Beijing Night Tours – 8 Things to Do at Night

What to do in Beijing at night? If you are the first-time travelers, taking a Dang Dang night sightseeing bus can be a very good way to familiarize yourself with the city. There are two different sightseeing routes to choose from. You can board the bus at any of the stops to start your exploration.

 East Line: Qianmen – Chang’an Avenue – CBD – Sanlitun Bar Street – Guijie Night Market – Nanluoguxiang (South Gong and Drum Lane) – Shichahai
Time: 19:00 - 19:30
Ticket Fare: CNY 30; Children under 1.3 m can enjoy free rides.

 West Line: Beijing Hub of Tour Dispatch - West Qianmen Street – East Lianhuachi Road – Middle Xisanhuan Road - CCTV Tower – Xinxing Bridge – Fuxing Road – West Chang’an Street – Xidan – North Xisi Street – Ping’anli – West Di’anmen Street – Shichahai – Jingshanhou Street – West Jingshan Street – Jingshanqian Street – Beichang Street – Nanchang Street - Beijing Hub of Tour Dispatch
Time: 18:00
Ticket Fare: CNY 60; Children under 1.2 m can enjoy free rides.

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Simatai Great Wall is the only section of the Great Wall which opens at night and visiting Simatai and the nearby Gubei Water Town is one of the best things to do in Beijing at night. You can appreciate the ancient buildings, have a boat trip with friends, and enjoy the hot spring. As night falls, the lights of the town are turned on and the night tour of the Simatai Great Wall begins from 17:30 to 20:00. Taking a cable car to go up the Great Wall and carrying a vintage lantern to enjoy the beautiful night view can surely leave you a deep and lasting impression.

Location: Miyun District, 2.5 to 3 hours’ bus ride northeast from the urban area.

 Ultimate Guide to Visiting Simatai Great Wall at Night

Houhai is a part of Shichahai, which is a leisure area around several artificial lakes. The streets around Houhai area were created during the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368) and have remained a prosperous commercial area to this day. This is a good place to enjoy night life since there are so many bars, cafes, teahouses and restaurants, some of which stay open till 2:00. When it’s getting dark, the lights shining on the streets and people come and go. You can choose a trendy bar or a nice café to taste some delicious food with friends. What’s more, the nearby Nanluoguxiang, one of the most popular traditional hutongs in Beijing, is also worth a visit. You will be enchanted by the ancient buildings, trendy bars, interesting boutiques and tasty snacks.  

 Recommended Tour:  Beijing 4 Days Tour with Hutong from $529

Another top place to visit in Beijing at night is certainly the Olympic Sports Center, where the 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympics took place. Both the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube were the main stadiums of the Olympic Games and today there are still many important sports events held there. At night, the gorgeous lights will be on from 18:00 or 19:00 to 22:00. The Bird’s Nest is just like a shining jewel and the ever-changing color of the Water Cube is pretty eye-catching. You can also enjoy a night tour inside the two buildings which will be open till 21:00.

 Recommended Tour:  Beijing 2 Days Tour Packages from $249

The CCTV Tower, aka China Central Radio and Television Tower, is China’s third highest Tower and the eighth highest tower in the world with the total height of 405m (about 1,330 ft). It is also a traditional landmark of the city and one of the must-visited places during a Beijing night tour. You can watch the tower afar and its appearance is very beautiful. Nevertheless, the best view is on the open-air sightseeing platform 238-meter (780 ft) above, where you can see the panorama of the ancient city, especially the splendid night view. It is open till 22:00, and you can use a telescope to enjoy some landmark sights like Bird’s Nest and Water Cube.
 

The Jingshan Park stands at the axis of Beijing and it is near the Forbidden City. As a royal garden of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the middle summit of which used to be the highest place of the whole city. Today, it is still one of the top places to overlook Beijing. The park opens to 20:00 from November to March and 21:00 from April to October. The best time to go there is around sunset. Standing in the Wanchun Pavilion on the summit of Jingshan Mountain, you can see the imperial palace complex Forbidden City wearing a golden gauz. If you like, you can stay longer to enjoy an amazing panorama of the city in lights.

 Recommended Tour:  Beijing 3 Days Tour from $245

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Regarding Beijing night tours, Sanlitun is a destination you cannot miss. Here are gathered more than 40% of the in Beijing, most of which open till 2:00 or 3:00 am. Due to its special location, which is near the embassies, this place is very cosmopolitan. You can encounter people from all over the world. Aside from the bars and pubs, the Sanlitun Tai Koo Li is a shopping paradise where you can find nearly all the famous brands and fashionable stores.

Guijie Street is one of the most famous night markets in Beijing and surely it is a must-go place of your Beijing night tours. The street stretches about 1km and is lined with around 100 restaurants, some of which open 24 hours. Cuisines from all over the country can be found here. Three snacks especially well-known are spicy crayfish, sauteed bullfrog in chili sauce and grilled fish, which attract many foodies. If you are not interested in this kind of snacks, various hotpots and barbecues may capture your taste bud.