3rd stop - Beijing

After a week in Beijing, we will be heading to Xi'an in two days, to see the Terracotta Army and the most dangerous mountain in the world.

Beijing lived up to its promises. It is a huge city, with temperatures of over 40 degrees at this time of year. Beijing offers culture and history at its finest. Of course, I mostly explored Beijing on foot, as I believe it is the best way to experience any place. However, Beijing also has a simple and efficient subway system. It is recommended to get a rechargeable weekly card for the subway. This card can be recharged and saves you from standing in line to buy a ticket for each subway ride. The price of a subway ride depends on the distance and ranges from 2 to 5 yuan (12-60 cents).

Now, let's go in order. The location of my hostel, 'Beijing Sunrise Hostel', was perfect for me. It was not far from the subway station and the nearby 'Hutong' area with its lake, which offers evening entertainment and sports opportunities.

After marking a few places on the city map (or using Google Maps with a VPN), all I had to do was walk. I understood the subway network after one day, so I could reach any place within 30 minutes.

The relaxed to-do list included: Beijing's historic 'Hutongs' area, the Olympic Park with its observation tower at the end of the park, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square, and the Temple of Heaven.

Everything was worth it, so here are just a few tips for each attraction.

Olympic Park: It is advisable to bring cash as there are no ATMs in the vicinity or they may be out of service. Unfortunately, I couldn't climb the observation tower. The 'Bird's Nest' stadium is a beautiful stadium, considering the circumstances of its construction.

Forbidden City: Only a maximum of 18,000 tickets are sold each day, and they sell out quickly. So the typical advice is to arrive early, avoid weekends, and check for any days when the city is closed. Inside the city, there are options to buy drinks and food at a reasonable price. However, it doesn't hurt to stock up on some drinks beforehand.

Great Wall of China: The highlight of Beijing or its surrounding area. Of course, you can book a tourist tour for around 30€. But why would you want to do that?! You will be restricted by time and it will be a long touristy trip.

Instead: The first bus, bus number 877, to the Great Wall of China in Badaling departs at 6:00 a.m. from Jishuitan Bus Station. Buses run every 30 minutes. I arrived at the station at 5:30 a.m., it is advisable to arrive by 5:20 a.m. and familiarize yourself with the location of the bus stop the day before. The bus also returns from the Great Wall in the same frequency. The cost is only 1.50€ per ride!!! And most importantly, you can stay on the wall as long as you want.

However, do not expect to be the first person there, but you also won't arrive in the middle of the crowds. There is also bus 919, but it does not go directly to the Great Wall, as it has intermediate stops.

Upon arrival at the Great Wall, after passing through the ticket checkpoint, you will be faced with a choice: take the North route to the right or the South route to the left. I chose to go against the crowd and took the South route, which turned out to be the right choice. After 30 minutes on the South side, I was pretty much alone, while on the other side, there were hundreds, if not thousands, of people crowding the wall. Additionally, the South side offers a better view of the spectacular North side, rather than just walking on it.