Friends
Open to Great Wall hike
About Finding hiking partners for the Great Wall
Meet like-minded people in Beijing
On your own in Beijing? Check in for the days you're there, say what you're open to, and other travellers and locals who chose to be seen can ask to join. They see your city, never your exact spot.
Beijing is a history lover's dream, with the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall within easy reach. Solo travellers enjoy exploring its traditional hutong alleyways, eating Peking duck and joining group trips to wilder sections of the wall. Travellers gather in the hutongs around Nanluoguxiang and Gulou (the Drum Tower), and in the nightlife district of Sanlitun.
Meeting people in Beijing: what works
- Stay in a hutong hostel near Nanluoguxiang or Gulou, many of which run group trips to the Great Wall.
- Book a group hike to a less restored section of the Great Wall, such as Jinshanling or Mutianyu, to meet other travellers.
- Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you arrive, as most places do not take cash or foreign cards.
- Explore the hutongs by bike or on foot with others, ending the evening around Houhai Lake.
Stay safe
Avoid the tea house and art student scams around Tiananmen and Wangfujing, book Forbidden City tickets online in advance with your passport, and expect to need a VPN for many Western apps.
Meet in public places, tell a friend where you’re going, and never send money to someone you met online.
Cards people might post in Beijing
Examples of what you could be open to. Post your own in a minute.
Date
Open to Peking duck dinner
About Beijing food traditions
Friends
Open to Hutong cycling
About Old Beijing life
Ideas
Open to Forbidden City visit
About Chinese imperial history
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