What should I pack for Beijing?

The Forbidden City covers 72 hectares of polished stone and marble thresholds. A full visit means 6-8 km of walking before you even leave the complex. The Temple of Heaven adds another 3 km of gravel and flagstone paths across its 273-hectare park. Thin-soled fashion sneakers will leave your feet aching by Meridian Gate. Pack proper walking shoes with thick soles and real ankle support. Beijing's older neighborhoods like Dashilar and the hutong alleys around Nanluoguxiang have century-old paving stones that sit at odd angles, with tree roots pushing through the gaps. One pair of broken-in trail shoes will cover every situation better than two pairs of city sneakers.

This is the thing most first-timers get wrong. Google Maps, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, and YouTube are all blocked in mainland China. Download and configure a VPN on your phone and laptop before you board your flight, because once you're on Chinese internet, the VPN download pages themselves are blocked. Baidu Maps works without a VPN but the interface is Mandarin-only. Your phone's USB charger cable is fine, but the wall plug needs a Type I adapter for China's 220V outlets. A US two-prong flat plug might physically fit some Chinese sockets, but it's hit-or-miss. Bring 2 adapters. Beijing hotel rooms tend to have only 1-2 outlets within reach of the bed, and you'll be charging your phone constantly between translation apps, offline maps, and camera use.

Beijing in June means 28-38°C daytime heat with humidity that can hit 90%. Today, June 19, it's 23.8°C with drizzle and 93% humidity. That's a cooler spell, but the sticky air still makes cotton feel heavy within an hour of walking. Pack 3-4 quick-dry shirts and lightweight long pants. The air conditioning inside the National Museum of China and the subway runs aggressively cold, around 18-20°C, so carry a light layer in your daypack for the temperature swings. If you're visiting November through February, pack for a completely different city. Beijing winters regularly drop to -10°C, and the wind off the Mongolian steppe cuts through anything thinner than a real down jacket. The Summer Palace grounds at that time of year feel raw, with lake wind adding a wet bite that 5°C readings don't prepare you for.

Beijing's air quality still has rough days. PM2.5 readings above 150 happen during certain weather patterns, so pack 2-3 KN95 masks for those grey mornings when the skyline disappears into haze. Tissues and wet wipes are worth their bag space. Public restrooms at Tiananmen Square and the Summer Palace don't always stock toilet paper, and the soap dispensers are often empty. Sunscreen matters more than people expect here. The UV index hits 8-10 in June and July, and you'll be outdoors for hours at the Forbidden City with almost no tree cover across those vast stone courtyards. The heat radiates up from the pale pavement and hits you from both directions.