Cheap Flights - Cheap Cruises - China Guide - 2 Day Beijing Stopover
If you are short on time but want to see China perhaps you can make it a stopover after a visit to Europe. If you do decide to do this and only have two full days to take in the sights below are some attractions or activities you really should not miss.
Day 1
The Great Wall
The Great Wall of China is one of the world's great wonders. There are several sections of the wall that can be easily accessed from Beijing. The closest section is at Badaling. It is 46 miles (75 kilometers) from downtown Beijing. You can arrange a bus trip through your hotel or you can catch bus No. 919 from Deshengmen.
On Saturday and Sunday special tourist buses Nos. 1, 5 and 8 go to the Great Wall.
Badaling Great Wall Visitor Information -- Tickets can be purchased from the Badaling office which is open from 6:30am to 7pm. Admission to the Badaling Great Wall is ¥45 in summer, ¥40 in winter. A round-trip ride on the cable car costs ¥50 per person.
If you go to the Badaling section of the Great Wall you can combine this with a visit to the Ming Tombs. The tombs are 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the city. If you would like to go there it is probably best to arrange a tour through your hotel. If feeling adventurous you can catch bus 1, 5 and 9.
Ming Tomb Visitor Information -- The tombs are open from 8:30am to 5:00pm. See her for more Ming Tombs information.
If you want to get away from the large crowds that visit Badaling I suggest a tour to the Jingshaling section of the Great Wall. I have gone to this section several times and highly recommend a visit.
I would suggest ending the day with a tasty Peking Duck.
Day 2
Day 2 in Beijing would involve a visit to the world famous Forbidden City. After leaving there stroll across to the largest city sqaure, Tiananmen Square. Later in the day you can do a bit of bargain hunting at the Silk Market.
