Beijing's North-West: Which One to Pick
Choose one north-west Beijing outing instead of treating the area as a checklist. These places suit different seasons and interests, and most pairings cost more time in transit than they return in sightseeing.
The short answer
Give it to the Summer Palace (see the half-day parks page). The Old Summer Palace is one stop away on Line 4, but our entry says not to try both in a day unless you give up most of one. Everything else on this page is for a second day.
They pair by line. Fragrant Hills and the Botanical Garden are 1.5 km apart on the Western Suburban tram from Bagou, and together they make one day, 90 minutes each way from the centre. The Zoo, the Five-Pagoda Temple and the Big Bell Temple fill a morning on Lines 4 and 13; the Big Bell Temple is 3 km north of the Zoo. The Old Summer Palace goes with the Summer Palace.
The headline price rarely covers the thing you came for. At the Old Summer Palace buy the ¥25 through ticket, because the ¥10 park ticket leaves out the ruins. At Fragrant Hills pay ¥15 to include Biyun Temple. At the Botanical Garden the ¥50 pass adds the conservatory and the Reclining Buddha Temple. At the Zoo pay ¥19 to include the pandas. The Big Bell Temple is a flat ¥30.
The parks open but the halls inside them do not. That means Biyun Temple and the Shuangqing villa at Fragrant Hills, the conservatory and the Reclining Buddha Temple at the Botanical Garden, and the whole of the Big Bell and Five-Pagoda temples. The Old Summer Palace and the Zoo list no closing day, so do those.
Fragrant Hills from mid-October to mid-November is the most crowded park in Beijing at weekends, with hour-long queues for the tram and the chairlift. Go Monday to Thursday and arrive by 8:00. In 2023 the park also suggested buying ahead on its WeChat official account; a 2020 notice has foreigners book there with a passport. Gate windows still sell on the day.
Side by sideEach cell ends with the date of the notice it was checked against
Swipe sideways; the first column stays put
Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan)
圆明园遗址公园Open the place →- What you see & how long
- The imperial garden looted and burned in October 1860: 350 hectares of lakes and foundations, and in one corner the broken marble of the Jesuit-designed Western Mansions. Allow two hours; the ruins are 2 km from the south gate · 2026-09-11
- Ticket (season / inner sites)
- Park ¥10; Western Mansions ruins ¥15; model show ¥10; through ticket ¥25. The ¥10 park ticket does not include the ruins · 2020-12-22
- Hours & closed days
- April-October tickets 7:00-19:00, park to 21:00; November-March tickets to 17:30. The ruins stop admitting at 19:00 in summer and 17:30 in winter. No closing day published · 2023-12-22
- Booking & passport
- No booking stated: ticket offices at four gates sell on the day; online only via the park's WeChat mini-program. No ID rule for full-price tickets · 2023-12-28
- Getting there
- Line 4 Yuanmingyuan station exit B is at the south gate. The Western Mansions are 2 km north-east inside the park: 30 minutes' walk or the park shuttle · 2026-09-11
- When to go & crowds
- The Great Fountain ruins are busy 10:00-16:00 on weekends and holidays; the rest is empty at any hour. July-August lotus and the November ginkgo are the local seasons; winter is bleak · 2026-09-11
- Don't get this wrong
- Not the Summer Palace next door, which survived; this one is a ruin. There are no standing buildings like the Summer Palace's · 2026-09-11
Fragrant Hills Park
香山公园Open the place →- What you see & how long
- A royal hill park on the western edge of the city, with its peak at 575 m, a chairlift, Mao's 1949 villa and Biyun Temple inside the same wall. The walk up takes 60-90 minutes. It is a whole day with the journey · 2026-09-15
- Ticket (season / inner sites)
- ¥10 (1 April-15 November) / ¥5 in winter; with Biyun Temple ¥15 / ¥14. The chairlift is extra · 2026-09-15
- Hours & closed days
- 1 April-15 November 6:00-19:30 (last entry 18:30); winter 6:00-19:00 (18:00). The park opens daily; Shuangqing villa and the temples close on Mondays · 2026-09-15
- Booking & passport
- Gate windows sell on the day, in red-leaf season too (park, October 2023). Online is real-name: a 2020 park notice has foreign visitors book on the park's WeChat service account and show that passport at the gate, one ticket per document per day · 2020-04-23
- Getting there
- Western Suburban tram from Bagou (Line 10) to the Xiangshan terminus, 25 minutes, then 1 km on foot to the east gate. Or Line 4 Beigongmen and bus 331/563. Allow 90 minutes each way from the centre · 2026-09-15
- When to go & crowds
- Mid-October to mid-November weekends are the crush: the tram and chairlift queues reach an hour. Go on a weekday and arrive by 8:00, or come in April for blossom or September for empty paths · 2026-09-15
- Don't get this wrong
- Not the Botanical Garden next door: Biyun Temple is inside Fragrant Hills, while the Reclining Buddha Temple is in the Botanical Garden. The tram's Xiangshan station is 1 km from the gate · 2026-09-15
National Botanical Garden (North Garden)
国家植物园（北园）Open the place →- What you see & how long
- 400 hectares at the foot of the Western Hills. There are 15 themed gardens, a 9,800 m² conservatory, the Cherry Valley stream path (40 minutes to the spring) and the Reclining Buddha Temple with its 5.3 m bronze Buddha. Flowers alone make a day · 2026-09-11
- Ticket (season / inner sites)
- North Garden ¥10; Reclining Buddha Temple ¥5; the ¥50 pass adds the conservatory and the temple. The gate price rises during flower shows · 2026-09-11
- Hours & closed days
- Gates 6:00-21:00 (entry to 20:00) 16 March-15 November; winter 6:30-19:00. Gardens open daily; the conservatory, the temple and the Cao Xueqin memorial close on Mondays · 2026-09-11
- Booking & passport
- Real-name booking up to 7 days ahead on the garden's own WeChat ticket account. Foreign visitors enter a passport number and scan the QR code at the gate; over-60s exchange a free ticket on a passport. Walk-up sales are not ruled out · 2026-09-11
- Getting there
- Western Suburban tram (from Line 10 Bagou) to Botanical Garden station, then 500 m to the south gate; or Line 4 Beigongmen and bus 331/563. Fragrant Hills' east gate is 1.5 km west on the same road · 2026-09-11
- When to go & crowds
- Peach blossom (late March-April) and the May rose garden are the busy weeks. Summer weekdays are quiet and the conservatory is empty in the afternoon; winter is bare · 2026-09-11
- Don't get this wrong
- The South Garden across the road is the Academy of Sciences half, with its own gate and ticket. Biyun Temple is in Fragrant Hills, not here; this garden's temple is the Reclining Buddha · 2026-09-11
Beijing Zoo
北京动物园Open the place →- What you see & how long
- China's oldest zoo (1906), 86 hectares, with the giant pandas most people come for and late-Qing garden buildings between the enclosures. Pick pandas, primates and big cats and skip the rest, or it takes all day · 2026-09-11
- Ticket (season / inner sites)
- April-October ¥15, ¥19 with the panda house; November-March ¥10 / ¥14; panda house alone ¥5. The ¥15 ticket does not include the pandas · 2026-07-15
- Hours & closed days
- April-October 7:30-19:00 (last entry 18:00); November-March 7:30-18:00 (17:00). Panda house 8:00-18:00. No closing day listed · 2026-09-11
- Booking & passport
- Gate windows, plus the municipal '畅游公园' platform online; real-name booking is widely reported but not stated as compulsory. No ID rule published for gate tickets; foreign students half price with a valid card · 2026-09-11
- Getting there
- Line 4 Dongwuyuan station exit A or B opens at the south (main) gate. The north gate on the canal faces the Five-Pagoda Temple · 2026-09-11
- When to go & crowds
- Weekends and school holidays bring family crowds from 9:00, and the panda queue is worst 10:00-14:00. At the 7:30 opening the pandas are fed and active; winter weekdays are near-empty · 2026-09-11
- Don't get this wrong
- Not Beijing Wildlife Park in Daxing or the Badaling safari park; this is the city zoo at Xizhimen. And the ¥15 ticket is not the panda ticket · 2026-09-11
Big Bell Temple (Ancient Bell Museum)
大钟寺（古钟博物馆）Open the place →- What you see & how long
- A 1733 temple built around the Yongle bell, 46.5 tonnes and 6.75 m tall, cast inside and out with more than 230,000 characters of scripture. There are also halls of bronze bells and a chime set visitors can strike. Allow 90 minutes · 2026-09-11
- Ticket (season / inner sites)
- ¥30; students ¥15; under-18s and over-60s free with ID; the first 200 visitors free on Wednesdays · 2024-02-08
- Hours & closed days
- Tuesday-Sunday 9:00-17:00, ticket sales and entry end 16:30. Closed Mondays · 2024-02-08
- Booking & passport
- No booking: buy at the gate. Adult tickets need no ID; the free-entry rule for minors has no nationality condition · 2024-02-08
- Getting there
- Line 13 Dazhongsi station exit A, then 400 m west along the north side of the ring road. It is 3 km north of the Zoo: take a taxi, or Line 4 to Xizhimen and change to Line 13 for one stop · 2026-09-11
- When to go & crowds
- Never crowded. The free tours at 10:00 and 14:00 gather a dozen people, and weekend mornings bring families to the chime bells · 2026-09-11
- Don't get this wrong
- Not the Bell Tower on the central axis by the Drum Tower; this is a temple museum of bells. The metro station is 400 m away, across the interchange · 2026-09-11
| Compare | Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) | Fragrant Hills Park | National Botanical Garden (North Garden) | Beijing Zoo | Big Bell Temple (Ancient Bell Museum) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you see & how long | The imperial garden looted and burned in October 1860: 350 hectares of lakes and foundations, and in one corner the broken marble of the Jesuit-designed Western Mansions. Allow two hours; the ruins are 2 km from the south gate · 2026-09-11 | A royal hill park on the western edge of the city, with its peak at 575 m, a chairlift, Mao's 1949 villa and Biyun Temple inside the same wall. The walk up takes 60-90 minutes. It is a whole day with the journey · 2026-09-15 | 400 hectares at the foot of the Western Hills. There are 15 themed gardens, a 9,800 m² conservatory, the Cherry Valley stream path (40 minutes to the spring) and the Reclining Buddha Temple with its 5.3 m bronze Buddha. Flowers alone make a day · 2026-09-11 | China's oldest zoo (1906), 86 hectares, with the giant pandas most people come for and late-Qing garden buildings between the enclosures. Pick pandas, primates and big cats and skip the rest, or it takes all day · 2026-09-11 | A 1733 temple built around the Yongle bell, 46.5 tonnes and 6.75 m tall, cast inside and out with more than 230,000 characters of scripture. There are also halls of bronze bells and a chime set visitors can strike. Allow 90 minutes · 2026-09-11 |
| Ticket (season / inner sites) | Park ¥10; Western Mansions ruins ¥15; model show ¥10; through ticket ¥25. The ¥10 park ticket does not include the ruins · 2020-12-22 | ¥10 (1 April-15 November) / ¥5 in winter; with Biyun Temple ¥15 / ¥14. The chairlift is extra · 2026-09-15 | North Garden ¥10; Reclining Buddha Temple ¥5; the ¥50 pass adds the conservatory and the temple. The gate price rises during flower shows · 2026-09-11 | April-October ¥15, ¥19 with the panda house; November-March ¥10 / ¥14; panda house alone ¥5. The ¥15 ticket does not include the pandas · 2026-07-15 | ¥30; students ¥15; under-18s and over-60s free with ID; the first 200 visitors free on Wednesdays · 2024-02-08 |
| Hours & closed days | April-October tickets 7:00-19:00, park to 21:00; November-March tickets to 17:30. The ruins stop admitting at 19:00 in summer and 17:30 in winter. No closing day published · 2023-12-22 | 1 April-15 November 6:00-19:30 (last entry 18:30); winter 6:00-19:00 (18:00). The park opens daily; Shuangqing villa and the temples close on Mondays · 2026-09-15 | Gates 6:00-21:00 (entry to 20:00) 16 March-15 November; winter 6:30-19:00. Gardens open daily; the conservatory, the temple and the Cao Xueqin memorial close on Mondays · 2026-09-11 | April-October 7:30-19:00 (last entry 18:00); November-March 7:30-18:00 (17:00). Panda house 8:00-18:00. No closing day listed · 2026-09-11 | Tuesday-Sunday 9:00-17:00, ticket sales and entry end 16:30. Closed Mondays · 2024-02-08 |
| Booking & passport | No booking stated: ticket offices at four gates sell on the day; online only via the park's WeChat mini-program. No ID rule for full-price tickets · 2023-12-28 | Gate windows sell on the day, in red-leaf season too (park, October 2023). Online is real-name: a 2020 park notice has foreign visitors book on the park's WeChat service account and show that passport at the gate, one ticket per document per day · 2020-04-23 | Real-name booking up to 7 days ahead on the garden's own WeChat ticket account. Foreign visitors enter a passport number and scan the QR code at the gate; over-60s exchange a free ticket on a passport. Walk-up sales are not ruled out · 2026-09-11 | Gate windows, plus the municipal '畅游公园' platform online; real-name booking is widely reported but not stated as compulsory. No ID rule published for gate tickets; foreign students half price with a valid card · 2026-09-11 | No booking: buy at the gate. Adult tickets need no ID; the free-entry rule for minors has no nationality condition · 2024-02-08 |
| Getting there | Line 4 Yuanmingyuan station exit B is at the south gate. The Western Mansions are 2 km north-east inside the park: 30 minutes' walk or the park shuttle · 2026-09-11 | Western Suburban tram from Bagou (Line 10) to the Xiangshan terminus, 25 minutes, then 1 km on foot to the east gate. Or Line 4 Beigongmen and bus 331/563. Allow 90 minutes each way from the centre · 2026-09-15 | Western Suburban tram (from Line 10 Bagou) to Botanical Garden station, then 500 m to the south gate; or Line 4 Beigongmen and bus 331/563. Fragrant Hills' east gate is 1.5 km west on the same road · 2026-09-11 | Line 4 Dongwuyuan station exit A or B opens at the south (main) gate. The north gate on the canal faces the Five-Pagoda Temple · 2026-09-11 | Line 13 Dazhongsi station exit A, then 400 m west along the north side of the ring road. It is 3 km north of the Zoo: take a taxi, or Line 4 to Xizhimen and change to Line 13 for one stop · 2026-09-11 |
| When to go & crowds | The Great Fountain ruins are busy 10:00-16:00 on weekends and holidays; the rest is empty at any hour. July-August lotus and the November ginkgo are the local seasons; winter is bleak · 2026-09-11 | Mid-October to mid-November weekends are the crush: the tram and chairlift queues reach an hour. Go on a weekday and arrive by 8:00, or come in April for blossom or September for empty paths · 2026-09-15 | Peach blossom (late March-April) and the May rose garden are the busy weeks. Summer weekdays are quiet and the conservatory is empty in the afternoon; winter is bare · 2026-09-11 | Weekends and school holidays bring family crowds from 9:00, and the panda queue is worst 10:00-14:00. At the 7:30 opening the pandas are fed and active; winter weekdays are near-empty · 2026-09-11 | Never crowded. The free tours at 10:00 and 14:00 gather a dozen people, and weekend mornings bring families to the chime bells · 2026-09-11 |
| Don't get this wrong | Not the Summer Palace next door, which survived; this one is a ruin. There are no standing buildings like the Summer Palace's · 2026-09-11 | Not the Botanical Garden next door: Biyun Temple is inside Fragrant Hills, while the Reclining Buddha Temple is in the Botanical Garden. The tram's Xiangshan station is 1 km from the gate · 2026-09-15 | The South Garden across the road is the Academy of Sciences half, with its own gate and ticket. Biyun Temple is in Fragrant Hills, not here; this garden's temple is the Reclining Buddha · 2026-09-11 | Not Beijing Wildlife Park in Daxing or the Badaling safari park; this is the city zoo at Xizhimen. And the ¥15 ticket is not the panda ticket · 2026-09-11 | Not the Bell Tower on the central axis by the Drum Tower; this is a temple museum of bells. The metro station is 400 m away, across the interchange · 2026-09-11 |
Summer Palace：If you have one day for this side of Beijing, it goes here, not to anything above. The park is ¥30 (¥20 in winter), or ¥60 for the combined ticket with the inner gardens, which close on Mondays. It is one stop from the Old Summer Palace on Line 4, but do not try both in a day. Compared on the half-day parks page The first day out here. → See “Half a Day: Which Park?”
Five-Pagoda Temple：Across the canal from the Zoo's north gate: a 1473 diamond-throne pagoda with five towers on a carved stone base, and a yard of stone carvings. ¥20, Tuesday-Sunday 9:00-17:00, closed Mondays, and almost empty. An hour if you like stone After the Zoo, not on a Monday.
Biyun Temple：The best building inside Fragrant Hills: a 35 m diamond-throne pagoda, a hall of 500 gilded arhats and the Sun Yat-sen memorial hall, up six terraces. ¥10 alone or ¥15 with the park ticket. It closes an hour and a half before the park (last entry 17:00 in summer, 16:30 in winter) and on Mondays (draft entry), so do not leave it to the end of the day Early in a Fragrant Hills day.
One by one
Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan)
圆明园遗址公园Come for the ruins and the history, not a garden. Most of it is lakes, reeds and foundation stones, and the famous ruins are a half-hour walk from the metro. Buy the ¥25 through ticket at the gate, go straight to the Western Mansions, and allow two hours. It has no closing day. The park's official site has full English visitor notes. For the history of 1860, in two hours.
Open the place →Fragrant Hills Park
香山公园A hill, 90 minutes each way, worth a whole day for one view, one temple and the two weeks of red leaves. In those two weeks, go on a weekday or not at all. Outside them it is quiet and good value at ¥10. Buy the ¥15 ticket to include Biyun Temple, and be down before dark, because the summit paths have no lights. For a hill walk, paired with the Botanical Garden.
Open the place →National Botanical Garden (North Garden)
国家植物园（北园）A big garden whose best parts cost extra and close on Mondays. Go Tuesday to Sunday, pay the ¥50 pass for the conservatory and the Reclining Buddha Temple, and do the temple first, because it closes before the gates. Cherry Valley is the coolest walk in Beijing in August. On the official ticket page, it is also one of the few gardens here that names the passport. For flowers in spring, shade in summer.
Open the place →Beijing Zoo
北京动物园The cheapest big-name ticket in Beijing, and the only one on this page next to a metro exit. Buy the ¥19 ticket so the pandas are included, and be there at 7:30, when they are fed and awake. By midday they sleep and the families arrive. The rest of the enclosures are old. The Five-Pagoda Temple across the canal from the north gate is the one old building worth the detour. For pandas first thing in the morning.
Open the place →Big Bell Temple (Ancient Bell Museum)
大钟寺（古钟博物馆）Nothing to book and no ID for adults: pay ¥30 at the gate and give it 90 minutes for the great bell and the chime set. It is a single-subject museum on a noisy ring road, closed on Mondays, with nothing else within walking distance. Pair it with the Zoo morning, and come at 9:00 on a Wednesday for a free ticket. For one great bell, after the Zoo.
Open the place →