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Beijing & Tianjin Adventure: My 8-Day Itinerary!
Just got back from an amazing trip to Beijing and Tianjin and wanted to share my itinerary with you all. Get ready for some serious wanderlust!
The Essentials:
- Beijing Hotel: Yilu Mingzhu Express Hostel (Beijing Xidan) - Budget-friendly and conveniently located!
- Tianjin Hotel: Jinjiang Inn (Tianjin Railway Station, Jinwan Square) - Great access to transportation.
- Flights & High-Speed Rail: Booked everything on Trip.com - Super easy to use.
- Forbidden City Tickets: Grab yours in advance on their official website: bookingticket.dpm.org.cn. Trust me, you'll thank me later!
- Temple of Heaven: Tickets available at the entrance.
- Tiananmen Square: Book your visit for free via Wechat.
- Great Wall (Mutianyu): Buy your entrance and round-trip cable car tickets directly on the bus - the conductor sells them and it saves you from queuing!
Daily Adventures: Buckle Up!
👉🏻 Day 0: Arrival in Beijing!
- 8 AM: Fly from Hanoi to Baiyun Airport, 4-hour layover.
- Continue to Beijing, arriving at 6 PM.
- Checked into the hotel (near Lingjing Hutong) and grabbed a quick bite nearby.
👉🏻 Day 1: Hutongs, Noodles & Rooftop Views!
- Morning: Walked to Lingjing Hutong subway station (super close to the hotel) and headed to Nanluoguxiang.
- Explored and wandered around the charming Nanluoguxiang Hutong.
- Indulged in delicious crab noodles at 北京市东城区蟹满楼蟹黄面245 (near the Drum Tower).
- Soaked up the views (and took some awesome photos!) from Yuangu Café (南锣鼓巷·元古本店).
- Visited and photographed the impressive Drum Tower (Gulou).
- Ended the day with a hot pot feast at Panda Laile (熊喵来了火锅) (王府井大街王府井喜悦购物中心7F-P015-P016-P017).
👉🏻 Day 2: Forbidden City & Peking Duck!
- Took a Didi to the Forbidden City (East Gate - Donghua Men - to avoid the longest queues!).
- Lunch in the Forbidden City canteen.
- Didi to the Temple of Heaven.
- Dinner: Peking Duck at Ziguangyuan (紫光园(前门大栅栏店) (in Qianmen walking street). A must-try!
- Evening stroll through Qianmen walking street (前门大街).
👉🏻 Day 3: Conquering the Great Wall (Mutianyu)!
- Took a bus from Qianmen bus station to Mutianyu Great Wall (2 hours). So many buses go there!
- Pro Tip: Buy entrance and cable car tickets from the bus conductor. Same price as at the entrance and you skip the line!
- Spent the day exploring and snapping photos at the magnificent Great Wall!
- Dinner: Smoked BBQ skewers at 小酒伴·延边烧烤(双井店).
👉🏻 Day 4: Tiananmen, Sanlitun & Beauty Haul!
- Tiananmen Square (security check required).
- Explored the trendy Sanlitun (三里屯) district.
- Shopping spree at Harmay (for all your makeup, perfume, and skincare needs!).
- Korean BBQ dinner at 韩中阁三千里烤肉（东四）(try the grilled cheese - so good!).
👉🏻 Day 5: High-Speed Rail to Tianjin!
- High-speed rail to Tianjin!
- Photoshoot at Tai'an Road No. 5 Courtyard (泰安道五大院5号院).
- Crossed the Jintang Bridge (金汤桥).
- Ramen dinner at 麺圃 (天津市和平区营口道126号-4麺圃).
- Evening stroll along the Haihe River (海河天津).
👉🏻 Day 6: European Views & Street Food!
- Breakfast at KFC (小白楼肯德基) with a European-style view!
- Explored Binjiang Road Pedestrian Street (滨江道步行街) and indulged in some street food.
👉🏻 Day 7: Homeward Bound!
- High-speed rail directly to Daxing Airport.
- Flew back to Vietnam!
