How to Make your 48 hours in Beijing China with Kids AWESOME!

When traveling with kids one of my biggest tips is to try to book a direct flight, but even I broke this rule when it came to visiting China. Originally I found an awesome deal flying from Seattle to Shanghai, but then I realized there was no way I could be so close to the Great Wall of China, and not go to Beijing. So after playing around with dates and multi-trip options I was able to force a layover in Beijing for a little extra money. What I didn’t learn until after I booked this great deal was that the stop in Beijing would end up necessitating Chinese visas for the entire family in order for us to continue to Shanghai *facepalm*.

Although my mind was solely on the Great Wall of China I quickly learned that Beijing has a plethora of family-friendly activities! So if you are short on time while visiting Beijing don’t worry, you can squeeze it in, just arm yourself with a concrete plan.

For our trip, we utilized a tour company called Linda Tours. Linda asked what we were interested in and then customized our private tour around Beijing over 2 days. Linda Tours and other tour providers like hers offer tours as short as a 6-hour layover tour to multiple day tours.

Table of Contents

1. Visit the Great Wall of China

For most people, the first thing that pops into their minds when they think of China is the Great Wall of China. For a landmark that has so much hype around it I will admit that I was a bit nervous that it would not live up to the hype, but the moment I caught that first glimpse of the wall on the drive up, I knew it was going to be an amazing experience. The Great Wall of China is a “choose your adventure” type of attraction so it is great for the entire family and is easy to visit, even with an infant in tow.

2. Drive around Tiananmen Square

If you are traveling to Beijing with kids, and are short on time I would advise against walking Tiannamen Square. Tiananmen Square is an important historic landmark located in the center of Beijing City and is one of the world’s largest public squares. It lies at the center of the historical north-south axis that runs through the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City. You can visit Tiananmen Tower, Monument to the People’s Heroes, Great Hall of the People, Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao, and the National Museum of China.

Driving around the Square gives you a brief view of the Square and if you get up before sunrise you may even catch a glimpse of the National Flag Ceremony. To give you an idea of the size of the square, it can hold over one million people! If you have more time in Beijing, be sure to take the time to visit Tiananmen Square, but remember to use the restrooms prior to entering because all of the toilets are on the perimeter of the vast square, as well as the food and shops.

3. Stroll through the Forbidden City

Directly across the street from Tiananmen Square is the Forbidden City, also known as the Palace Museum. It once served as the imperial palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It holds the honor of being the world’s largest palace complex and covers over 74 hectares (roughly 182 acres). If that wasn’t impressive enough, a 52-meter wide moat and a 10-meter high wall surrounding it, but don’t let the “museum” name fool you. The Forbidden City is more like a viewing area of different official and residential buildings, requiring a lot of walking. Be sure to arrive earlier in the day, as the Forbidden City limits ticket sales to 80,000 per day, and during busy times of the year they will sell out.

4. Get panoramic Beijing views at the Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven, also known as Tiantan Park is more than just the picturesque temple, it is an expansive park with great views of the city on a clear day. The Temple of Heaven was constructed in 1420 during the 18^th year of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty and is where the emperors Ming and Qing dynasties would worship the god of heaven and pray for a good harvest. The Temple of Heaven is actually 4 times larger than the Forbidden City covering 270 hectares (667 acres). The famous landmark is actually called the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and was determined to be the exact point where heaven and earth meet according to the emperor’s Fengshui masters.

5. Be awed at an Acrobatic Show

The most popular acrobatic show amongst tourist is the Chaoyang Theatre “The Flying Acrobatic Show,” however our package included a visit to “Legend of Jinsha” show at the Beijing Workers’ Club. If a traditional Beijing show is on your bucket list be sure to do your research and have your tour operator book the right show. We added the acrobatic show at the last minute, and do to lack of research on my part we found ourselves a bit disappointed in the show we watched. It was a fun activity to do round out our evening, but we did not find it worth the price we paid for admission. When we visit again I want to visit the Chaoyang Theatre show to form a complete opinion of Chinese acrobatic shows.

6. Fill your bellies with goodness

I don’t care how short your time is in Beijing, be sure to carve out enough time to get some quality Peking roasted duck! Peking duck is Beijing’s most famous and for good reason, it is a succulent and crispy dish. Much like Matoke in Africa and sweet potato pie at Thanksgiving, different restaurants throughout Beijing make their Peking duck a little different. Staying at the Kerry Hotel we were able to sample The Horizon restaurant’s Peking duck, and it was so delicious I start instantly salivating when I think of it. If you have more time don’t forget to try Dumplings, Zhájiàng noodles, Mooncakes, the vast array of Barbeque skewers, Ming-bean milk, and spicy crayfish

7. Let off some steam at Kerry Hotel’s Adventure Zone

Located within Kerry Sports at the Kerry Hotel is the ultimate play space for kids! The Adventure Zone is a one-of-a-kind indoor play space that features drop slides, climbing structures, ball pits, toddler play areas, and themed party areas. Added bonus, guests of the Kerry Hotel are able to experience the Adventure Zone at a discounted rate!

8. SLEEP!

This should probably have been number one, but who am I kidding, you just arrived in Beijing, there is so much to do and hardly any time to do it! However, all of those fun attractions will become a fuzzy, groggy memory once jet lag sets in if you don’t get some sleep. Unless you are traveling on Delta One (or another lay flat seat/bed), most likely you did not get the best sleep of your life on the plane ride to China, couple that with the time change from your last destination and you are brewing a perfect storm. We maximized our time to see everything we wanted and also get some restful sleep by splitting our sightseeing time into two days. This allowed us to arrive in Beijing early in the afternoon, visit a couple of attractions, and then head to our hotel to pass out, and then get up the next day and see more.