Beijing Activities: What Each One Costs
A toboggan ride down a stretch of the Great Wall costs less than a sit-down lunch at most Beijing hotels, and it beats sightseeing on price by a wide margin.
Mutianyu’s toboggan and chairlift, priced out
Entrance to Mutianyu runs CNY 45. The chairlift up costs CNY 100 one way or CNY 140 return, and the toboggan down is CNY 100 one way for roughly 1,580 meters, about five minutes of actual riding. A shuttle bus from the parking area to the wall itself is CNY 15 return. Bundled combo tickets covering entrance, lift and toboggan run around CNY 250, which works out cheaper than paying for each piece separately once the entrance fee is folded back in. Search Mutianyu Great Wall toboggan tours on GetYourGuide for current combo options.
Ice-skating on a frozen palace lake
From late December into early February, Houhai and Kunming Lake at the Summer Palace freeze solid enough to skate on, with wooden ice sleds and rental skates set up right on the ice. There’s no separate ticket beyond whatever park entry already applies, and an hour of rental costs less than a lift pass at most ski resorts. Go on a weekday morning for room to actually skate rather than shuffle around other people.
Rock climbing at Baihe Valley, for the whole day
Baihe (White River) Valley in Miyun is one of China’s better-known outdoor climbing spots, with more than 100 bolted routes running from easy 5.8s to hard 5.13s. It’s roughly a 1.5 to 2 hour drive from central Beijing, so this one eats a full day rather than an afternoon. Sort out gear before leaving the city, since rental options thin out fast once you’re near the valley. Search Baihe Valley climbing day trips on GetYourGuide for guided options if you’d rather not arrange transport and gear separately.
A craft you actually make, not one you watch
The Hutong, in Beixinqiao, runs a dumpling-making class that ends with eating what you folded, a different kind of afternoon than sitting through a cooking demonstration. The Hutong’s class listings show current schedules. Beijing Enamel Factory charges nothing to walk its museum floor, then CNY 150 an hour with an instructor for a hands-on cloisonné wire-inlay piece, plus CNY 600 if you want to keep what you made rather than leave it behind.
The one splurge worth it
Beijing Sideways runs vintage Changjiang 750 sidecar rides through the hutongs and along the Forbidden City walls. It costs more than everything above put together, but it covers several neighborhoods in one booking with no walking required, which the cheaper options on this list can’t match. Beijing Sideways’ own site lists current routes and pricing.
Where the money actually goes
A toboggan run, a skate rental, a climbing day or an afternoon with dumpling flour on your hands costs less than most guided coach tours and leaves something to show for it afterward. Pair the Mutianyu run with the rest of a Great Wall day trip rather than booking it as a stand-alone excursion, since the entrance fee is identical either way.
Book the Mutianyu combo ticket a few days ahead on spring and autumn weekends. The toboggan queue is the one part of the day that can eat an hour if you show up without a slot reserved.