Day 1: Ritual, hutongs, and duck
Temple of Heaven in the morning for locals doing exercise, hutong walking and snacks midday, Peking duck dinner. Keep jet lag in mind if you just landed.
Day 2: Axis of history
Tiananmen Square logistics, Forbidden City with a smart route, Jingshan Park viewpoint for the classic palace rooftop photo. Do not underestimate walking distances inside the palace complex.
Day 3: Great Wall
Full wall day. Return tired but happy. If you have a fourth day, add Summer Palace or 798 art district instead of compressing more into day 2.
Where a companion helps most
Ticket timing, palace routing, wall logistics, and dinner reservations or local restaurant picks. Beijing rewards good sequencing.
Quick answers
Is 3 days enough for Beijing?
Enough for highlights, not for everything. Prioritize wall + palace + one neighborhood day.