How to Plan a Family Trip to Beijing from Singapore

For Singaporeans, it is very convenient to travel to Beijing now. It is visa-free for 30 days and the transportation is very convenient. Beijing is the main window to understand China. You could see historical sites, such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. As a top-level city in China, Beijing's infrastructure is very family-friendly in all aspects.

This article will help you to plan your family trip to Beijing from Singapore.

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• Recommended Fun and Unique Experiences
• Singapore to Beijing Flight Time
• How Many Days Are Best?
• Accomdation
• Transport Tips
• Best Times
• Is It Wheelchair Accessible?
• Cost

Recommended Fun and Unique Experiences for a Family in Beijing

In this section, you will get some ideas of things for the whole family to do in Beijing.

Take a Rickshaw Ride to Explore the Hutongs

Rickshaws in Beijing

Hutongs are Beijing's traditional streets and alleys, and taking a rickshaw ride is a unique way to explore them. This is also very suitable for families. You could explore the beauty of the hutongs without walking too much and you could also experience this ancient Chinese mode of transportation firsthand and deepen your understanding of Beijing's history.

In addition, you could also find some interesting hidden museums in the hutongs, such as Beijing Diabolo Museum. If you are very interested in it, you could even try to play with a yo-yo.

Our guests played Diabolo

You could also taste the popular children's snacks found in the hutongs, such as sugar paintings and sugar gourds, and learn Chinese calligraphy and write the Chinese character for "family".

Play a Game to Learn About the History Hidden in the Forbidden City

In addition to the main palaces on the axis, we recommend that you visit some of the more interesting places for children, including the library of the princes, the Archery Pavilion (the Tools of War Gallery), and the Hall of Clocks and Watches.

You could play a game about the nine sons of the dragon and the auspicious beasts in the Forbidden City to learn about history in a fun, easy-to-digest way.

Nine Dragon Screen

Take a Toboggan Ride at the Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall

The Great Wall is a must-see attraction in Beijing. There are many sections of the Great Wall. For families, we recommend Mutianyu.

The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is relatively flat and easy to climb. The elderly and children could take a cable car up and down the mountain. Children who like thrills could also choose to go up the mountain by cable car and down the mountain by slide.

The slide is 1,580 meters (5,184 feet) long and you would feel the thrill and excitement of flying close to the ground. The manual brakes, which could be adjusted to your own speed, ensure that you reach the ground safely and comfortably.

The slide at Mutianyu Great Wall

If you are interested in Beijing family trip suitable for kids, see our Beijing Family Tour.

Meet Harry Potter, Minions, and Kung Fu Panda at Universal Studios Beijing

JACK'S CARN-EVIL at Universal Studios Beijing

Compared with Universal Studios Singapore, Universal Studios Beijing has Asia's second-largest Hogwarts Castle, the world's largest Minion Land, and the world's only Kung Fu Panda Land. Not only children but adults could also have fun there.

There are many immersive experiences there that make you feel like you are in the movie world. For example, kids could take a simulated flight through the interior of Hogwarts Castle in Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and follow Harry and his friends through thrilling story segments.

Experience Exciting Skiing at the Olympics Ski Resort

Compared to Singapore, which only has indoor ski resorts, Beijing has larger natural ski resorts.

Outdoor ski resorts in Beijing

Beijing was also the skiing venue for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, such as Zhangjiakou's Chongli Ski Resort, which is about 220 kilometers (137 miles) from Beijing. You could enjoy Olympic-level skiing experiences. If you go to Beijing in winter, don't miss this winter fun.

If you don't want to go far away from Beijing city, Nanshan Ski Resort is also a good option.

If you want to feel the passion and speed of skiing, see our 6-Day Beijing Winter Tour with Skiing in a Olympic Winter Games Venue.

Practice Tai Chi at the Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is not only the largest existing ancient sacrificial architectural complex in China, but also a place where locals run, exercise, and practice tai chi in the morning.

Besides going for a visit, if your family wants to experience Chinese culture, especially the elderly, it would be an unforgettable experience to practice with Chinese people there. Feel the power of a loose body and a calm mind and get into the lifestyle of a Beijinger there.

How Many Hours Does It Take to Travel from Singapore to Beijing?

Direct flights from Singapore to Beijing take 6 hours and are available 7 days a week, with 6–9 flights per day. The airlines available for direct flights are Air China, Singapore Airlines, and China Eastern Airlines.

For families, we recommend Singapore Airlines because it has more baggage allowance than the other two airlines and flights are available during the daytime, so you don't need to wake up too early or arrive late at night to disrupt the rest time of your children and the elderly.

How Many Days Are Best for a Family in Beijing?

Because Beijing attractions are relatively large and easily consume physical strength, it is best to arrange only 2–3 attractions per day. Therefore, for family trips, we recommend spending about 1 week in Beijing.

Here is a kid-friendly itinerary suggestion:

• Day 1: Afternoon arrival
• Day 2: Visit Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the hutongs
• Day 3: Visit the Temple of Heaven and the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall
• Day 4: Visit the Summer Palace and Beijing Zoo
• Day 5: Visit Universal Studios Beijing
• Day 6: Free day — we recommend Beihai Park, Shougang Park, and the Bell Tower
• Day 7: Morning departure

The 7-day itinerary is relatively loose. The highlights of Beijing take 2–3 days and the rest of the time could be arranged according to the needs of your children or the elderly, such as Universal Studios Beijing, which children like, and Beihai Park, which is suitable for elderly people to walk around, or a free day to explore as you wish.

Ancient buildings in Beihai Park

There are also many places to visit around Beijing, such as Gubei Water Town (suitable for hot springs), Chengde (suitable for a summer vacation), and Harbin (suitable for visiting the Ice and Snow World).

Harbin Ice and Snow World

• 2-Day Guibei Water Town and Great Wall Day-Night Tour
• 8-Day China Winter Tour: Shanghai, Beijing, Harbin, Xi'an

Our tours are customizable. If you want to adjust or add attractions around Beijing, feel free to contact us.

Where to Stay for a Family in Beijing

There are many international hotel chains in Beijing, so you could easily find a family-friendly hotel.

For the room selection:

For families with two adults and two young children (usually under 12 years old), we recommend a king-size bedroom with an extra bed.

For families with two adults and two older children, you could choose a family suite or two adjacent rooms.

For the area recommendation:

If your family likes lively places, we recommend the Wangfujing area in the city center, which is surrounded by convenient transportation facilities, dining, and shopping, and is close to various attractions.

If you like peace and quiet or prefer a traditional Beijing residence, we recommend staying in the hutong area for an in-depth experience of Beijing's culture and lifestyle.

A Hutong hotel

However, some hutong hotels are older buildings and do not have elevators. Therefore, when looking for a hotel, it is better to choose a hotel with an elevator or choose rooms on the lower floors to make it convenient for your children and the elderly.

Beijing Transport Tips for a Family

Beijing's transport is very developed and you could choose buses, subways, or taxis for traveling.

For family travel, especially with children and the elderly, buses and subways are not comfortable and not convenient, especially if you have a lot of luggage.

Taxis are better and are very convenient in Beijing. You could ask the hotel to call a taxi or you could hail a taxi on the road. If you know how to use a taxi app, it would be more convenient and faster.

If you think it is troublesome to ask for taxis every day or if you are traveling with a large family, you could also consider our private tour, providing pick-up and drop-off services and stand-by services, so that you could minimize the hassle of your journey, and enjoy a reassuring and enjoyable family trip.

Best Times to Visit Beijing

Many families may consider their children when traveling, especially school children, and need to match a trip with their vacation time. Singapore's school vacations are concentrated in March, June, September, November, and December.

Among these times, June and September are the best times, with comfortable weather, reasonable prices, fewer tourists, and better experiences.

The Summer Palace in September

If you visit at other times, you could also appreciate the charm of Beijing.

March is still a little cold, so you could wear a sweater and a coat. It is a good time for you to enjoy the scene of cherry, peach, apricot, and lilac flowers in full bloom in the Summer Palace or Yuanmingyuan.

November and December are the perfect times to experience Beijing's traditional culture. You could enjoy the Forbidden City and the Great Wall in the snowy landscape and feel the flavor of the ancient capital — go ice-skating in Houhai and Shichahai to experience the winter fun of old Beijing.

Snow scene in the Forbidden City

If you visit in January or February, you could experience the lively atmosphere of the Chinese New Year, including temple fairs, lantern festivals, and New Year markets.

Chinese New Year temple fair at Ditan Park

Is Beijing Wheelchair Accessible?

Our family guests use a wheelchair to visit Tiananmen Square

Yes, Beijing is wheelchair-friendly. As the capital of China, most of Beijing's attractions have barrier-free access and offer free or paid wheelchair rental services, such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and Universal Studios Beijing, etc., including manual and electric wheelchairs.

If you require a wheelchair, please state this when booking with us, so we can plan a wheelchair-friendly route for you, prepare a wheelchair in advance, and arrange a vehicle suitable for storing the wheelchair. Just contact us.

How Much Does It Cost for a Family Trip to Beijing from Singapore?

Generally, the cost of a family trip is about 12,000–13,000 CNY (2,370–2,568 SGD) per adult, based on a private tour for a family of four people. Kids under 10 get 30–50% off.

This price includes 4-star or 5-star hotels, attraction tickets, private transportation, and tour guides, not including international flights. An international round-trip airfare from Singapore to Beijing for one person is about 1,900–2,300 CNY (375–454 SGD).

The above is just a reference price. We will give you a more specific price according to the itinerary, travel time, number of travelers, hotel selection, etc.