北京五日游：首日行程记录
第一日行程安排
目的地：故宫
首先提醒大家，参观故宫一定要提前7天预约。我订的是下午场，结果十点半就提前入园了，但仍然人山人海。由于听说从天安门进会多一次安检而且排队时间长，所以我们选择了从东华门进。不过，从地铁站到东华门需要多走15分钟的路程，这对带着老人的游客来说可能会有些不便。考虑到故宫内的参观路程很长，需要走3-5个小时，建议大家保留体力。
天安门预约提醒 如果你预约的是早上八点之前，可以从天安门进，不需要等太久。但记住无论是否登城门，只要进天安门都需要预约。没有预约到的朋友也不用担心，可以选择从东华门或太庙进，虽然要多走些路。
老人和学生优惠信息 60岁以上的老人可以享受故宫半价门票优惠，只需在景区直接刷身份证或护照即可。学生也可以享受半价优惠，但需要在公众号上提前购票并预约。请提前做好相应的准备，享受这些便利的优惠政策。
经过一天的游览，步数统计已经突破两万步了，真的是见识到北京景点的广阔。
美食推荐
游览完故宫，我们前往了王府井的四季民福。下午四点多到达时，已经排了很多人。幸运的是，我们顺利拿到了号，等待了一个小时就有位置了。点了鼎鼎大名的北京烤鸭、豆苗和炸酱面，非常符合老人的口味，爸妈都赞不绝口。
支付方式
在北京旅行期间，我们没有换钱，全程使用支付宝和TNG（Touch 'n Go）支付。不论是餐厅、景点门票还是购物，都非常方便快捷，大大简化了支付过程。
交通便利
为了在北京出行更加方便，我们发现外国人在北京地铁买票需要到柜台办理，甚至使用售票机买票都需要身份认证。这种方式对外国游客来说非常不便利。后来，我们决定在某个地铁站购买一卡通，但需要20元押金，并且退卡时并不是所有站点都提供服务。
Tips
提前七天预约故宫门票，特别是热门时段。
带老人出行时，尽量选择距离较近的入口，节省体力。
60岁以上老人享受故宫半价门票。
结束篇
用完晚餐，我们就回到住宿地休息了。期待接下来的行程，更多精彩敬请期待！
Destination: The palace museum
First, a reminder to everyone: you must make a reservation 7 days in advance to visit The palace museum. Although I booked an afternoon slot, I arrived at 10:30 am and was allowed entry early, yet it was still incredibly crowded. We chose to enter through the East Gate (Donghuamen) instead of Tiananmen to avoid an additional security check and long queue. However, this requires an extra 15-minute walk from the subway station, which might be inconvenient for those traveling with elderly people. Given that the tour inside the Forbidden City takes 3-5 hours, it’s advisable to conserve energy.
Tiananmen Reservation Reminder
If you have a reservation before 8 am, you can enter through Tiananmen without much waiting. Remember, regardless of whether you go up to the Tiananmen tower, you need a reservation to enter. If you couldn’t get a reservation, don’t worry; you can enter through Donghuamen or the Taimiao (Imperial Ancestral Temple) entrance, though it requires more walking.
Discount Information for Seniors and Students
Seniors over 60 can enjoy half-price tickets at the Forbidden City by simply scanning their ID or passport at the entrance. Students are also eligible for half-price tickets but need to purchase and reserve in advance through the official WeChat account. Make sure to prepare in advance to enjoy these discounts.
After a full day of touring, our step count exceeded 20,000 steps, a testament to the vastness of Beijing’s attractions.
Food Recommendations
After visiting the Forbidden City, we went to Siji Minfu in Wangfujing. When we arrived at around 4 pm, there was already a long queue. Fortunately, we got a number and only waited an hour for a table. We ordered the famous Peking duck, pea shoots, and zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste), which were very much to our parents' liking-they couldn’t stop praising the food.
Payment Methods
During our trip in Beijing, we didn’t exchange any money and used Alipay and TNG (Touch 'n Go) for all transactions. This made paying for meals, entrance tickets, and shopping extremely convenient and streamlined the entire process.
Convenient Transportation
To make traveling around Beijing easier, we found that foreigners need to buy subway tickets at the counter or use a ticket machine, which requires identity verification. This can be quite inconvenient for foreign tourists. We decided to purchase a Yikatong (transportation card) at a subway station, which requires a 20 RMB deposit. Note that not all stations offer card return services.
Tips
Reserve Forbidden City tickets 7 days in advance, especially for peak times.
When traveling with elderly people, choose the nearest entrance to save energy.
Seniors over 60 can enjoy half-price tickets at the Forbidden City.
Conclusion
After dinner, we returned to our accommodation to rest. We look forward to the upcoming itinerary-more exciting adventures await!
Music by Lohfi - Forever Together - thmatc.co/?l=A78E732B