One Day In: Beijing, China (72 hour visa free)
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– A Note on the 72 hour visa free policy –

Many cities in China now offer a 72 hour visa free entry/exit option, which we love (visas are a pain in the ass). The following was our experience, but be sure to check multiple sources for updates and local specifications.
Upon landing at Beijing Capital International Airport, we followed signs for immigration. Once at the immigration area, we noticed three options for foreigners: 1) an under 24 hour connection line; 2) the typical long weaving line to booths with officials; 3) a special 72 hour visa free line. If you have a quick connection and no interest in entering China, simply go to option one. If you do want to enter the country (even if you have an under 24 hour connection), go to option two or three.
We arrived at the immigration area around midnight and the 72 hour visa free line was closed. We imagine, when open, it’s a great option. As a result, we were forced to wait in the regular immigration line, which took an hour. In order to get through, we presented the immigration officer with our passports, arriving and departing boarding passes and a filled out arrival/departure card. The officer slapped a temporary entry stamp into our passports and that was that. Thanks, 72 hour visa free policy!
Note: in order to take advantage of the 72 hour visa free policy, you should be arriving from one international destination and departing to a different international destination.
– Where we stayed –
We crashed at Leo’s Hostel, which offers affordable prices and a great location. Leo’s is very much your typical travel hostel — it’s a bit grungy, has a young vibe and the beers are flowing. That being said, it also has some solid excursions (including to the Great Wall) and the rooms are good enough for a short stay. Again, we really appreciated the location, as Leo’s is on a fantastic pedestrian street and within walking distance to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
We also spotted 365 Inn, which is just down the street from Leo’s Hostel. Although we didn’t stay there, we’d recommend it over Leo’s or other hostels in the area. 365 has great character, prices and vibes and, of course, location. As a result, it often books up fast.
– How we traveled –
Moving: After taking advantage of the 72 hour visa free policy at Beijing Airport, we grabbed a taxi to the city center. The taxi stand is down a couple levels — follow the signs and you’ll end up in an official queue. When you get into the taxi, make sure the driver is using the meter (saying “meter” and pointing at it should be sufficient). The transit time is 45 minutes to over an hour depending on traffic. Our taxi cost 129 CNY plus 10 CNY for a toll, which we paid in cash to the driver.
Once downtown, we pretty much walked everywhere. We did grab a taxi off the street once; be sure to indicate to the driver to use the meter. We paid only 13 CNY for a 15 minute ride.
When leaving for the airport, we used the Leo’s Hostel shuttle service, which cost 200 CNY. Although more expensive than a taxi off the street, the convenience and reliability factor was worth it for us.
– What we did –
Sights: With only a day or so in Beijing, we focused exclusively on the downtown area. From Leo’s Hostel we walked up to Tiananmen Square. Expect a lot of crowd control measures around the square and the Forbidden City, which is just beyond. Upon arrival at the exterior part of the square, we were funneled into multiple lines and had to pass through a metal detector. That being said, the officials didn’t seem to care much about us and simply waved us through. Tiananmen Square was saturated with people, from working professionals to huge tour groups and everyone in between.
After strolling around the square, we headed into the Forbidden City (along with everyone else in China). The Forbidden City is broken up into a few different sites, each with a specific admission fee. If you’re in a rush, just stick with the Palace Museum (60 CNY summer/40 CNY winter), which will provide the Forbidden City highlights. With a little more time, you can also purchase tickets for the Treasure Gallery and Clock Exhibition Hall. Due to the sheer size of the Forbidden City, we’d recommend at least three hours to explore the entire complex.
Bites: From street eats to more formal dining, we straight up loved the food in Beijing. In general, we’d encourage you to really dive in and try a variety of dishes. Beijing is a fantastic place to get out of your culinary comfort zone!
Leo’s Hostel sits on a great walking street that’s filled with restaurants of varying quality. For a delicious and traditional Beijing meal, head to Deyuan Roast Duck Restaurant. Unsurprisingly, you can try the famous Peking duck here, among other dishes. For semi-street food and late night grub, head just down the walking street from Leo’s. You’ll find a fantastic hole-in-the-wall spot with cheap tables in the street, tasty food and sufficiently cold beer. Enough said!
Drinks: We very much enjoyed drinking at the spot mentioned above, where we sat late into the night. For hostel boozing, check out the aforementioned Leo’s Hostel or 365 Inn — both have solid bar scenes. If you’re looking for something a bit swanky, check out Centro Bar and Lounge. For a dimly lit secret little spot, head over to the aptly named Hidden House… if you can find it!