The best things to do on a Beijing layover, visiting Korea Town to hiking the Great Wall
From touring the airport to tucking into Korean food, seeing the Great Wall or the 798 Art District, there are plenty of distractions in the Chinese capital for travellers with a little time on their hands
Beijingers like to say it can take you a year to thoroughly explore the capital. But China’s fourth most populous city can also be discovered in bite-sized visits. Beijing Capital International Airport is located about 30 kilometres from the city centre – but only half that distance from some interesting areas on the eastern flank of the city.
You can take the Airport Express to Dongzhimen subway station, to use the relatively straightforward subway system. Cabs are easy and convenient, but make sure you have your destination marked on a map or written down in Mandarin to avoid confusion.
The best things to do on a Hong Kong layover, from airport entertainment to island hopping
Thanks to the airport’s relative proximity to the city, even during a layover you can choose at least one Beijing escapade – which one you choose depends on how much time you have.
Let’s get this out of the way: despite being the world’s second busiest, Beijing’s airport doesn’t have a great selection of restaurants and entertainment areas. To dine at one of the better dim sum, hotpot or Peking duck restaurants in the area, you would need to leave the airport, which requires a bit more time.
That said, the airport building itself is worth seeing. Terminal 3, the airport’s newest and largest terminal, opened in 2008 ahead of the Beijing Olympics. The gleaming structure was designed by British architecture house Foster and Partners and incorporates Chinese elements such as a large copper vat of the type used to store water for fires in the Forbidden City.
