Imperial Capital · North China
Beijing for travel agents
Beijing guide for agents: Forbidden City, Great Wall at Mutianyu, Temple of Heaven, halal dining in Niujie, ticketing rules and how many nights to sell.
What to sell in Beijing
The Forbidden City
The Ming and Qing imperial palace. Real-name tickets booked in advance; normally closed on Mondays outside peak holiday periods.
The Great Wall at Mutianyu
About 1.5–2 hours by road. Restored, calmer than Badaling, with cable car and toboggan.
Temple of Heaven
Best early in the morning, when the park fills with residents doing tai chi.
Summer Palace
Lakeside imperial garden; a boat across Kunming Lake breaks up the walking.
Niujie and its mosque
Beijing's historic Hui Muslim quarter; Niujie Mosque dates from 996.
How we plan Beijing
What we arrange
We book the Forbidden City and other real-name tickets at confirmation with passport details, route the Great Wall day to Mutianyu with private vehicles, and plan every meal against the client's dietary needs before pricing. Four nights is the right length for a first trip; three works if the itinerary is tight.
Getting there
Two international airports, Capital (PEK) and Daxing (PKX), both about 45–75 minutes from the centre. High-speed trains to Shanghai take about 4.5–6 hours and to Xi'an about 4.5–6 hours.
When to go
April–May and September–October are the best months. Summer is hot and busy with domestic school holidays; winter is cold and dry but quiet, and the Great Wall in snow sells well. Avoid Golden Week, 1–7 October.
Halal, veg and Jain
Straightforward. Niujie has a long-established Hui community with halal restaurants, and halal hotpot and roast lamb are part of mainstream Beijing food. Vegetarian and Jain meals need planning but are available in the main districts.
Routes that include Beijing
Questions about Beijing
How many nights should a first-time client spend in Beijing?
Four, so the Great Wall gets an unhurried day of its own. Three nights works by combining the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace into one day.
Is the Forbidden City open every day?
It is normally closed on Mondays outside peak holiday periods, and tickets are real-name and limited per day. We book them at confirmation, which is why we ask for passport copies early.
Which Great Wall section is best for families?
Mutianyu. It is restored, has a cable car up and a toboggan or cable car down, and is less crowded than Badaling.
Updated 2 November 2026. Best for: First-time visitors · Families · Muslim-friendly programmes · 240-hour transit stopovers.