Traveling with Parents (Beijing Edition)

Number of days：4 days
Time: June
Average cost: 1500 yuan
With whom: and parents

Beijing is one of China's most important cities, a place many older generations want to visit. I'll take my parents to see it for the first time when I get a chance.

① Make sure to read the station name carefully when buying tickets.
② Always bring your ID with you!!!
③ Tickets for Beijing must be booked online in advance. Reservations are generally made 2-6 days in advance. You can use WeChat official accounts or major platforms. Simply scan your ID to enter. If combined tickets are available, purchase them for the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven.
④ Prepare your Beijing Health Code during this special period. Wechat and WeChat are both acceptable. Some stores require you to scan a code to enter.
⑤ Download the "Yi Tong Xing" app and you can easily take the subway or bus by scanning a code.
⑥ The Forbidden City and some other places are closed on Mondays, so check in advance.

D1 Arrived in Beijing at noon, dropped off my luggage at my hotel or B&B, and rushed to Four Seasons Minfu for roast duck before 4pm. Note: The Forbidden City branch has a view seat where you can directly see the Forbidden City. But it was really crowded. After dinner, take the subway to Qianmen Station to see the night view of Zhengyangmen. Then, go through security and head to Tiananmen to see the night view.

D2 Start your walk along the Great Wall. Bus No. 877 from Deshengmen takes you directly there. The journey takes over an hour, depending on traffic flow. The first bus leaves at 6:00 AM. It's recommended to leave early to avoid getting stuck on the way out of the city. The Badaling Great Wall is divided into two directions: the North Great Wall and the South Great Wall. The North Great Wall is a must-climb, while the South Great Wall is optional. When I went, the North Tower 8 was open, of the 12 towers in total. There are three ways to reach the North 8th Tower. The first is to hike all the way up. A 60-year-old couple didn't find it stressful, taking photos and taking breaks as they went. They thought they were quite old, but they encountered an 87-year-old grandmother! She was accompanied by her family, which was impressive. The second is the cable car, which takes you to the North 4th Tower and begins the climb. The third is to get off the 877 bus and then walk 30 minutes to take the cable car. Unless you're in very poor health, the cable car is not recommended. On the way back, I took the 877 bus from where I got off, arriving at Deshengmen at 3:00. Then, while it was less crowded, I went to Nanluoguxiang to eat Jubaoyuan Hotpot and then wandered around the area. The food was quite good. Then I went back to my B&B to rest.

D3 The Palace Museum. If you want to watch the flag-raising ceremony, search on WeChat for the specific time and plan your trip accordingly. Take the subway to Tiananmen Square, then go through security, take some photos in Tiananmen Square, and then take the underground passage to the Tiananmen Tower. Behind Tiananmen is the Palace Museum. Even after making a reservation, you still need to go to the left for pre-screening before entering with your ID card. There are many experts online who can help you with the specific route. After exiting Shenwu Gate, there's an underground passage on the left that leads to Jingshan. Tickets cost two yuan. If you still have energy left, you can stroll around Wangfujing. Since you're already here, even though it's just a commercial street, you can still enjoy the Beixinqiao Luzhu you've been craving.

D4Today is a relaxing trip. In the morning, we'll walk around the Temple of Heaven. In the afternoon, you can either visit Xidan and Sanlitun, or Tsinghua University, Peking University, and the Summer Palace.

D5 Return by train in the morning. I think Beijing is a city where you can have fun in many ways. Different ways of having fun with different people. As long as you have fun, that's all.