Costs nothing · Beijing, China
15 Free Things to Do in Beijing
Every place here has verified free entry. Your Beijing day can cost exactly nothing.
Free means verified: each entry policy here is checked, out of 122 tracked Beijing places. Updated monthly.
Wangfujing Street
NeighborhoodWangfujing is Beijing's most famous shopping street, a broad, largely pedestrianised avenue near the Forbidden City lined with department stores, malls, flagship shops, and bookstores, bustling day and night.
Read our full guide →798 Art Zone
NeighborhoodThe 798 Art Zone is Beijing's leading contemporary-art district, a sprawling complex of decommissioned Bauhaus-style factories (built by East German engineers in the 1950s) reinvented as galleries, studios, design shops, cafés, and public art.
Read our full guide →Nanluoguxiang
MarketNanluoguxiang is a narrow, 800-meter-long alley in the Dongcheng District of Beijing, famous for its preserved hutong architecture and vibrant shopping scene.
Read our full guide →John - Driver in Beijing
Park & natureLocated in the heart of Beijing, this park offers a tranquil escape from the city's bustling streets.
Read our full guide →Ritan Park (Ritan Gongyuan)
Park & natureRitan Park, or Ritan Gongyuan, is one of Beijing's oldest imperial parks, originally built in 1530 during the Ming Dynasty as a site for the emperor to worship the sun.
Read our full guide →Chaoyang Park
Park & natureChaoyang Park is a sprawling urban oasis in the Chaoyang District of Beijing, covering over 288 hectares.
Read our full guide →Yandai Xie Street
NeighborhoodYandai Xie Street, also known as Tobacco Pipe Street, is a narrow, picturesque alley in Beijing's Xicheng District, near the famous Shichahai Lake.
Read our full guide →Dashilan
NeighborhoodDashilan, also spelled Dazhalan, is one of Beijing's oldest and most famous commercial streets, located in the Xicheng District near Qianmen.
Read our full guide →St. Joseph's Cathedral
Religious siteSt. Joseph's Cathedral, also known as Wangfujing Cathedral, is a prominent Catholic church located on Beijing's bustling Wangfujing shopping street.
Read our full guide →Solana
NeighborhoodSolana is a sprawling, pedestrian-friendly shopping and entertainment district in the heart of Beijing's Chaoyang area.
Read our full guide →Ghost Street (Gui Jie)
LandmarkGhost Street, or Gui Jie, is a vibrant culinary destination in Beijing's Dongcheng District, stretching along Dongzhimennei Main Street.
Read our full guide →National Art Museum Of China
MuseumThe National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) is the largest art museum in China, located on Wusi Main Street in Beijing's Dongcheng District.
Read our full guide →CCTV New Mansion
LandmarkThe CCTV New Mansion, officially known as the China Central Television Headquarters, is a striking architectural marvel in Beijing's Central Business District.
Read our full guide →Beijing APM
MarketBeijing APM is a modern shopping complex located on the historic Wangfujing Street in Dongcheng District.
Read our full guide →Liulichang Street
LandmarkLiulichang Street is a renowned cultural thoroughfare in Beijing's Xicheng District, famous for its concentration of antique shops, art galleries, and stores selling traditional Chinese crafts.
Read our full guide →
How we pick these
Every place here is genuinely free to enter. We filter the 122 Beijing places we track down to those with no admission charge, then rank them by traveler reviews. Updated monthly.
Good to know
A few museums are free only on set days — check opening info before you go.
Entry is free, but transport, snacks and lockers in Beijing still add up.
Free attractions draw crowds; mornings are usually the calmest.
Common questions
What can you do for free in Beijing?+
This list ranks the best no-cost things to do in Beijing, from parks and viewpoints to museums with free entry.
Are there free museums in Beijing?+
Some museums are free all the time and others on specific days. The verified-free ones are included above.
Is Beijing expensive to visit?+
You can see a lot of Beijing on a tight budget by leaning on the free attractions here and eating where locals do.
Rather have a human do the planning? A Local Friend can build this day for you, at local prices.