Beijing Layover Guide: Best Activities & Visa-Free Transit Regulations

Beijing Layover Guide 2025: The New Visa-Free Transit Policy for 24 and 240 Hours

Fantastic news for tourists! Beijing is now included in the 144-hour visa-free passage, which China formally expanded to 240 hours (10 days) as of December 2024. Here is all the information you need to make the most of your 2025 layover in Beijing, whether you're merely passing through or organizing a quick excursion.

1. 24-Hour Visa-Free Transit in Beijing (Open to All Passengers)

Is this merely a brief visit?
If you plan to remain for less than 24 hours, no visa is needed. However, you are not allowed to leave the terminal or go sightseeing; you must stay inside the airport. Perfect for those with brief layovers and connecting flights.

2. Visa-free transit in Beijing for 240 Hours (For Passport Holders from 54 Countries)

Who qualifies?

• Residents of 54 countries, including the majority of EU countries as well as the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore

Conditions:

• Validity of passport for a minimum of six months
• Verified ticket for travel to a third country or area (for example, USA → Beijing → Thailand is permitted, however, USA → Beijing → USA is not)
• Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) or Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) are the only ways to enter.

A standard visa must be applied for in advance if

• Your country is not listed as eligible. You intend to remain in China for longer than ten days.
• A round-trip ticket is included in your itinerary (same origin and destination country).
• 👉You wish to go outside the area of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. To apply, go to the Chinese consulate that is closest to you or use an approved visa provider.

Travel Advice for Layovers in Beijing:

• Print your hotel and travel information in case the immigration officials inquire. You may reach central Beijing in less than 30 minutes by taking the Airport Express Train.
• For simple navigation, download Gaode Maps (with English option) and Didi (China's Uber).
• Take advantage of the visa-free stay to enjoy local experiences like hotpots, hutongs, and traditional tea houses.
• 👉require a valid visa for China. See the blog post below for further details.

How to Sign Up for a Free Beijing Overnight Tour

Every astute tourist using the airports in Daxing or Beijing's Capital should be aware of this insider tip: Early in 2025, a free transit tour program called "Beijing Transit Explore" is anticipated to debut. This initiative, which was inspired by Shanghai's well-known tour program, the Shanghai Express, will enable long-distance visitors to see Beijing's main sights without having to pay for basic logistics or obtain a visa for the duration of their trip.
The schedule consists of

• Free air-conditioned transportation in buses. Free tour guide in English. Onboard free wireless internet access
• Access to approved locations, including the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, and even the Great Wall for a picture op (based on time slot)

Ways to get involved

• Once customs has been cleared under the 24- or 240-hour visa-free policy, head straight to the Beijing Tourist Information Center. The center is situated in Terminal 3's International Arrivals Hall, close to Exit B, at Beijing Capital Airport (PEK). Approach Exit 5 of the Level 1 Arrivals Hall at Daxing Airport (PKX).
• Places fill up quickly, so please arrive early (each trip is restricted to 10-15 people).
  Bring your boarding pass, entrance stamp, and passport.
• Tours are offered two to three times a day, subject to scheduling and traffic, and are first-come, first-served.

✅To use mobile payments and check metro routes and timetables, you'll need internet access, so either a local SIM card or a dependable eSIM data package.

[Layover Tours in Beijing] Three Low-Cost Routes Suggested

Beijing, a well-known historical and cultural metropolis, has a multitude of free or inexpensive tour options, whether you are traveling by plane or changing trains. To help you make the most of your time in Beijing, we have outlined three half-day routes in various styles that will take you past hutongs, old structures, and contemporary sites.

Route 1: A four to five-hour half-day tour of the iconic monuments

Ideal for: history buffs, first-time Beijing tourists
Key points of interest: Tiananmen Square → the perimeter of Forbidden City → Jingshan Park → Beihai Park
Fee: (entry fees are required for certain attractions).

Highlights of the trip:

✅ Tiananmen Square (free): Visit the Monument to the People's Heroes in the largest city square in the world;

✅ Forbidden City Corner Tower and Moat (free): If you have limited time, walk around the Forbidden City's perimeter and take pictures of its red walls and yellow tiles;

✅ Jingshan Park ($2): Scale Wanchun Pavilion for a panoramic view of the Forbidden City, the best vantage point of Beijing's central axis.

✅ Beihai Park ($10): Take a rowing boat ride to relive your childhood with "Let's Swing Oars."

🚇 Access to the sights by foot from Tian'anmen East Station on Metro Line 1.

To escape the afternoon bustle, it is advised to visit between 8:00 and 12:00.

Route 2: Art and Culture Stroll in Hutong (3–4 hours)

Ideal for: young people interested in literature and the arts; travelers who enjoy urban style
Key Attractions: Chichahai → Nanluoguxiang → Smoky Street → 798 Art District
Fee: $0 (you pay for some cafes and small businesses).

Trip Highlights 📌

✅ Nanluoguxiang (Free), the most well-known hutong in Beijing, has a commercialized main street but yet has the feel of traditional Beijing life thanks to the branch hutongs on either side.

✅ Shichahai (free), which is raftable during the day and turns into a bar street at night to experience the "Houhai" nightlife;

✅ 798 Art District (free), which is made up of former factories that have been converted into art districts with galleries, cafes, net red graffiti walls, and picture ops.

🚲 Take Metro Line 14 to Wangjing Station to 798 from Metro Line 6 Nanluoguxiang Station, then walk or ride to Shichahai.

Route 3: City Night View and Olympic Landmarks (3 hours)

Suitable for: fans of contemporary architecture, photographers of night scenes
Olympic Park → Linglong Tower → China World Trade Center CBD are the main attractions.
Cost: $0 (free view)

📌 Highlights of the Trip

✅ Bird's Nest & Water Cube (free outside view) - Beijing's busiest commercial sector, flyover filming "China Zun" startling night scene

✅ China World Trade Center CBD (free) - Beijing's primary Olympic venue, brightly lit at night.

🚇Transportation
Transfer to Line 1 to China World Trade Center Station from Metro Line 8 Olympic Park Station.
Best time: 17:00–20:00 (light show + sunset).

The most well-liked stopover routes, based on how long you want to remain

✅ Beijing Layover <6 Hours: Stay at the Airport

Staying at the airport is the best option if your layover is less than six hours.

• Unwind in the first-class lounge (food and shower provided).
• Look around the duty-free area and Chinese tea shop.
• In Terminal 3, savor a serving of Peking duck noodles. There won't be enough time for you to get out of the airport and get back safely.

✈️ Tips for PEK/PKX

• Sleep: $8–14 per hour nap pods (T3) and complimentary recliners (PKX).
• Dining options include Xibei lamb burgers (PKX) and Da Duck airport roast duck (T2).
• Air China Lounge (T3) shower: $11. When lines reach two hours, don't risk immigration!

✅Spend 8–12 hours exploring Beijing's landmarks

You'll have enough time to see one or two of the main attractions:
Travel to Tiananmen Square by private bus or airport express. Explore the Forbidden City on foot (be sure to get your tickets in advance!).
Make use of the airport or train station's luggage storage service to pack light and enjoy some peace and quiet away from the bustle of the city when you visit the Temple of Heaven.

🚇 Do-it-yourself Schedule (Airport Express available)

The Forbidden City from PEK/PKX (1.5 hours)：

• Taking the Airport Express (20 minutes, $3.5) from PEK to Dongzhimen and then taking Subway Line 2 to Qianmen
• Airport Line (19 minutes, ¥35/$5) from Beijing Airport to Caoqiao → Subway Line 10 to Tiananmen East. Expert advice: "Please book seven days in advance as the Forbidden City tickets are sold out online!"
  Houhai Lakes → Forbidden City (30 minutes):
• Explore Jingshan Park for the greatest view of the city → Ride bus 5/819 to Gulou. Alternately, go to Shichahai station on subway line 8.
  

Head back to the airport: PEK security typically takes longer than 45 minutes, so allow 2.5 hours.

✅ Spend a maximum of 6 days in Beijing: Venture outside of Beijing!

• Make the most of the 144-hour transit policy and make your visit feel like a little getaway:
• Tour neighboring Tianjin by high-speed rail (30 minutes). Visit to Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town for the day
• Explore more of Beijing and stop by the Summer Palace, Yonghe Palace, and 798 Art District.
  

Where are you able to go?

✅ Area Permitted: Beijing (must be where you enter and exit). Tianjin (high-speed train, 30 minutes)

• Hebei Province (e.g., the 2.5-hour high-speed train to Chengde Summer Resort)
• Pro Tip: To guarantee dependability, stick to high-speed rail; else, your 144-hour window may end!

Days 1–3: Highlights of Beijing

• The Forbidden City is a must-see; purchase your tickets seven days in advance! +Dusk in Jingshan Park
• Mutianyu Great Wall (1.5-hour drive, less busy)
• Hutong Hopping: Shichahai Lakeside Bar → Nanluoguxiang
  🚖 Local Tip: "After the subway closes at 11 p.m., especially in the hutongs, use DDT (China's Uber)!"

Day 4–5: Outings

• Take the 30-minute high-speed train travel to Tianjin
• Five Avenues (colonial architecture) and the Ferris wheel at Tianjin Eye. Must-Have Dogfu Buns with Soup Dumplings
• Chengde (high-speed train travel, 2.5 hours).Mountain Villa (Qing Emperors' Summer Palace, UNESCO)

Day 6: Adjustable Departure Day Panjiayuan Antique Market Last-minute buying (Friday to Sunday)

• Beijing Capital International Airport can be reached from Dongzhimen in 20 minutes via Airport Express.

Crucial guidelines to prevent issues

⚠️ Beijing (PEK/PKX airport or Beijing West Railway Station) is the only route to enter and leave the country.
When checking into a hotel, most hotels require that you notify the police within 24 hours of your arrival.
⚠️ Time is calculated exactly as follows: 144 hours = 6 days (e.g. Monday 9am admission → Sunday 9am departure).