PEK · Layover Guide
Beijing
Stop in Beijing.
Best layover: 6–24h
LayoverScore™
Base city score. Your route score varies by savings and timing.
Exit realism
Comfortable window
Enough room in Beijing for a real stop. Keep the buffer at the end anyway.
Landside playbook
If time slips
- Drop the last stop. Go straight to the train, taxi rank, or ride pickup you already chose.
- Add 15 minutes to map ETAs for the return leg at rush hour.
- One ticket for the whole trip protects you when the inbound is late. Separate tickets do not.
Worth knowing
- Do not stack three stops. One solid block in the city beats a rushed loop.
- Do not treat one map time as gospel for immigration lines. Pad on your first pass through this hub.
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Places to stay
Search hotelsLayoverScore™ breakdown
Score 70 · Discover 51 · Ease 7
Why Beijing scores 70
Getting there
Airport Express Line $4 · Taxi $18
min to center
metro- 01Airport Express to Dongzhimen (25 min, ¥25)
- 02Taxi to city center (45-60 min, ¥100-150)
- 03Didi rideshare (45-60 min, ¥80-120)
- 01Walk the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall (less crowded than Badaling)
- 02Explore the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square
- 03Stroll through the historic hutong alleyways near Nanluoguxiang
- 04Visit the Temple of Heaven and watch locals practice tai chi
- 05Sample Peking duck at Dadong or Quanjude
Experiences in Beijing
Timed tours and tickets for Beijing are listed on our partner site.
Open listingsOpens in a new tab.
- Forbidden City~90 min5 min walk
- Tiananmen Square~90 min6 min walk
- Sanlitun~75 min44 min walk
- Ghost Street (Gui Jie)~60 min35 min walk
- Wangfujing Snack Street~60 min13 min walk
- National Centre for the Performing Arts~75 min10 min walk
- Forbidden City4.6
- Tiananmen Square4.4
- Temple of Heaven4.6
- The Palace Museum4.6
- Lama Temple4.7
Need a room for your layover? Browse hotels near the airport.
Where to stay →Drop your luggage. Don't drag it around the city.
PEK Left Luggage Service
Terminal 3, Arrivals Level
$8/day
5 min walk
Hilton Beijing Capital Airport
Connected to Terminal 3 via walkway
$60/day
8 min walk
Beijing Railway Station Lockers
Beijing Railway Station
$3/bag
2 min walk
From the terminal to the good part.
Airport Express Line
to city
Connects to Dongzhimen and Sanyuanqiao subway stations
25 min
$4.00
Taxi
to city center
Metered, use official taxi queue only
50 min
$18.00
Didi Rideshare
to city center
App works with international cards, English available
50 min
$14.00
Airport Bus Lines
to city
Multiple routes to different city areas
70 min
$3.00
Beijing Museum Pass
100+ museums and attractions
Valid for one year, best for multi-day visits
$18
per day
Getting there
Get an Uber from the airportAt the airport
- 01Terminal 3 designed by Norman Foster - one of world's largest buildings
- 02Chinese garden and cultural displays in international departures
- 03GTC transit lounge with showers and rest areas
- 04Quanjude Peking Duck restaurant airside
Read more about Beijing
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