place – Art Zone 798 (Dashanzi Art District). On the territory you can visit various exhibitions, which are often updated. Previously, visiting the Art Zone was absolutely free, today, for the most part, an entrance fee is required.

It is noteworthy that there used to be a factory on this territory, so galleries and expositions are located right in the workshops of abandoned buildings. The easiest way to get to the gallery is by taxi, as the metro does not pass to this object. Get off at Lianmaqiao station, which is on the tenth line, catch a taxi and show the address: 大山子798艺术区.

Sixth day

The great Wall of China

Today we are going to visit the Great Wall of China. The easiest way to get to the place is to buy a tour, which is sold in almost all hotels. You will be able to get to the sights you need in comfort and without any problems. Another option is to take a tour bus that leaves early in the morning from Tiananmen or Xuanwumen. Buy a ticket and get ready for an exciting excursion. The most courageous tourists who are not afraid of difficulties can get to Badaling on their own by buying a ticket for the train that leaves from the northern station.

An important point, if you decide to buy excursions, then choose a section of the Mutianyu wall, as many hours of traffic jams await you on the way to Badaling. Also, do not count on a tour in English and, especially, in Russian. The story is told exclusively in Chinese. Stock up on a light snack, as all snacks near the tourist site are very expensive. Before you go for a tour, remember the number of the bus on which you arrived and check the exact time of the meeting with the guide.

Seventh day. shopping

You can bargain and buy copies from the collections of famous brands at the Silk Market. If you are told the cost of a thing, then you can safely divide it by 10. In general, you can have a lot of fun here.

If you need interesting souvenirs for relatives, friends or colleagues, then head to Nanluoguxiang. Here you will definitely find something interesting. If you wish, we recommend taking a walk to the Houhai bar street, it is not far away. Here you can combine shopping and walking with sightseeing. Since the place is touristic, the prices are correspondingly higher than in other places. If you want to save money, then you can go to hutongs for a snack. The food here is no less delicious. If you want to buy interesting souvenirs made of stone or porcelain, ivory or bamboo, wood, antiques, then go to Liulichang Street.

Prefer exquisite silk products? The stores you need are located on Xiushui Road. Brand items in Beijing can be bought on Xidan Street. Beijing markets deserve special attention. Tourists will be interested in five markets. Wangfujing Market, which is essentially a shopping street and located near the Forbidden City, offers tourists branded products in various boutiques, souvenirs, bookstores. We recommend coming here in the late afternoon. It is at this time that the “food alley” opens here, where you can taste freshly prepared exotic skewers, for example, from scorpions. You can also combine walking and shopping with a visit to the Chinese theater, the entrance to which is free for everyone.

To get to Xiushuijie Silk Market, you need to take the subway to Yonganli Station. The market itself is located in a multi-storey building, where mostly only tourists buy, as the prices here are very high. There will be no language barrier with merchants, as they all speak English. Bargaining on the price here is unlikely to succeed, for the most part it is fixed. You can buy similar goods as in the Xiushuijie market, but only more affordable, and in terms of quality, you can at the Yasiu (Yashou) shichang market. We take the subway to Dongsishitiao station.

A must-see for all shopaholics is the Hongqiao Shichang Pearl Market. Here are the most reasonable prices and good quality goods. Another popular market in Beijing is Yabaolu. Here you can buy all the goods that you see in shopping centers in Russia. This place is popular among Russian tourists because only here you can easily exchange rubles for dollars, and all sellers speak Russian. The prices will also please you.

Where to go in Beijing at night

The main advice to all tourists is not to try strong alcoholic drinks in clubs, as they are of very low quality in Beijing. Even familiar high-end whiskey brands do not guarantee original content. In general, there is a high risk of running into burnt alcohol. One exception is the Mao Mao Chong bar. It is cozy, tasty food and carefully monitor the reputation, I offer only high-quality alcohol. The interior of the bar is decorated with paintings, which are painted by the owner of the establishment. He and his wife can often be found at the bar. They will offer you high quality service, attentive attitude and branded tincture.

If you want to spend an evening with a glass of excellent beer, then we recommend that you look into the Great Leap bar on Gongti. If you believe the reviews, then the most delicious beer in Beijing is brewed here. If you like live music and noisy company, then go to Salud in the evening. Here you will definitely not be bored.