Getting There

By plane: Beijing's airport is 27km from the city centre.

Buses for the city depart from outside arrivals hall No. 11 and go to five different destinations.

The Airport Express line of the Beijing Subway connects the airport with the city centre. This journey takes around 20 minutes.

By train: Travelling to Beijing by train, your journey will end in the central Beijing Railway Station or Beijing West Railway Station.

By bus: There are four major bus stations in Beijing, but travelling by rail from within China is far more convenient.

Getting Around

On foot: Some attractions are within walking distance of each other but you will definitely need to use some other mode of transport.

By bicycle: Bicycles are a great way of getting around Beijing as roads are extremely accommodating for those travelling by bike.

By subway: Beijing's subway network is a basic one although it is efficient and cheap.

There are currently 9 lines operating with this set to steadily increase.

Beijing's four seasons are very distinctive and its climate is best described as 'continental monsoon'. Winters are freezing, with temperatures regularly falling below 0°C. Spring is one of the best seasons to visit, as is autumn. It is then that crowds are manageable and temperatures don't get out of hand. In summer, however, attractions are thronged and it can get quite humid.

Embassies

USA: +86 (0)10 85313000
UK: +86 (0)10 51924000
Canada: +86 (0)10 51394000
Australia: +86 (0)10 51404111
South Africa: +86 (0)10 65320181
Ireland: +86 (0)10 65322691
Germany: +86 (0)10 85329000
Spain: +86 (0)10 65323629
Italy: +86 (0)10 85327600
New Zealand: +86 (0)10 85327000
France: +86 (0)10 85328080

Ajisen Noodle, LG Oriental Plaza, 1 Dongchan'an Jie Something of a fast-food chain in Asia, it's still hard to deny the fact that the noodles, side dishes and everything else in Ajisen Noodle are delicious. Prices are extremely reasonable, staff friendly and it's impeccably clean. Enjoys a good location too, only minutes from Tiananmen Square. Open daily from 9.30am-10pm.

Not for the squeamish Donghua Yeshi Night Market, Donganmen Dajie The food at this nightly market may not be to everyone's taste - picture cooked frog legs, snake skin and other such niceties. Hawkers on the stalls almost give themselves brain haemorrhages as they try to offload their specialities to the thousands of passers-by who are thinking of testing the limits of their stomach. Open daily from 4pm-10pm.

Quan Ju De, 32 Qianmen Dajie Gnashing your gnashers into some crispy Peking Duck is as much a part of a visit to Beijing as going to Tiananmen Square. Open since 1864, this eatery is quite touristy, but venture in for the famous dish and you'll leave satisfied. Open daily from 11am-2pm, 4.30pm-9pm.

Gourmet St, LG Oriental Plaza, 1 Dongchan'an Jie If you have a craving for something other than Chinese food you may find it here. This is where you'll find a Thai and a Japanese restaurant, while if you want something a bit more western you'll be able to grab a baguette for lunch on the go. Open daily from 9.30am-10pm.

Street stalls Although not as evident in other Asian capitals, Beijing is still overrun with street stalls dishing out cheap and cheerful food. Most of these are down the side streets in the neighbourhoods. Choose from meats on a skewer to noodles.

Poachers, 43 Bei Sanlitun Lu Connected to a hostel of the same name and one of the many bars in Bejing's famous Sanlitun area, Poachers is popular with ex-pats and backpackers alike. Popular all week, Thusdays gather a large crowd who flock for the live jazz band, while Friday and Saturday nights are club nights. Open daily from 4pm-close.

Purple Vine Tea House, 2 Nanchang Jie Not all after-dark establishments in the Chinese capital are about drinking beer, shots or cocktails. This city has numerous teahouses which remain open until the early hours of the night. This one, located close to the Forbidden City, is a small teahouse, perfect for unwinding after a busy day. Open daily from 12 noon-2am.

The Tree Bar, 43 Bei Sanlitun Nan Popular in summer due to the outside terrace, and equally in winter thanks to the cosy, red-brick interior, this is one of Santilun's most popular bars. Run by a Belgian, he has lots of his country's beers to choose from. Open daily from 11am-2am.

Acrobat show at Chaoyang Theatre, 36 Dongsanhuan Beilu This famous show near the Dongyue Temple involves some of the world's most talented (and flexible) acrobats. In their breathtaking shows they involve bicycles, tightropes and spinning plates. That and balancing. Lots of balancing. A good, cheap alternative night out when in the Chinese capital. Shows nightly at 7.15pm; admission prices vary.

Big Easy Bar, Chaoyang Park Road Those looking for some live music in the Chinese captial should look no further than the Big Easy Bar, Beijing's very own blues bar. As popular for its food as for its drink and music, live blues is staged almost every night by musicians from both home and abroad. Open daily from 4pm-2am.

Tiananmen & Tiananmen Square, Tiananmen Dong Built in 1420, Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) is one of China's most iconic landmarks, largely due to the portrait of Mao Zedong over the main gate. Just south, Tiananmen Square is the world's largest open-urban square and has witnessed many key events in China's history.

Forbidden City, Tiananmen Dong Surrounded by a 7.9-metre wall, Beijing's Forbidden City played host to China's Emperor and his family for almost 500 years, the last of which being Emperor Puyi in 1924. Today it is one of the country's most visited attractions due to the traditional Chinese architecture and the Palace Museum.Open daily from 8.30am-5pm; admission Y60 to Palace Museum.

A great, great wall The Great Wall of China Nothing can prepare you for the first time your eyes set sight on The Great Wall of China, one of the wonders of the world. Famously visibile from space and spanning approximately 6,000km, it was built to protect China's northern borders. Some parts of it have crumbled, but surrounding Beijing are various parts that have been restored. For tour info visit www.hostelworld.com/tours.

Temple of Heaven, Tian Tan Lu This 'temple complex' is the largest of its kind in China and was built between 1406 and 1420 when the Yongle Emperor ruled. The most famous building in the complex is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a building made entirely of wood and no nails. Open daily from 8.30am-6pm; admission Y35.

Summer Palace, Haidan Originally built as a retreat from the city for the imperial family, the Summer Palace is where you will find enormous grounds to walk through and Kunming Lake to boat on. Open daily from 7am-5pm; admission Y30.

January/February - Chinese New Year Sometimes referred to as 'Spring Festival', this is the biggest event on Beijing's calendar. Celebrations last four days and the best places to witness them are in one of the city's temples.

February - Lantern Festival Marking the end of the Spring Festival, people carry around red lanterns for the day. Some have poems in them while others are decorated with pictures.

April - Qingming Festival Also known as 'Pure Brightness' or 'Tomb-Sweeping Day', people pay respect to the deceased by cleaning around their tombs.

May - Labour Day May 1st sees various types of celebrations take place in parks and squares all over Beijing. On the day, Tiananmen Square is transformed into one giant flower bed.

May - MIDI Music Festival Held in Haidian Park, this popular music festival features a number of stages playing host to rock bands from China and beyond. Stalls selling everything from shoes to CDs are also part of the festival.

August - People's Liberation Army Day This national day on August 1st commemorates what the PLA did for its country. Once again, Tiananmen Square is where most celebrations take place.

August - Ghost Festival Celebrated during the 7th lunar month, this festival is held at a time of year when it is thought that ghosts return to earth. In order to appease these spirits, people leave offerings and burn paper money.

September - Mid-Autumn Festival Falling exactly seven months from the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, this event is regularly referred to as 'Moon Festival' as friends and family munch on moon cakes for the day.

October - National Day Commemorating the anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic by Mao Zedong in 1949, Tiananmen Square is where the celebrations take place each year on October 1st.

October - Double Ninth Festival Held on the ninth day of the ninth month (hence the name), people drink chrysanthemum wine and have chrysanthemum cakes as it is believed food made from the plant keeps evil spirits at bay.

Chaoyang East of downtown Beijing is Chaoyang, Beijing's largest district. Largely residential, there is still lots to see and do. The city's expanding CBD is here, which is where the Olympic Park for the 2008 Olympic Games was built. Many of the country's embassies are in the district, as is Dongyue Temple. Most travellers though, make their way here to visit Sanlitun, the Chinese capital's most vibrant area after dark.

Xicheng Located just north west of central Beijing, Xicheng is full of restaurants and shops, making it a great place to watch locals go about their day to day duties. Its main arteries are between (and include) Xinijekou Nandajie and Xisi Nandajie, and are peppered with retail outlets and, for some reason, stores selling musical instruments.

A bit of heaven in Beijing Chongwen South of Tiananmen Square, this is a part of central Beijing that is visited mainly by people going to the Temple of Heaven. Others come here to shop thanks to Hongqiao Market shopping mall and Panjiayuan Flea Market, as well as relax in Longtan Park and take pedal boats out on the lake of the same name.

Haidain Home to over two million inhabitants, Haidian is Beijing's second largest district after Chaoyang. It is full of attractions as Beijing's zoo, aquarium and planetarium can all be found here, along with the celebrated Summer Palace. Beijing University is also here, resulting in many affordable restaurants and lots of lively bars.

Dongcheng If there was one neighbourhood one could classify as 'downtown' it would be Dongcheng where Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City are located. Home to the best surviving parts of the old city, many temples are here too, most notably Lama Temple on Yonghegong Dajie. It is also popular with Beijing's big retailers.

Panjiayuan Flea Market, Panjiayuan Lu Beijing's best-known flea market, or 'dirt market' as it is more commonly known, is one of the largest of its type in Asia. The market space covers an area of over 45,000 square meters and in it are thousands of stalls selling everything from clothes to pottery. Open Sat & Sun from 6am-3pm.

Beijing's premier shopping street Wangfujing Located just minutes from Tiananmen Square, Wangfujing is a pedestrianised street that doesn't have an abundance of famous brands jumping out at you, but it is still evidently the city's main shopping street. Along with the obligatory camera shops, Nike and Adidas both have stores here, while the clothes stores trying to tempt you to treat yourself aren't so familiar.

The Malls at Oriental Plaza, 1 Dongchang'an Jie Beijing's best shopping centre is a dream come true if you have some spare money to spend. Guys can see what's hanging on the rails in Jack & Jones, Boss, Esprit and the Levi's Store, while the ladies will be more drawn to Mango, Kookai, and Vero Moda. This mall is also home to the Sony ExploraScience, the first Sony Science Museum in Asia outside of Japan. Open daily from 10am-10pm.

Hongqiao Market, Hongqiao Lu Sometimes referred to as 'Pearl Market', you'll find that many of the stores here specialise in the cream gems. But there's more to it than that - electronic goods, cameras, sporting goods, bags and (copy) watches can all be picked up too. Open daily from 8.30am-7pm.

Yashow Market, 58 Gongtibeilu Just south of Sanlitun (Bar Street), this shopping mall is spread out over five floors. Mainly specialising in clothes, on the top floor you can buy electronic goods. Open daily from 9.30am-8pm.

Visit Beijing's galleries Dotted all over the Chinese capital are a host of art galleries which impose no admission charge. These include the Red Gate Gallery which houses modern art, the Beijing East Gallery and the Wan Fung Art Gallery which also have contemporary Chinese paintings, and Kuaixue Hall where the paintings decking the gallery's numerous walls reflect life in Beijing.

Pay your respects at Beijing's temples While entrance to them isn't entirely free, tickets for Beijing's temples won't break the bank by any means. The best-known is Lama Temple where you will always encounter worshippers burning incense. Others include Dongyue Temple which dates back to the 14th century, and the Dazhong Temple which houses a bell that weighs over 45 tonnes.

Relax in Beijing's parks As this is the capital of China, things can get pretty hectic in Beijing no matter what part of town you are in. When it begins to get a bit much for you, take refuge in the city's parks. Jingshan Park and Dongdan Park are the two most central. Get to them early and you might see locals practising tai chi.

Go to Beijing's museums Just like the city's temples, Beijing's museums aren't free but the admission charges are low. One of the most impressive is the National History Museum and the National Museum of China, which is conveniently located on Tiananmen Square.

Fit in with the locals Rent a bike for the day Figuring out Beijing's bus network can prove to be quite difficult. And while the underground is convenient, there are still many places without stops. Because of this, before you set off sightseeing for the day, invest around Y100 in renting a bicycle for the day as there is no doubt you will get your money's worth. On top of that, you'll fit in with the locals!

Rent a bike for the day and cycle to Tiananmen Square, the largest urban square in the world. See hundreds pose for photos and join in if you feel the urge.

Walk through the iconic Tiananmen before reaching the Forbidden Palace. Marvel at the ancient Chinese architecture before entering the palace museum.

Go and grab some lunch. South of Tiananmen Square is Quan Ju De, famous for its crispy Peking Duck, while east is a food court in the Malls at Oriental Plaza.

Take a stroll up Wangfujing. Lined each side with stores and shopping centres, it is the most famous shopping street in the Chinese capital.

Jump back on your bike and cycle to Lama Temple (below), one of the most beautiful temples in Beijing. Watch as hundreds burn incense as they worship.

Visit the Temple of Heaven. Cycle if you have the energy, but if you don't lock the bike up somewhere around Tiananmen Square and take a cab.

Drop your bike off, then go and freshen up before going out. You'll be sweating after all that cycling!

Make your way to the Sanlitun area of Beijing, the city's most vibrant area and full of bars and restaurants. Try Peking Duck in one of the restaurants if you haven't already.

Finish the night off bar hopping on Sanlitun Lu, or 'Bar Street' as it's also (and aptly) known. Some of them include 'Downtown', 'Lily', 'Café No. 44', 'Swing' and 'Milan Club'.