Dublin to Beijing in one flight. No layover in Frankfurt, no three-hour wait in Abu Dhabi. Hainan Airlines flies it non-stop, and this autumn, returns start from €570.
That is China's capital — the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, Peking Duck and fifteen million people — for less than most European city breaks cost in flights alone.
✈️ The deal
- From: Dublin, Ireland
- To: Beijing, China
- Airline: Hainan Airlines
- Stops: Non-stop
- Price: €570–€599 return
- When: September / October 2026
Example dates: 26/08/2026 – 10/09/2026 01/09/2026 – 10/09/2026 17/09/2026 – 13/10/2026 24/09/2026 – 13/10/2026 01/10/2026 – 15/10/2026
💰 How far does your money go?
A pint in Dublin costs nearly €7. In Beijing, a cold Tsingtao at a local restaurant runs €1. A bowl of hand-pulled noodles at a street stall: €2.50. The full Peking Duck experience at a proper restaurant — the dish Beijing is famous for worldwide — costs around €23 per person. In Dublin, that does not cover a main and a drink.
☀️ The weather
Dublin in September and October is what it usually is: 14–16°C, grey more often than not, with the kind of drizzle that makes you question the whole Atlantic thing. Beijing in September is 15–26°C, clear skies, low humidity and barely any rain — consistently one of the best months to visit China.
October cools to 7–19°C but stays dry, and the city turns gold and red with autumn colour. If you have flexibility, avoid the first week of October: the National Day holiday fills every major attraction with domestic tourists. After the 10th, it is considerably more manageable.
🏨 Where to stay
Beijing's historic centre is compact. Stay near the Forbidden City and everything is walkable or one metro stop away.
Happy Dragon City Culture Hotel — 10/10 · From €45/night A boutique courtyard hotel a short walk from the Forbidden City and Wangfujing Street. One of the highest-rated properties in Beijing on Booking.com, with service guests consistently describe as exceptional.
Yihai Cultural Hotel — 9.4/10 · From €80/night Well-located mid-range option with attentive staff and straightforward metro access to the main sights. The right balance of comfort, location and value.
Waldorf Astoria Beijing — 9.0/10 · From €280/night The grandest address in the city. Steps from Wangfujing, refined rooms, and a level of service that justifies the step up — especially when the flight cost you €570.
🎯 What to do
Five thousand years of history, fifteen million people. Start here.
The Forbidden City — 980 rooms, 72 hectares, the heart of Chinese imperial power for six centuries. The scale only becomes clear when you are inside it. Allow a full morning and go early.
Mutianyu Great Wall — The section most worth visiting: well-preserved, significantly less crowded than Badaling, with cable car access and views that genuinely stop you mid-step. 90 minutes from the city centre.
Temple of Heaven — The ceremonial complex where emperors prayed for good harvests. The circular Hall of Prayer is one of the most photographed structures in Asia, and the surrounding park fills with locals doing tai chi from 6am. Go before the tour groups arrive.
Peking Opera at Chang'an Grand Theatre — The defining performing art of Beijing: elaborate costumes, painted faces, and stories told through music and movement. Two hours that could not happen anywhere else on earth.
🗺️ Where to go from here
Beijing works as a base for a bigger trip through China.
Xi'an — One hour by domestic flight or five hours by high-speed train. The Terracotta Warriors: eight thousand life-sized soldiers buried with the first emperor of China, only discovered in 1974.
Chengde — Three hours by train northeast of Beijing. The Qing dynasty's summer retreat — an imperial mountain resort surrounded by Buddhist temples, with almost no international tourists.
Shanghai — Two hours by bullet train. Skyscrapers, the Bund, some of the best dim sum in the world, and a city that runs on a different frequency to the rest of China.
Zhangjiajie — Two hours by domestic flight. The mountain peaks that inspired Avatar's floating islands. Best visited in September before October cloud season closes in.
€570 return. Non-stop from Dublin. This autumn.
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