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Beijing stays

Stay in Beijing or Move On to Xi'an

Palaces, the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army sound like too much for one suitcase.

Ask about your route

For four or five nights, keep one Beijing hotel and take the Great Wall as a day trip. Add Xi’an and a second hotel only when you have six nights or more and the Terracotta Army matters to someone in the group.

It is a fair worry that Beijing is too big for a short stay. One central base, plus a few early starts, covers more than most first-timers expect.

What can you reach from one Beijing hotel?

The Forbidden City and the old centre are on the city side, and the Great Wall is a day trip. Mutianyu is about 70 km northeast of central Beijing[1], and Badaling is about 80 km northwest[2].

Plan the wall for the morning and the city for the afternoon. The Forbidden City is closed on Mondays except national holidays[3], so check your calendar before you build the week. Our Great Wall guide compares the sections.

When is Xi’an worth a second hotel?

When you want depth in early history. The fastest Beijing to Xi’an high-speed trains take about 4 hours 17 minutes[4], and that is before the walk to the station and the ride to the hotel.

Count the move as most of a day. If you have only four or five nights, our Beijing or Xi’an comparison helps you choose one rather than splitting both thinly.

What about Datong?

Datong is a separate northern overnight and needs its own hotel. Rail times to Datong are not on this site yet, so ask us on WhatsApp before you add it.

Where should Muslim travellers sleep?

Beijing has Niujie Mosque, traditionally dated to 996 and regarded as the city’s oldest and largest[5]. Sleeping nearby makes halal meals simple, and our Niujie area guide explains the options.

In Xi’an, the Great Mosque stands at 30 Huajue Lane inside the Muslim Quarter[6]. Read the Xi’an Muslim Quarter stay guide for noise and access. Look for the green 清真 sign, and remember that Muslim-owned is not the same as certified.

What about the station area?

Beijing South Station is about 6 km from Tiananmen Square[7]. It suits one night before an early train, and the Beijing South Station guide weighs it fairly.

Keep passports in your day bag, because hotels copy them at check-in[8]. Browse the cities topic page or the Beijing hotel area guide next.

Tell us your nights and whether the Terracotta Army is a must, and we will suggest if Beijing alone is enough or whether Xi'an earns a second hotel.

Plan it with us

Read next

  • GuideWhere to Stay in Beijing

    Choose a Beijing hotel area as a Malaysian traveller: Wangfujing, Qianmen or Sanlitun compared for sights, trains, food, luggage and seniors or children.

  • GuideBeijing South Station Hotels: Too Far?

    Are hotels near Beijing South Station convenient or too far from the sights? A plain guide for first-timers and budget travellers from Malaysia.

  • GuideBeijing or Xi'an for a History Trip

    Choose between Beijing and Xi'an for a history trip from Malaysia: what each city does best, booking rules, halal anchors and how to link them by rail.

  • GuideStaying Near Niujie for Halal Meals

    Plan a Beijing stay near Niujie Mosque for halal meals and prayer: what the area offers, honest limits, and checks to make before you book a room.

  • GuideSleeping Near Xi'an's Muslim Quarter

    Staying near Xi'an's Muslim Quarter: how loud evenings get, how to check halal food, how taxis reach you and which rooms suit light sleepers and friend groups.

  • GuideBadaling, Mutianyu or Jinshanling: Which Wall

    Compare Badaling, Mutianyu and Jinshanling for Malaysian travellers: crowds, lifts, walking load, booking rules and what suits seniors, kids and photographers.

Questions Malaysians ask

Can we see the Great Wall from a Beijing city hotel?

Yes. Mutianyu and Badaling are both day trips from the city, so you can keep one hotel and carry a day bag. Set out early, because the roads and the wall fill up. If a night near the wall appeals, read our guide to sleeping near the Great Wall.

When should we add Xi'an and a second hotel?

Add Xi'an when you have six nights or more and the Terracotta Army matters to someone in the group. The fast train is a long ride, so treat the move as a travel day. With four or five nights, keep Beijing and save Xi'an for a second trip.

Is the Beijing South Station area a good base?

It suits one night before an early train. It is a station area, so it has fewer old streets and sights on the doorstep. For the rest of your Beijing nights, choose a central area and use the metro to reach the station on the day you leave.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (fallback; no official page fetched), checked 2026-10-19
  2. Wikipedia (fallback; no official page fetched), checked 2026-10-19
  3. Beijing Municipal Government, checked 2026-10-19
  4. The Man in Seat 61, checked 2026-10-19
  5. Wikipedia, checked 2026-10-19
  6. Wikipedia, checked 2026-10-19
  7. The Man in Seat 61, checked 2026-10-19
  8. China Briefing (secondary), checked 2026-10-19

Rules, schedules and prices change. Confirm with the official source before you travel.

Thinking about China?

Tell us your nights and whether the Terracotta Army is a must, and we will suggest if Beijing alone is enough or whether Xi'an earns a second hotel.

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