Beijing is enormous and laid out as a series of ring roads, so the wrong base means an hour of travel before each day starts. Choose by metro access above all else.
Dongcheng — the default for a first visit#
The district containing the Forbidden City, Tiananmen, Jingshan Park and the Temple of Heaven. Staying here means walking to the headline sights rather than commuting to them, and Lines 1, 2 and 5 cover everything else.
If you have four days and want to see the classic Beijing, stay here and stop deliberating.
The Gulou hutongs — character over convenience#
North of the centre, around the Drum and Bell Towers and the Houhai lakes, the old lanes hold courtyard guesthouses, small bars and a scale of street life the main city has lost. This is the Beijing people remember.
The trade-offs are real: rooms are smaller, some courtyard properties have shared or basic bathrooms, and taxis cannot always reach your door. Worth it if the atmosphere is the point of the trip.
Sanlitun and Chaoyang — eating, drinking, shopping#
East of the centre. The best concentration of international restaurants, bars and shopping, and where most of the city's nightlife happens. Further from the historic sights, but Line 10 and Line 2 make that manageable.
A good choice for a second visit, a longer stay, or if evenings matter as much as mornings.
Guomao — the business district#
Towers, malls and international hotel chains around the CBD. Efficient and well connected, and the right answer if you are here for work. As a tourist base it is functional rather than interesting.
Near the airports#
Only worth it for a genuinely punishing early departure — both airports are far out, and a night near either costs you an evening in the city.
For sights, timing and how many days to give the city, see the Beijing destination guide.