BJ-T08: Beijing Day Tour to CCTV Tower & 798 Art Zone

This 1-day tour, covers National Centre for the Performing Arts, CCTV Headquarters, Wangjing SOHO and 798 Art District aiming to show you the glamour of modern architectures and art works in Beijing.

 It is a guided tour by eco-friendly public transport. If you need a private car, feel free to contact our travel consultants to arrange it for you.

In the morning, our experienced English-speaking guide will pick you up from your own booked hotel and escort you there directly. 

Also known as the National Grand Theatre, National Centre for the Performing Arts lies in the middle of a man-lake like a giant pearl floating on water. With mirror-like surface and in hemisphere shape, the building is quite futuristic. After appreciating its beautiful exterior and taking some amazing pictures, the guide will escort you to have a tour inside, to see the grand halls linked with each other with air corridors. The recommended visiting time is about 1-2 hours.

 Admission fee: CNY30 for sightseeing
 Open time: 9:00 – 17:00 

How to Get to National Centre for the Performing Arts by Public Transport

Based on the location of your hotel, the guide will choose the most convenient way to get there. 

 If by subway, you will arrive at Tian’anmen West Station on subway line 1. The site is right to the south of the subway station
 If by city bus, you will arrive at Tian’anmen West Bus Stop. The buses stopping by include no. 1, 1(inter-zone), 1 (Gongzhufen inter-zone), 5, 5 (inter-zone), 5 (Deshengmen inter-zone), 52, sightseeing line 1 and sightseeing line 2. 

After, the guide will lead you to the nearby Tiananmen West subway station to take subway line 1 to Guomao Station, then change to line 10 to Jintai Xizhao. Getting out of the subway station, you will see the neoteric CCTV Tower in the CBD area. As a fashion skyscraper, the building is characterized by its miraculous design. It is nicknamed by local people as Dakucha, which means big shorts, because of its unique appearance. 

Best Site to View CCTV Tower

The CCTV Headquarters is not open to the public, so you can only appreciate its appearance from the outside. The balcony of the 6th floor in China World Shopping Mall is the best and most popular site to admire as well as take pictures of the building. The mall, on the west side of the street, is diagonally opposite to the CCTV Headquarters. 

The guide will kindly lead you there, which is about 900 meters away (990 yards), on foot to have a full view of the tower. On the way, you will have a chance to have a look of other modern buildings in Guomao CBD, including CITIC Tower and China World Trade Towers.

Then, proceed to today’s third stop, Wangjing SOHO, first by subway line 1 to Dawang Road, then by subway line 14 to Futong and at last walking northward for about 800 meters (880 yards).

Wangjing SOHO is also a modern landmark of Beijing as famous as the CCTV Tower. It consists of three tall buildings looking like three mountain peaks coming out of the ground. Together with the surrounding pools and fountains, they form “a Chinese landscape painting”. 

Best Sites to View Wangjing SOHO

Two road crossings to the southwest and southeast of the building group are the best sites to take the panoramic photos from an upward angle. On the balconies of Hesheng Qilinshe Shopping Mall to the southwest, you can also take a full look of the whole Wangjing SOHO.

Lunch Break

There are many restaurants in the Hesheng Qilinshe Shopping Mall or Wangjing SOHO, so today’s lunch time will be given here. You may ask the guide for some recommendations. 

It is just 3 bus stops away from the Wangjing SOHO and the guide will escort you to take city bus no. 538 from nearby Rongke Ganlancheng Bus Stop to Dashanqiao East Bus Stop and then walk southeast for a few minutes to get there.  

Renovated from an old factory, 798 Art District nowadays has become a popular gathering quarter in Beijing for young artists, painters, designers, writers and craftsmen. It is clustered with a great deal of galleries, workshops and studios. On the street, you will see some artistic statues and graffiti. When tired, just have a seat in one of those quaint cafés, tea houses or snack stores to take a break. 

Travel Tips

1. Most shops and halls are open to visitors for free, and a few charge a low fee. 
2. Some exhibition centers will be closed on Mondays.
3. You need to notice that taking pictures in some shops and exhibition halls are not allowed, so asking for permission first would be better. 

At the end of the day, the guide will send you back to your hotel also by public transport and say goodbye. If you need more guided service, feel free to contact us any time. 

 By bus: There are a few bus stops around 798 Art District. To the west, the guide may lead you to Jiuxianqiao Road to find Dashanzi Lukounan stop for bus 401, 405, 445, 988 and 991; or to the northwest to find bus 403, 418, 593, 851 and 854 at Dashanzi Lukoudong stop on Jiuxianqiao North Road.
 By subway: The nearest subway station Wangjing South is a little far. The guide may escort you to take the bus 593 for one stop to the station; then take subway line 14 East Section to other parts of the city.