How to Spend Your Layover in Beijing

Whether you have 6 hours or 12, here is the ultimate guide to maximizing your Beijing layover.

Every day, thousands of travelers stop at Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) en route to another destination in Asia, or back to Europe or North America. Often times, these fares are jaw-droppingly cheap, with roundtrips from New York to Asia as low as $450 on Hainan Airlines or China Eastern. Although a 12 hour layover doesn’t seem ideal, especially after flying 14+ hours, I am here to show you how to make the most of it from my own personal experience stopping in China’s capital.

The 6-Hour Layover

I was blessed with a 6 hour layover the first time I transited in Beijing, while I was flying from Seattle to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. I was cursed, however, with the fact that the layover began at 7 PM and ended at 1 AM.

Although I had just flown a combined 22 hours (originating in New York), I was determined to leave the airport and walk on the streets. Luckily, the airport express train is easily accessible and can get you into the outskirts of the city within about 25 minutes. Be careful, though, as the train stops running around midnight. Each station has a posted sign declaring the first and last train of the day, so be sure to take note! Additionally…