- Great Wall at MutianyuHistoric
Less crowded section with cable car and toboggan options
- Great Wall at BadalingHistoric
Most popular and accessible section near Beijing
- Forbidden CityHistoric
Vast palace complex with ornate architecture and courtyards
- Jingshan Park ViewpointViewpoints
Hill overlooking Forbidden City; best sunset views of palaces
- Temple of HeavenReligious sites
Stunning circular architecture in sprawling park with ritual sites
- Summer PalaceParks
Lakeside imperial retreat with bridges, temples and summer landscape
- Ming Tombs ComplexHistoric
Sacred way with sculpture avenue and imperial burial mounds
- Traditional Hutong AlleywaysHistoric
Narrow traditional lanes with gray-brick houses and courtyard life
- Lama TempleReligious sites
Active Buddhist temple with giant Buddha statue and prayer halls
- Confucius TempleReligious sites
Peaceful temple complex with stele hall and tranquil courtyard
- Beihai ParkParks
Large lake park with island temple; peaceful stroll and water views
- Tiananmen SquareHistoric
Massive public square with monuments and museums at sunrise
- Bell and Drum TowersHistoric
Ancient twin towers; drum tower offers sunset views over hutongs
- Old Summer Palace RuinsHistoric
Garden ruins of destroyed imperial palace; haunting and peaceful
- Universal Studios BeijingTheme parks
In Tongzhou, about an hour out on Metro Line 1/Batong to Universal Resort station. Tickets are date-priced and must be booked in advance with passport details; the Kung Fu Panda land and Hollywood boulevard shoot best in the half hour after the lights come on.
- Beijing Happy ValleyTheme parks
Local coaster park east of the 4th Ring, a fraction of Universal's price and mobbed at weekends. Go on a weekday afternoon and use a long lens from across the lake to compress the coaster trains against the towers.
- Beijing ZooZoos & aquariums
Cheap entry with a small surcharge for the panda house, which is the only exhibit most visitors want. Be there at 09:00 for the feeding — they sleep the rest of the day, and the thick scratched glass needs the lens pressed flat against it.
- Beijing AquariumZoos & aquariums
Sits inside the zoo's north end but sells its own, far pricier ticket. The tunnel and the jellyfish tanks are the shots; no flash, so bring a fast prime and expect ISO 3200.
- China Science and Technology MuseumMuseums
Huge cube in Olympic Park, aimed at children, with the exterior arguably the better photograph. Bring your passport for entry and note it closes Mondays; online reservation is effectively compulsory.
- Prince Gong's MansionHistoric
The best-preserved Qing princely residence, ten minutes' walk from Houhai lake. Reserve online with passport — same-day slots routinely sell out — and go at opening, before tour groups fill the narrow garden corridors.
- CCTV Tower Observation DeckViewpoints
405m tower on the west 3rd Ring with a revolving deck, the easiest high view over western Beijing. Only worth paying for on a clear day — check the AQI reading before you buy, since haze flattens the whole view.
- Fragrant Hills Park and ChairliftTransit
Park entry and the chairlift up to Incense Burner Peak are separate tickets. Late-October red maple weekends are shoulder to shoulder — go midweek, ride up early and walk down through the temple ruins.
- Beijing Ancient ObservatoryMuseums
Ming-era brick platform at Jianguomen with Jesuit-built bronze armillary spheres on the roof terrace. Shoot the instruments low against the CBD towers in late light for the old-and-new frame; the ground-floor halls are skippable.
Hotels near these spots are shown on the map as bed pins, grouped into three price
bands, with a booking link for each one. Open the map
and tick “Hotels” in the legend.