How to Get Around Beijing

China is a fascinating country that has a special place in my life. After living in China (including Beijing) for quite some time and working in the country, I have gotten a good grip on all the different ways to get around. Beijing is enormous and can take you literally hours to get from one end of the city to another. So knowing a bit about how to get around Beijing will save you a lot of time.

More than likely you will be in Beijing to either see ancient and historic sites, or if you are anything like me, you are there to hit up the fake shopping markets like Pearl Street Market or Silk Alley Market. Either way you will need to know a couple of key things before arriving in Beijing and how to get around is a big one. No matter where you choose to stay in Beijing, let’s cover some of these options for transportation around the city. 

Public Transportation in Beijing

Getting around Beijing is fairly cheap and easy. You definitely won’t be blowing your budget on transportation. From buses, taxis, subway, bike share, and rickshaw, you can easily cruise around the city on a cheap budget. Let’s cover all the major forms of transportation for foreigners to visit the big city. 

Getting a Beijing Transportation Metro Card

When you arrive in Beijing you will more than likely be heading to the Airport Express Line to get into the city. You can make your transportation around Beijing much easier by getting a Metro Card. You can use Metro Cards on all subways and buses in Beijing.  Each card requires a 20 yuan refundable deposit. Generally, it is suggested to start with 50 yuan for around 2-3 days stay and around 100 yuan for about one week. 

Beijing Subway Metro

Riding the Metro in Beijing is going to be the easiest way for you to get around this massive city. The subway map is easy to read and understand, it’s just big and vast. There are security checkpoints at each station, but you don’t have to show your ID or anything before entering, just put your gear through the security scanners. 

Around 10 million people use the Metro every day as it is the most cost-effective way to get around in Beijing. You can also cut out on your travel expenses by getting the Metro Card, it’s worth it, and makes traveling more economical and easy with a 60% discount on subway and train rides. You can recharge your Metro Cards at most subway and train stations. It operates from 05:00 to 23:00 every day with a new metro arriving every couple to minutes. Depending on which line you are on. 

Average costs is around 3 yuan ($0.50) depending on the distance from stop to stop and with Airport Express Line being 25 yuan ($3.50).

See my old video I did about riding the Beijing Subway

Taking the Bus in Beijing

Beijing bus transportation has a big fleet of around 30,000 buses shuttling through 1200 routes around the city. You might be excited to hop on one of the buses but be prepared before doing so as they can be crowded during rush hours, and it becomes difficult for you to recognize your stop. Buses are definitely the more local way to travel around the city. Just know that all the bus stops will be written in Chinese. If you want to use the buses then you will need to make sure you have some good travel apps downloaded. 

You should insert the exact amount of bus fare to the coin box as you enter the bus. If you have the Metro Transportation Card then you can swipe it was you enter the bus. Buses in Beijing start running around 05:00 and most stop around 23:00 to 00:00. Some areas outside of the city will shut down around 18:00 to 19:00. The average costs are around 1.5 to 3 yuan. The more you ride the more discount you can get. 

Take a Taxi in Beijing

Like any big city around the world, Beijing has its share of taxis. Taxis are widely available in Beijing and is one of the easiest modes of transportation for tourists just visiting for a short time. Hail it down. But just know that when you hail a taxi, they will more than likely only speak Chinese. So you should have the destination pulled up on your phone and make sure it is in Chinese. Otherwise, they might not even take you as a ride.

Average ride can costs around 13 yuan for up to 3 kilometers during the daytime and then the fare increases at 2.3 yuan increments for each kilometer you go. 

Be Prepared Walk A Lot

You will be doing a lot of walking in Beijing, and it’s big! So you will need some comfy shoes for sure. Best to explore in sections by commuting to a neighborhood via public transport and then walk around the shopping markets and the delicious food streets like Wangfujing Snack Street. 

Other Forms of Transportation in Beijing

DiDi (China’s Uber)

DiDi is the number one mobile transportation network in the country- much like an Uber service in the US. This taxi-hailing app is the easiest and safest way to get around with families in Beijing. However, there are a couple of things that go into using this app while you are traveling around Beijing and other cities in China. You might have to go through a couple of authentication steps before you can use this app. The process changes, but typically you need a WeChat account and may even need to scan your passport. For some short-term travelers, this hassle might not be worth it. 

Bike Share in China

Bike share is another one of the cheapest forms of Beijing transportation and a fun one too. China really pioneered the shared-bike system, where you scan with your phone to unlock the bike. There are bikes everywhere and several different color bikes too. Each color bike is a different company and you will need to download each app to use the bikes. There may be several steps of authenticating your account that you might have to go through before using the bikes. Once you are at your destination then you lock the bike back and your time stops. You will only get changed for the time you use the bike. 

Take a Traditional or Non-Traditional Rickshaw

Rickshaws are usually found in the hutongs of Beijing. They provide a nice way of discovering the narrow alleys. But, before beginning a ride, make sure to bargain on a price with the driver. Sometimes the fares are higher than taxi rates, especially during the holiday season. So if you want to see the hutongs while experiencing an adventurous ride, be aware that it’ll cost you. And you will need to put those bargaining skills to use.

Be Prepared for an Exciting Visit to Beijing

I love Beijing and getting around the city is an adventure itself. I hope this helps you understand how to get around this massive city. Have you been before? What is your favorite way to get around the city? Feel free to share in the comments below!