Beijing Trip: 9 Mistakes We Made (So You Don't Have To)

1. Temple of Heaven: buy the combo ticket. A lot of people say you don't need it — but if you want to actually enter the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (祈年殿), the basic gate ticket won't get you in. Also, they stop checking tickets at 4:30 PM. If you're going in the afternoon, enter from the North Gate — it's much closer to the main hall. Coming from the South Gate means a very long walk before you even get there.

2. Forbidden City: the Jinyu Hutong shortcut is real, but watch out. Entering via Jinyu Hutong to the East Gate is definitely faster. BUT — if you want to see Tiananmen Gate up close first, don't go straight through the Meridian Gate. Once you enter, you can't go back to Tiananmen. Plan your order carefully.

Also, the Forbidden City mini-program blocks scalpers. Don't keep logging in to check before your booking day — my account got flagged and I couldn't buy tickets. My dad's account, which he'd never logged into before, went through instantly.

3. Tiananmen security takes FOREVER. If you're coming from Qianmen/Dashilan, line up at the white canopy crossing — NOT the subway exit one. Easy to mix up. Give yourself extra time because the security line is by far the longest wait of any Beijing attraction.

4. National Museum: go to B1 first thing. The main exhibition on basement level 1 is where all the crowds pile up. The upper floors are usually much calmer. Hit B1 early, then work your way up.

5. Lunch is a problem. Around the Forbidden City and Tiananmen area, once you're inside the security perimeter, going out for food and coming back is a massive hassle. We ended up eating sandwiches from our bags for several days. Bring snacks.

6. Nanmen Sharou hack. At the Tiantandian branch, go to the hallway next to the bathroom and wait there. Sometimes a kind staff member will seat you directly when a table opens up, skipping the main queue. Also: the portions are HUGE. Three of us ate for about ¥200 and felt like a ¥400-500 meal back home.

7. The Great Wall is steeper than you think. The section from North Tower 3 to North Tower 4 is genuinely steep. If you're bringing older family members, seriously consider the cable car — don't push it.

8. Map apps send you to the WRONG gate. This happened to us multiple times. The app sent us to the Summer Palace's West Gate and the Bird's Nest via Olympic Park — both are far from the main entrance with nobody around. For the Summer Palace, use the North Gate or East Gate. For the Bird's Nest, approach from the Olympic Sports Center station — way more lively and closer.

9. My personal ranking of Beijing attractions: Forbidden City > Shichahai + Prince Gong's Mansion > Summer Palace > National Museum ≥ Tiananmen > Temple of Heaven = Great Wall = Mao Memorial = Bird's Nest = Qianmen Street