# What to do alone in Beijing?



## Hektix (May 18, 2016)

I have a flight to Bangkok in August and ended up with a 24hr layover in Beijing. I'll have to get a visa free stamp and don't know what to do, and I've never been to China before :l it sucks that I'll be there alone or else I'd be able to enjoy the great wall or something. Does anyone have any ideas of some nice things for a lone person to do close to Beijing airport to fill up a day or so? I'd like to check out some local beer, food and candies.
Thanks in advance


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## joneeboy (Jul 29, 2013)

There is nothing close to Beijing Airport. You could just take a bus from the airport bus station into central Beijing. For example, change a bit of money at the airport, and take a bus to' Beijing Railway Station'. (There's only one by this name. Others are called Beijing west, etc.) A couple of hundred yards from the station front you can catch a bus to the Great Wall, at Badaling. They are very frequent and leave as soon as they are full. Allow yourself 3 or 4 hours to there and back, and to walk along it a bit. If the weather is fine it will be crowded, but ther are spectacular views quite near. Its a bit commercial, but everything is cheap. There are lots of places to eat and drink. Beer is cheap too. Beijing bus fares AND all subway fares except the one from/to the airport are ridiculously cheap. So are taxis. Subway fare is 2 yuan which is about one fifth of a UK pound, about 28 US cents. While in central Beijing you may want to go to Tiananmen Square, or the Forbidden City. They are all in walking distance. Maps of Beijing,including of the subway system are avalable from street sellers all over Bejing for 10 yuan or less. Make sure you get one with Engish. There are so many things to see and places to go in Beijing, you will be spoiled for choice. Last time I was there, I went to the Zoo to see all the giant pandas, and to the Military Museum. After YOUR visit, maybe you could post what you did while there!


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## Hektix (May 18, 2016)

joneeboy said:


> There is nothing close to Beijing Airport. You could just take a bus from the airport bus station into central Beijing. For example, change a bit of money at the airport, and take a bus to' Beijing Railway Station'. (There's only one by this name. Others are called Beijing west, etc.) A couple of hundred yards from the station front you can catch a bus to the Great Wall, at Badaling. They are very frequent and leave as soon as they are full. Allow yourself 3 or 4 hours to there and back, and to walk along it a bit. If the weather is fine it will be crowded, but ther are spectacular views quite near. Its a bit commercial, but everything is cheap. There are lots of places to eat and drink. Beer is cheap too. Beijing bus fares AND all subway fares except the one from/to the airport are ridiculously cheap. So are taxis. Subway fare is 2 yuan which is about one fifth of a UK pound, about 28 US cents. While in central Beijing you may want to go to Tiananmen Square, or the Forbidden City. They are all in walking distance. Maps of Beijing,including of the subway system are avalable from street sellers all over Bejing for 10 yuan or less. Make sure you get one with Engish. There are so many things to see and places to go in Beijing, you will be spoiled for choice. Last time I was there, I went to the Zoo to see all the giant pandas, and to the Military Museum. After YOUR visit, maybe you could post what you did while there!


Thanks for your reply 
I'd love to see Tiananmen square and Forbidden City and have my fair share of Chinese beer and cuisine  I'd love to see the great wall too, but getting there around 3pm would only give me a few hours to go before they close off touring I believe.
I'll definitely be getting back to here with my experience afterwards!


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