Exploring Beijing Tourist Attractions

We had a total of three nights in Beijing. It was luxury with time this round with the tour where not every day a rush to get to the next destination. While we reach Beijing fairly late on the first night, we had two full free days to explore Beijing.

Beijing Summer Place Entry Ticket Booth

Beijing Summer Palace

The first day morning was spent exploring the Summer Palace and after a quick lunch, afternoon was spend exploring the Forbidden City. Although most of us started out together in the Summer Palace, I lost everyone halfway in and was just walking alone to explore the place.

While we met up again at the Summer Palace Exit, it was clear that this group had no qualms to split and explore independently. Hence other than the first day crossing the border, we barely see everyone at the same time. 

Beijing Summer Palace

Beijing Summer Palace 

Tourist Resting at Beijing Summer Palace 

I ended up starting the Forbidden palace with John and Abrar then somehow bumped into Yassine, Andres, Joe, Steppi & Lukas but very quickly inside we all split again and that was how our Beijing excursion would be.

I finished the forbidden city and waited for Tsevtan at a cafe and after we all gathered back for a hot pot dinner or at least most of us.

The Forbidden Palace - Beijing

The Forbidden Palace - Beijing

Forbidden Palace - Beijing

Second free day in Beijing and I had to do chores. Morning was laundry and then a quick lunch with John before heading out on my own. I think everyone spend the day on their own today doing their own thing. I headed for the temple of heaven seeing the sights and just walking around.

Unexpectedly, I took nearly three hours exploring the Temple of Heaven and its surrounding compound. By the time I left it was already closing time (5pm) and I decided there was time for a quick exploration of Beijing Hutong Street.

Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven

I was in one of the least popular hutong riding a bicycle just exploring the eerily empty narrow streets when I got a message from Tsevtan to meet up. He was fairly near, so I continued exploring the Hutong along the way while he grabbed a bicycle to head my way as well.

We visited Dashilan Hutong and the surrounding mostly and the Hutong’s could be super touristy or super bland depending on the parts explored. It was definitely worth just letting instinct guide us to wander around going into dark alleys and then popping out into tourist pedestrian street before droning into another alley and emerging into some modern and massive pedestrian street that linked up to Tiananmen Square.

A random Hutong in Beijing

A random Hutong in Beijing

A random Hutong in Beijing

Darshilan Pedestrian Street - Beijing

What felt like a luxury at first having three nights in Beijing quickly turn out to be a very short time in Beijing. Short as it was I think I won’t be returning to Beijing anytime soon. It’s a weird feeling I think for Beijing since there is so much things to do and see in Beijing but at the same time it did not feel like those places that will keep on making you astonished day after day.

Interesting things to see and do every day yes but not a place that would give me a feeling of never enough. I have seen the main sights in Beijing, and it would last me a while I suppose.

Zheng Yang Men Jian Lou

Qianmen Pedestrian Street

Qianmen Pedestrian Street 

Travelled on: Nov 2024