Begin the day in Tiananmen Square, and line up with the throng to pay your respects to the PRC's revered founder at the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, the big guy's mausoleum. No bags or cameras are allowed here and the guards will keep you moving fast enough so the question of whether his body is real or not will linger long after you're gone.
From here, stroll through the vast square and head under Mao's giant portrait on Tiananmen Gate into the Forbidden City. With walls more than 900m long, 750m wide, and with some 8500 rooms and countless courtyards, three-plus hours spent exploring this Ming Dynasty marvel will make the 60CNY entrance fee seem like a bargain.
After you exit from the north gate, head straight across the road and climb Coal Hill for fantastic 360-degree views across the Forbidden City and Beihai Park. From here it's a short cab ride to the Drum and Bell Towers and one of the best places in Beijing to get lost while exploring the sprawling traditional hutongs and old Qing Dynasty courtyard homes.
Head eastwards and wind up in Nanluogu Xiang, a hutong lined with restaurants, cafés and boutiques that has become the epicentre of Beijing "cool". After a bite to eat, head a little further west to the gorgeous Shichahai Lake. Take a boat ride before winding up the evening with a relaxing drink at one of the many neon-illuminated bars that line the lake.
The next morning, start out by exploring the Temple of Heaven and surrounding gardens, south of the city centre, where the emperors would come to pray each year for good harvests.
From here you might pray your taxi driver takes you on a direct route, as you head to the city's northeastern fringe and the 798 Art Complex at Dashanzi. Once a collection of state-run factories, this is now home to an amazing warren of cool art galleries, studios and spaces, representing the face of "New China". With Chinese work creating a huge stir in the contemporary art world, you could spend days here.
Jump in a cab and head back to the city centre for the Donghuamen Night Market. Vendors serve up a huge range of tasty and inexpensive snacks — a great way to sample the varied tastes of real Chinese cuisine. If you're brave enough, try barbecued scorpion on a stick, or numerous other sautéed creepy crawlies.
From here it's on to Ritan Park, where the emperors once came to worship the sun. Sit on the banks of a picturesque lake at the Stone Boat Café, one of Beijing's more idyllic watering holes. After a couple of relaxing drinks here it's time to up the vibe a notch by heading to the northern end of Nanluogu Xiang for Mao Livehouse, one of the happening hubs of Beijing's burgeoning rock music scene. Bop the night away to bands like Pet Conspiracy, Hedgehog, Carsick Cars, and Ourselves Beside Me. Take a cab back to where it all started, Tiananmen Square, and watch the daily flag raising ceremony at dawn.
Have you tried any of the places on this itinerary? Got any ideas we haven't thought of? Have your say using the comments form below:
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