Recommended place to stay:
Peking Station Hostel
Beijing, China
Official star rating:
The nicest of Beijing’s few youth hostels, this welcoming little place is big on boutique charm. Neat, spotless rooms – dorms or twins – adjoin a cafe restaurant reserved for guests and filled to the brim with fresh flowers.
Calm and serene (it’s not a place to party). Peking Station Hostel would suit solo female travellers and couples on a budget. Staff are clued-up and helpful; they’ll even walk you to the subway.
The hostel is a ten-minute walk from Beijing’s main train station, and twice that to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, making it a decent budget base for the central sights.
Surrounding area
Peking Station Hostel is far enough away from the actual station to escape its slightly shabby orbit. The property’s immediate surroundings are safe and quiet, comprising a few low-rise, old-fashioned buildings amid more modern urban development.
In a few minutes you can walk to Beijing’s main east-west thoroughfare, Chang’an Dajie, which dissects Tiananmen Square and the main entrance to the Forbidden City.
For dining and shopping, Wangfujing is around 15 minutes away by foot.