Beijing China
China

14 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Avalon Waterways (14 Cruises)

No capital city asks for more effort from the sea. Beijing has no port of its own: ships dock at the Tianjin International Cruise Home Port, and nearly two and a half hours of driving separate the gangway from Tiananmen Square. The day will be long and demanding, and yet few port calls in the world offer such a reward: walking through the Forbidden City or laying a hand on the Great Wall, in the same cruise passenger's lifetime.

Planning Your Day Realistically

The distance forces choices, and it's best to make them before arriving. Excursions to the capital run eight to nine hours, four to five of which are spent on site; so you'll need to let go of seeing everything and build a coherent plan, ideally booked before boarding. Three main options dominate, summed up here:

Option What You'll See
Imperial Heart Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, sometimes rounded out with the Temple of Heaven
The Great Wall A restored section outside the city, with the coach ride included
Beijing's Backstreets Hutongs by pedicab, the Drum Tower, the Lama Temple

Passengers dreaming of the first two options will often have to choose: the wall and the palace rarely fit into the same port call. Bring good shoes, water, and a valid passport for the required formalities, whichever option you choose.

The Imperial Heart

Passing through the Gate of Heavenly Peace means stepping into five centuries of Chinese history. The Forbidden City lines up its paved courtyards, glazed yellow rooftops and throne halls over nearly a kilometre from south to north; even at a walking pace, the sheer scale of the crossing is striking, and the details, bronze lions, sundials, dragon-headed gargoyles, reward those who take their time. South of the city, the Temple of Heaven raises its deep-blue wooden rotunda, a Ming dynasty masterpiece where emperors once came to pray for good harvests. Its parks fill from dawn with card players, water calligraphers and dancers, a scene every bit as worth seeing as the monuments themselves.

The Wall, for Those Who Choose Grandeur

Those who opt for the Great Wall will climb a colossal structure winding from ridge to ridge until it disappears into the haze, an image no documentary really prepares you to see in person. The sections developed near Beijing offer watchtowers, steep staircases and views of blue-tinged mountains; the effort required varies depending on the section chosen for the excursion, and everyone can go at their own pace. The thrill of setting foot on it more than makes up for the hours on the coach, and the photos taken from the battlements will remain among the most talked-about of the trip.

Between the Monuments, Everyday Life

Whatever the program, the best memories often come from the in-between moments: a bowl of noodles eaten in an alley, kites flying above the squares, bicycles loaded with improbable cargo, tea served scalding hot even in the height of summer. The hutongs, those narrow lanes lined with courtyard houses, are perfect for a pedicab ride and offer a glimpse of a domestic Beijing that the palaces don't show: mahjong games played on the sidewalk, birdcages hanging from the trees, the smell of sesame frying in the air.

Some itineraries include two days in port, which changes everything: the capital can then be approached without watching the clock, with an evening free to try Peking duck at a well-known restaurant. The trip back to Tianjin often unfolds in the drowsiness of evening, heads full of golden rooftops or battlements. A single day is obviously not enough; and that's exactly what this port call does best: leave you with a lasting urge to come back by air, with time on your side.

Frequently Asked Questions

At the Tianjin international cruise terminal. Beijing has no port: nearly two and a half hours of road separate the gangway from Tiananmen Square. It will be a long day, and you should know that before booking.
Eight to nine hours in total, of which only four or five are on the ground. The rest is driving. So give up on seeing everything and build one coherent programme, ideally booked before you sail.
Rarely. Wall and palace seldom fit into one day: you have to choose. Three formulas dominate: the imperial heart, the Great Wall, or the Beijing of the lanes by pedicab.
Five centuries of Chinese history laid out over nearly a kilometre from south to north: paved courtyards, yellow glazed roofs and throne halls. Even at walking pace the scale impresses, and bronze lions, sundials and dragon-headed spouts reward those who linger.
A colossal structure snaking from ridge to ridge until it vanishes into haze. The restored sections near Beijing offer watchtowers, steep staircases and views of blue-grey mountains. The effort varies with the stretch your excursion chooses.
A rotunda of deep blue timber south of the city, a Ming masterpiece where emperors prayed for the harvest. Its parks fill from dawn with card players, water calligraphers and dancers, a spectacle that rivals the monuments.
Narrow lanes lined with courtyard houses, best seen by pedicab. They open a window onto a domestic Beijing the palaces never show: mahjong games on the pavement, birdcages hung in the trees, the smell of sesame frying.
Good shoes, water and a valid passport for the formalities, whichever programme you choose. Walking distances inside the imperial sites are considerable and shade is scarce in the courtyards.
Distinctly, and some itineraries allow it. The capital can then be approached without watching the clock, with an evening to try Peking duck at a well-known house. One day is obviously not enough.
Often the in-between moments rather than the monuments: a bowl of noodles in a lane, kites above the squares, bicycles loaded with improbable cargo, tea served scalding even in high summer.