Cycling around Beijing

How to Rent a Bicycle in Beijing

1. Bike shops around the Drum and Bell Towers and other tourist areas rent bikes.
2. The city is currently installing public bike rental meters, similar to those found in Hangzhou.
3. Bicycle Kingdom, a bike tour and rental company, organizes several city bike tours.
4. Most hotels and hostels in the area also have bikes for rent.

Here Are Five of the Best Biking Routes in Beijing

•Route 1: Nanluoguxiang - the Forbidden City

Starting Point: Nanluoguxiang Hutong
End point: Forbidden City
Distance: 5.7 kilometers
Summary: bike through the downtown of Beijing to see Tian'anmen Square in the local way

Cyclers should take a quick trip down Nanluoguxiang first, which is the first commercial hutong in the city. There are numerous of restaurants, small shops and bars along the hutong. Most bars are cookie cutter and not worth. Then cycle southwards and down Dianmen Inner Street until you get to Jingshan Park. Cyclers can stop here and climb the hill in the center of the park, where you can catch a remarkable view of the Forbidden City.

Ride Bike in Beijing

After that, cycle along the moat of Forbidden City and take a break at the front gate of this ancient palace, so called Tiananmen Square. You can join one of the tourist groups on the sly and listen the presentation about the scenic spots. Then take a photo of yourself in front of the portrait of Chairman Mao, which is a iconic thing in this square. Before looping backing to Tiananmen Square head westward along Changan Avenue to get a glance of the National Centre for the Performing Arts
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•Route 2: The Yonghe Palace - Hohai Lake

Starting Point: The Yonghe Palace
End point: Great Leap Brewing, 6 Doujiao Hutong
Distance: 6.8 kilometers
Summary: it is a great chance to explore Beijing from former imperial residence to modern hutong life.

Yonghe Palace is a temple and monastery of the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism. The building and the artworks of the temple combine Han Chinese and Tibetan styles. Yonghe Palace is a temple and monastery of the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism. The building and the artworks of the temple combine Han Chinese and Tibetan styles.

Cycler may start from Yonghe Palace and head west to Wudaoying Hutong, where has plenty of restaurant, shops and café. Then turn south to Guozijian Street and have a fast look of Confucius Temple. weave your biking through the hutongs west of Andingmen Inner and stop at Baochao Hutong to relax on the Orchid hotel rooftop patio. Then continue to cycle to the Drum and Bell Tower, which kept time in the city for centuries. Head toward to Houhai Lake nearby. Have a break and chat with the old guys who swim here every day then back east to Doujiao Hutong. You can grab a hoppy beer in the quiet courtyard of Great Leap. It is a local brewery opened by American Cari Setzer. 

•Route 3: Tian'anmen Square - Andingmen Nei Da Jie

Starting Point: Tian'anmen Square
End point: Fangjia Hutong
Distance: 8.1 kilometers
Summary: cyclers can go shopping, eating and drinking all on one ride.

Along this biking tour, you can cycle eastward along Changan Avenue and stop for a walk to bustling Wangfujing Avenue, which is a major pedestrian shopping area in this city. Hop back on your bike and meander through the hutongs in the Di'anmen and National Art Museum neighborhoods until you hit Jiaodaokou. Here you'll find the best cocktail bar in Beijing.

Ride Bike in Beijing

Continue north up Andingmen Inner Street until you hit Fensiting Hutong. Stop for some delicious dandan mian -- chili oil, Sichuan pepper, minced pork and scallions served over noodles. Head directly east to Fangjia Hutong and stop in at El Nido, a tiny bar owned by affable young Chinese entrepreneur Xiao Shuai. 

•Route 4: Tiananmen square and Dashilanr

Starting Point: Tiananmen Square
End point: Dashilanr, Qianmen
Distance: 4.5 kilometers
Summary: cyclers can cycle through some of Beijing's oldest hutongs.

Take a quick trip in Tiananmen square, the largest public square in the world, and marvel at the grandiose Great Hall of the People and the National Museum, before heading south through some of the oldest hutongs in Beijing. Make your way to Dashilan'r, which is a refurbished shopping street made to look traditional, but it's still surrounded by a few charming, run-down hutongs -- great to explore on bike. Then head back to Qianmen to see what happens when hutong preservation goes commercial. Then you can have a stroll around the square and end the cycling. 

•Route 5: The Yonghe Palace - the Bird Nest

Starting Point: The yonghe Palace
End point: Olympic Forest Park
Distance: 11.3 kilometers
Summary: along this route, you will cycle on the trail of the Beijing Olympics.

From the yonghe Palace, cycle across the Ring Road to Ditan Park. Stop here and buy a ticket to one of Beiing's best public parks, home to the Temple of Earth. Before you hit the north fourth ring road, head northward along Heping West Street several kilometers

Ride Bike in Beijing

Bike westward until you see the unmissable site of the 2008 Summer Olympics. The Bird Nest and Water Cube stadiums are still as impressive as it was originally built. Head north until you reach Olympic Forest Park. Here, you’ll find local serious bikers, who meet at nights to bike laps on the open road. 

•Route 6: Juyongguan Great Wall - Badaling Great Wall

Starting Point: Juyongguan
End point: Badaling
Summary: This biking tour is in the outskirts of Beijing. You will be able to visit magnificent look of great wall and the local villages around.

As Juyongguan and Badaling are not in downtown Beijing, you may need to worry about the transport from Beijing downtown to Juyongguan. You’d better hire a car to take you near to Juyongguan first, then start to enjoy your biking tour when you almost get to Juyongguan. Most of the road condition is good and suitable for biking. After arriving in Badaling, you may visit to Badaling Great Wall, and then cycle back to Ming Tombs area to visit Changling Tomb or Dingling Tomb. There are some villages around Ming Tombs. You can have a visit to one of the villages to see how Chinese peasants live their life and how Chinese villages look like.