Beijing Is an Excellent Base for Day Trips, Thanks to Its Dense High-Speed Rail Network

I'm Hesham, living in China since 2019. If you have extra time on a Beijing trip, there are two nearby destinations worth a full day trip without changing hotels — Tianjin and Chengde, both reachable directly by high-speed rail from Beijing.

Quick Answer

Tianjin is just 30 minutes away by high-speed rail from Beijing (from ¥55), and Chengde is about an hour away (from ¥42) — both work well as a full day trip, there and back in the same day.

🚄 Tianjin: 30 minutes🏔️ Chengde: about an hour🏯 The Great Wall, within Beijing itself

Tianjin — The Closest Major City to Beijing

A high-speed train from Beijing South Station gets you to Tianjin in just 30 minutes, starting at ¥55 — with more than 300 trains a day, so you can pick almost any time that suits you. Top sights: the Five Great Avenues (an entire neighborhood of European colonial architecture — British, French, Italian, German, and Spanish), the Tianjin Eye (a huge Ferris wheel built directly over the Yongle Bridge, one of the city's top landmarks), Ancient Culture Street for traditional shopping, and the Porcelain House museum.

The Tianjin Eye, a huge Ferris wheel over the Yongle Bridge on the Hai River

Chengde — The Imperial Summer Retreat

A high-speed train from Beijing takes about an hour (from ¥42), with more than 50 trains a day. The top sight is the Chengde Mountain Resort — the Qing-dynasty imperial summer retreat, and the largest surviving imperial garden in China. Entry is ¥55-65 depending on the season (cheaper in winter).

Want to Stay Within Beijing's Own Boundaries?

If you'd rather not leave the Beijing area at all, I have two detailed guides covering the nearby Great Wall sections (Badaling and a comparison of the different sections) and the Ming Tombs in Changping — all within Beijing's boundaries and easy as a single day trip: Great Wall sections compared and the Changping & Ming Tombs guide.

💡 Tip from experience: If you only have one day and want both Beijing and Tianjin, the high-speed train makes an easy there-and-back — the ride itself is only half an hour, so you won't lose much time in transit.

Beijing Day Trips Quick Summary

Tianjin: 30 minutes by high-speed rail, from ¥55
Chengde: about an hour by high-speed rail, from ¥42
Within Beijing itself: the Great Wall and Ming Tombs

Planning a Trip to Beijing?

I'm Hesham, living in China since 2019. Message me on WhatsApp and I'll build Tianjin or Chengde into your itinerary, or visit the custom trip planning page.