Beijing, one of China's top tourist destinations, serves as an excellent gateway for exploring the country's allure. Neighboring Beijing, Tianjin is an ideal choice for short getaways during weekends or holidays, offering easy accessibility and a distinct urban atmosphere that differs from Beijing.
Cruise passengers arriving at Tianjin could also easily visit Beijing. If you plan to explore both cities, this article provides useful tips.
Content Preview
- How Long Is Needed
- How to Arrange
- Transportation Between Beijing and Tianjin
- Best Times
- Accommodation
- Cost
How Long Is Needed for a Beijing and Tianjin Trip?
A trip to Beijing and Tianjin usually takes 3–6 days with different arrangements, such as 2–4 days in Beijing and 1–2 days in Tianjin. As Beijing has more landmarks and experiences, you could spend more time in Beijing.
How Many Days to Spend in Beijing
Generally, your trip to Beijing would take 2–4 days.
2-3 days are essential for experiencing the most classic attractions, such as the Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square, and the Great Wall.
If you want to enrich the trip, you could add 1 or 2 days for some other special experiences.
If you want to learn about Beijing's traditional lifestyle, you could consider a 1-day hutong tour to see the local residences, explore local markets, and try some food.
If you travel with kids, you could add 1 day at Universal Studios Beijing for family fun. Alternatively, you could also enjoy a day exploring Beijing freely.
How Many Days to Spend in Tianjin
Ferris wheel and night view of TianjinCompared with Beijing, Tianjin doesn't have as many famous attractions. You could spend just 1–2 days in Tianjin to experience its city highlights.
One day is required for city landmarks, such as Wudadao and Ancient Culture Street. On another day, you could consider going to the Huangyaguan section of the Great Wall (if you don't have time to go to a section of the Great Wall in Beijing).
Sugar blowing figures in Ancient Culture StreetIf you like Chinese paintings, adding 1 day at the Yangliuqing New Year Painting Museum would be a good choice. If you are interested in ancient Chinese house architecture, you could add 1 day to visit the Shi Family Courtyard. Both sites are in Yangliuqing Township on the outskirts of Tianjin, which is 40 minutes' drive from the city center.
How to Arrange a Beijing and Tianjin Itinerary
- Day 1: Tianjin Port arrival, explore Tianjin's highlights, and transfer to Beijing at night
- Day 2: Visit Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City
- Day 3: Visit the Temple of Heaven and the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall
- Day 4: Visit the Summer Palace and the hutongs
- Day 5: Beijing departure or go back to Tianjin Port for your cruise
This is a refined itinerary of Tianjin and Beijing, including must-sees of the two cities.
On your first day in Tianjin, if you arrive early, spend the afternoon exploring the highlights of downtown Tianjin and then head straight to Beijing in the evening. If you arrive late, we recommend staying one night in Tianjin and exploring Tianjin the next day.
Of course, if you are pressed for time and want to focus more on Beijing, you could refer to our 3-day Beijing tour.
You could also refer to this itinerary in reverse. Visit Beijing for 3 days and Tianjin for 1 day, then depart from Tianjin or return to Beijing.
Our tours are customizable so if you have other places you want to visit or you want to adjust your itinerary, just contact us and we will make your itinerary according to your requirements and interests.
How to Travel Between Beijing and Tianjin
Since Beijing and Tianjin are adjacent to each other, the best way to travel between them is by bullet train as it only takes 21–40 minutes. The bullet trains operate many times each day, making the times flexible for you.
Bullet trains between Beijing and Tianjin basically depart from Beijing South Railway Station, which is located in downtown Beijing and can be reached by subway lines 4 and 14.
There are 6 main train stations in Tianjin. If you want to go to the center of Tianjin, we recommend Tianjin Railway Station (15 minutes' drive from the city center). If you want to go to Tianjin Port, Binhai Railway Station is recommended (40 minutes' drive from Tianjin Port).
From Tianjin Port to Beijing
Tianjin Port is about 180 kilometers (112 miles) from the center of Beijing.
If you want to save time and trouble, driving directly from Tianjin Port to Beijing is the best and most recommended way. You could choose to take a taxi directly from the port; however, because the port is located in a remote area, many taxi drivers would ask for a higher price, most of the taxis may not have a meter, and many of the drivers wouldn't speak English.
If you want to take a taxi, we recommend that you know the approximate price in advance and, if it is more than that, you could bargain with the driver. If you don't speak Chinese, we recommend that you prepare the address in Chinese with your destination in advance.
A private transfer is also an option and recommended if you want a hassle-free trip. The driver would wait for you at the exit in advance so that you could get to the hotel and rest as soon as possible. There would be an English-speaking guide to receive you and you could contact the guide for anything you encounter.
Alternatively, you could take the train. You could head to Binhai Railway Station to take a train to Beijing. Binhai Railway Station is about 40 minutes' drive away or 1 hour 20 minutes by bus from the harbor.
Get more details on Best Way to Get from Tianjin Cruise Port to Beijing.
Best Times to Visit Beijing and Tianjin
Beijing and Tianjin are neighbors and their climates are similar. Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–October) are the best times to visit Beijing and Tianjin, with mild weather and few tourists.
Spring is a good time to enjoy the romantic sea of flowers. You could see peach and cherry blossoms in Beijing's Summer Palace, or crabapples and magnolias in Tianjin's Wudadao.
The Summer Palace has a sea of flowers in springAutumn is the most intoxicating time in Beijing and Tianjin. Both have ginkgo and red leaves in full bloom, but the background of Beijing is traditional Chinese architecture, while the background of Tianjin is European architecture, giving you a different atmosphere.
Red leaves in Beijing's Xiangshan ParkSummer (June–August) is hot, with average temperatures of 23–35°C (73–95°F). You could take a walk along Beijing's tree-lined alleys and enjoy the charm of old Beijing, or take a night cruise on the Haihe River as a pleasant way to enjoy Tianjin's night view.
Our guests strolled in Hutong in summerIf you visit in summer, it is better to go in June to avoid China's peak summer vacation period in July and August. Moreover, the weather in June is not very hot and there are fewer people, so your travel experience would be better.
In winter (November–February), it snows in Beijing and Tianjin. In Beijing, standing in the quiet Forbidden City in the snow makes you feel like you have traveled back to ancient China. In Tianjin, you could also skate on the Haihe River, feed seagulls flying from Siberia, and experience winter fun.
The Forbidden City in the SnowClick Best Times to Visit Beijing for more information.
Where to Stay in Beijing and Tianjin
This section offers some accommodation options in Beijing and Tianjin for you.
Where to Stay in Beijing
If you are a first-timer in Beijing and want a convenient location, the Wangfujing area is recommended. It is easily accessible and close to the Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square, and the Temple of Heaven.
If you like an atmosphere with a buzz and nightlife, the China World Mall/CBD area is recommended. It is home to shopping centers and Sanlitun Bar Street.
If you like hutongs, we recommend the Shichahai/Nanluogu Lane area. There are many hutong hotels there to give you a taste of the old Beijing atmosphere.
Where to Stay in Tianjin
The most convenient area to stay in is the downtown area close to Binjiang Road/Little White House, which is surrounded by amenities for entertainment, dining, and shopping, offers easy access to transportation, and is close to Tianjin Railway Station.
If you want to be close to Tianjin Port, Binhai New Area is recommended.
A Tip:
If you are just doing a one-day tour in Tianjin, you may consider not staying in Tianjin. There are many trains from Tianjin to Beijing, and the latest one leaves at 10:45pm and arrives in Beijing at 11:15pm. That way, you could head to Beijing as soon as you finish your tour in Tianjin and save one night's accommodation.
Cost for a Beijing and Tianjin Trip
Since Beijing is a first-tier city and Tianjin is a second-tier city, the costs in Beijing would be higher than in Tianjin. For example, hotels in Beijing are about 40–75% more expensive than those in Tianjin, with 5-star hotels in Beijing costing 1,400–2,500 CNY (193–345 USD) and 5-star hotels in Tianjin costing 800–1,800 CNY (110–248 USD).
Restaurant costs in Beijing and Tianjin are not much different, with ordinary restaurants in the two cities costing about 100–150 CNY (14–21 USD) per person and buffets in 5-star hotels costing about 150–250 CNY (21–35 USD) per person.
Generally, the cost of a private tour for a group of 2–5 people is 200–230 USD per person per day, and this price includes transportation within China, 4-star or 5-star hotels, attraction tickets, private transportation, and tour guides.
The above are just reference prices. We will give you a more specific price according to the itinerary, travel time, number of travelers, hotel selection, etc. Just contact us.