Best places to stay:
Beijing, China
|The nicest of Beijing’s few youth hostels, this welcoming little place is big on boutique charm. Neat, spotless rooms – dorms or twins – adjoin a cafe restaurant reserved for guests and filled to the brim with fresh flowers.
Calm and serene (it’s not a place to party). Peking Station Hostel would suit solo female travellers and couples on a budget. Staff are clued-up and helpful; they’ll even walk you to the subway.
The hostel is a ten-minute walk from Beijing’s main train station, and twice that to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, making it a decent budget base for the central sights.
Peking Station Hostel is far enough away from the actual station to escape its slightly shabby orbit. The property’s immediate surroundings are safe and quiet, comprising a few low-rise, old-fashioned buildings amid more modern urban development.
In a few minutes you can walk to Beijing’s main east-west thoroughfare, Chang’an Dajie, which dissects Tiananmen Square and the main entrance to the Forbidden City.
For dining and shopping, Wangfujing is around 15 minutes away by foot.
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Bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Beijing, China[1.9 miles]
Overlooked by a giant portrait of Mao Zedong, this vast and politically-sensitive public space sits at the very heart of modern China, both literally and symbolically.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Beijing, China[2.4 miles]
A magnificent and unique 15th-century complex of imperial palaces that served as the home of Chinese emperors for 500 years. Beijing’s must-see attraction.
Best for ages: 13+ | £6
Beijing, China[2.7 miles]
Once a site for esoteric imperial rites, this marvellous complex of temples, altars and pavilions is set in a sprawling grove of knotted cypress trees. One of Beijing’s must-see sights.
Best for ages: 13+ | £2
Beijing, China[2.8 miles]
Beijing’s best park is also one of its only central hills, offering inspiring views of the Forbidden City. It’s also where elderly locals come to sing, dance and let off steam.
Best for ages: 13+ | £3
Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest, closest first
Beijing, China[1.3 miles]
A fantastic array of arcane astronomical contraptions, cast in bronze and carved with writhing dragons, can be seen at this museum on the site of a Chinese observatory formerly built into Beijing’s mighty city walls.
Best for ages: 13+ | £2
Beijing, China[1.5 miles]
The only remaining trace of Beijing’s city wall is a pleasant spot for a stroll through history. Be sure to explore the imposing southeast corner watchtower attached, the site of a famous battle in 1900.
Best for ages: 13+ | £5
Beijing, China[1.6 miles]
The National Museum of China contains a humongous cache of bronzes, ceramics, Buddhist art and jade dating back through the dynasties. The bombastic ‘Road to Rejuvenation’ exhibition traces China’s rise from the 1840-42 Opium War with Britain to the country’s 21st century space programme.
Best for ages: 13+ | £5
Beijing, China[1.9 miles]
Visitors line up in droves to shuffle past Mao’s embalmed corpse, on display in a mausoleum in the middle of Tiananmen Square. Guards keep the crowds moving through to the gift shop full of Mao-themed souvenirs.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Destination guides including or relevant to this place to stay
China
A burgeoning megacity with one foot in the past, Beijing is a marvellous melange of UNESCO-listed heritage buildings set within an ever-more tech-forward cityscape. Come for the culture, the people, and of course the food.
