Trip Summary
A comfortable loop of the northern capital rim: two unhurried Beijing days, the 1.5-hour HSR to Datong's Buddha caves and rebuilt wall city, and the Qing emperors' summer escape at Chengde with the Jinshanling wall on the way home.
Trip Highlights
- The Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven without the rush
- Yungang's 17-metre cave colossi, 1,500 years old
- Chengde's imperial resort — the Qing's summer palace and its eight temples
- Jinshanling's watchtower wall walk with almost no crowds
- Datong's knife-cut noodles and Chengde's imperial venison tables
Day by Day
Day 1 — Arrive Beijing
Settle in near the axis; evening stroll around Qianmen's lantern streets.
Flight in · Beijinginternational flights, destination pre-filledBook → Stay · Qianmenaxis-side baseBook → Car rental · Beijingpick up at Beijing Capital International Airport on arrivalBook → 
Day 2 — Imperial core
Forbidden City's full axis with a long Jingshan sit-down, hutong lunch, evening at the Temple of Heaven's lit gates.
Stay · Qianmensecond palace nightBook → Tickets · The Palace Museumskip-the-line entryBook → Tickets · Temple of Heaven Parkskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 3 — Summer Palace day
The Long Corridor, Kunming boat and back hills at a saunter; Peking duck finale before tomorrow's train.
Stay · Qianmenthird duck nightBook → Tickets · The Summer Palaceskip-the-line entryBook → Day 4 — HSR to Datong
Morning bullet train; afternoon at the Nine-Dragon screen and the rebuilt wall's evening lights.
Beijing → Datong trainHSR 1.5–2 h westBook → Stay · Yungang Grottoeswall-city base for the cavesBook → 
Day 5 — Yungang Grottoes
The caves at length — imperial colossus, painted domes, museum galleries; return for Daoxiaomian.
Stay · Yungang Grottoessecond cave nightBook → Tickets · Yungang Grottoesskip-the-line entryBook → Day 6 — Back to Chengde
Return HSR and transfer to the Chengde line; evening walk by the resort's moon-lit lake.
Datong → Beijing trainHSR back east ~2 hBook → Beijing → Chengde trainHSR ~1 h to the resort cityBook → Stay · Mountain Resortresort-gate stay for first entryBook → 
Day 7 — Resort, wall & out
Morning in the Mountain Resort's lakes and plains, an afternoon Jinshanling wall stretch on the drive back, fly out of Beijing.
Tickets · Chengde Mountain Resortskip-the-line entryBook → Tickets · Jinshanling Great Wallskip-the-line entryBook → 
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