From scalding Gobi Desert summers to Harbin’s ice sculpture festival, Datong’s UNESCO World Heritage–listed grottoes to Pingyao’s ancient city walls, Northern China majors on diversity. Many travelers begin and end their journeys amid Beijing’s imperial splendor, visiting the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and Tiananmen Square. But if time allows, the list of things to do in Northern China expands to food tours and cooking classes, acrobatics, kung fu shows, hiking, and snow adventures.
Never knowingly understated, the Northern China climate tends to extremes: Generally speaking, icy winters serve up bone-chilling winds, while Beijing summer temperatures can nudge a steamy 90°F (32°C). Unless you’re keen to discover Harbin’s spectacular ice festival, which usually runs from late December until late February, or witness the Lunar New Year celebrations, shoulder seasons (May, June, and September) should hit the sweet spot. Avoid traveling during the first weeks of May and October, when most locals are on vacation.
High-speed rail makes getting around most of Northern China a breeze: It’s greener than flying, much less prone to delays, and often faster once you factor in travel times to the airport and the inevitable wait before boarding. Larger cities have fast, cheap metro systems with signage in both English and Mandarin. Buses are hard to use if you don’t speak or read Chinese. As elsewhere in China, there are harsh penalties for driving without a valid Chinese driving license.
While many Chinese cities have a rich roast duck tradition, sampling Beijing duck is a Northern China rite of passage—and the succulent meat, crispy skin, and delicate slices are well worth traveling for. Make the pilgrimage to Beijing's Liqun Roast Duck Restaurant in Qianmen district, about a 30-minute walk from Tiananmen Square, for flavor-packed fowl prepared in an oven stoked with fruitwood.
Local Currency Chinese Yuan (CN¥) | Time Zone CST (UTC +8) | Country Code +86 | Language(s) cn | Attractions 82 | Tours 3,363 |
The star attractions in Northern China extend beyond the Great Wall and the capital of Beijing, home to the Forbidden City and Summer Palace. Harbin hosts one of Earth’s largest ice festivals, Datong offers historic grottoes and a hanging temple, and the walled city of Pingyao was once China’s banking capital.
...MoreThe main city in Northern China is Beijing, China’s capital and second largest city. A travel hub and foodie haven, it’s a great base for exploring the Great Wall and offers the country’s best collection of imperial relics. But Northern China extends more than 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) north of Beijing.
...MoreThe official language of China—and the most spoken in the northern part of the country—is Mandarin Chinese. Young people and tourism workers in Beijing will generally speak some English, but in smaller cities, English is often thin on the ground. Southern Chinese dialects like Cantonese, Hakka, and Hokkien are rarely understood.
...MoreWhile violent crime rates in China may not be as low as authorities claim, gun-free, surveillance-heavy Beijing is much, much safer than any US city. However, petty crime, from pickpocketing to an alphabet of tourist scams, is not uncommon, while fights can and do occur in and around bars and clubs.
...MoreYes, Northern China has cold, snowy winters, but because it sees generally arid conditions, there are fewer snow days than you might expect. That doesn’t stop people from enjoying ice skating, ice lanterns, ice festivals, and even skiing.
...MoreIf ice festivals and winter fun are not on your China to-do list, June is a great month to visit Northern China. Not only is it less busy and less rainy than the July–August summer vacation peak season, but most travelers will find the weather comfortably warm rather than oppressively hot.
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