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Beijing Travel Guide
Buy Chinese YuanBeijing at a glance
Beijing is China's capital and its history heavyweight: the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven, the hutong lanes and the Great Wall within a day trip. Four to five days covers it. For Indian travellers it also needs more preparation than most trips, on the visa and on payments, so sort both out before you book anything else.
Indian passport holders need a visa: India is on neither the 30-day visa-free list nor the 240-hour transit list, so apply online and then submit your passport at a Chinese visa centre in New Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata. Money runs on Alipay and WeChat Pay. Set up at least Alipay before you fly and link a Visa or Mastercard, after switching on international use in your bank's app; payments above CNY 200 through the apps generally carry a 3% fee on a foreign card, and smaller ones are free.
The Forbidden City, now the Palace Museum, sells no tickets on the day. Tickets go on sale online seven days ahead at 8 pm Beijing time, are tied to your passport, and cost CNY 60 from April to October and CNY 40 from November to March; popular days sell out fast. It is closed on Mondays except public holidays. Jingshan Park, just north of it, gives the classic view over the golden roofs for CNY 2 most of the year.
For the Great Wall, Mutianyu is the usual choice: restored, less crowded than Badaling and about 1.5 to 2 hours from the centre. Entry is CNY 40 and the shuttle bus CNY 15; the cable car costs CNY 140 return, or take the chairlift up and the toboggan down for the same price. The Temple of Heaven (CNY 34 for the through ticket from April to October) and the Summer Palace fill the other days.
Where to stay
All three are on the subway, the quickest way across a city this size.
Inside the Second Ring Road
Around Wangfujing and Dongsi: central, close to the Forbidden City and on several subway lines. The standard first-time base.
Sanlitun and Guomao
Modern Chaoyang, with international hotels, restaurants and nightlife, and the shops most likely to take a card.
A hutong courtyard
Restored courtyard guesthouses in the old lanes around Nanluoguxiang and the Drum Tower, for a quieter, older Beijing.
Paying in Beijing
For the yuan itself, the visa for Indians, setting up Alipay and WeChat Pay, and how much cash to carry, see the China travel guide.
Alipay and WeChat Pay run daily life, from noodle shops to taxis. International hotels and department stores also take Visa and Mastercard, and every subway gate accepts a tap of a foreign card. Payments above CNY 200 through the apps generally carry a 3% fee on a foreign card; smaller ones are free. Keep CNY 500 to 1,000 in cash as a backup: refusing yuan is against Chinese law, so cash always works.
What Beijing actually costs
Set the length and style of your trip to see what to budget, in Chinese yuan and Indian rupees.
Indicative, excluding international flights and accommodation, per person per day. Converted at the verified mid-market rate on 29 September 2026, CNY 1 ≈ ₹14.31, not a Matrix board rate.
Budget roughly ₹2,860 to ₹12,880 per person per day on the ground, excluding flights and accommodation.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Noodles, dumplings or street snacks | CNY 15-40 |
| Casual restaurant meal | CNY 40-90 |
| Sit-down dinner for two | CNY 150-400 |
| Subway ride in the city | CNY 3-6 |
| Forbidden City, April to October | CNY 60 |
| Capital Airport Express | CNY 25 |
Getting around
The subway is the fastest way around: about 30 lines, signs in English and fares from CNY 3 for most city trips, and the gates take QR codes or a tap of a foreign Visa or Mastercard. DiDi, the ride-hailing app, works inside Alipay in English. Licensed taxis use meters; ignore touts in the arrivals hall.
Common mistakes in Beijing
Assuming a visa-free or transit stay
India is on neither list. Apply online well ahead, then submit your passport at a visa centre in New Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata.
Trying to buy Forbidden City tickets at the gate
There are none on the day. Book online seven days ahead from 8 pm Beijing time, with the passport you will carry.
Arriving without Alipay set up
Install Alipay or WeChat Pay at home, verify your passport and link a Visa or Mastercard. Switch on international and online use in your bank's app first, as Indian cards are issued with both turned off.
Squeezing the Great Wall into half a day
Mutianyu is 1.5 to 2 hours each way. Give it a full day.
Beijing FAQs
Yes. India is on neither China's 30-day visa-free list nor its 240-hour visa-free transit list. Since December 2025 you apply online, then hand in your passport at the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in New Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata. Until 31 December 2026 a single-entry visa costs ₹2,900, and fingerprints are waived for short-term visas.
Online only, on the Palace Museum's website or WeChat mini-program. Tickets are released seven days ahead at 8 pm Beijing time, tied to your passport, and cost CNY 60 from April to October and CNY 40 from November to March. The museum is closed on Mondays except public holidays.
CNY 25 on the Capital Airport Express, which runs to Dongzhimen and Beixinqiao, and CNY 35 on the Daxing Airport Express to Caoqiao.
Mutianyu for most visitors: restored, less crowded than Badaling and 1.5 to 2 hours from the centre. Entry is CNY 40, plus CNY 15 for the shuttle and CNY 140 for a return cable car.
In practice, yes: most small businesses expect a QR payment. Set up Alipay before you fly, link an international card and keep cash as a backup.
On 29 September 2026 one yuan was ₹14.31 at the mid-market rate, so CNY 100 is about ₹1,430.
More guides in China
Buy chinese yuan before you fly
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