Beijing Olympic Park: Complete Visitor Guide

When the sun sets over northern Beijing and the 91,000-seat National Stadium begins to glow amber in the dusk, it remains one of the most arresting pieces of architecture in the world. Nearly two decades after hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics — and then again the 2022 Winter Games — Beijing’s Olympic Park has evolved from a sporting venue into a vast urban forest park that functions as the city’s northern green lung and one of its most visited landmarks.

The Two Olympic Games: A Unique Legacy

Beijing made history by becoming the first city to host both a Summer Olympics (2008) and a Winter Olympics (2022). The Olympic Park was the centrepiece of both:

• In 2008, it hosted athletics, swimming, gymnastics, basketball, and opening/closing ceremonies.
• In 2022, the existing venues were adapted for ice sports: the Water Cube transformed into the “Ice Cube” for curling, while the Bird’s Nest hosted the Winter Games opening and closing ceremonies.

This double legacy gives the park a unique sense of layered history.

The Bird’s Nest (National Stadium)

Architecture

The National Stadium (国家体育场) was designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron in collaboration with Chinese artist Ai Weiwei (though Ai later distanced himself from the project for political reasons). Its outer shell — a dense weave of interleaved steel beams — was designed to resemble a giant bird’s nest, though structurally it functions as an elaborate lattice that distributes load and eliminates the need for interior support columns.

The steel structure required 110,000 tonnes of structural steel — more than the Eiffel Tower — and took four years to build. The design is elegant from every angle: from the outside it appears impossibly complex; from the inside the roof seems to float.

What’s Inside Today

After the Olympics, the stadium went through a period of underuse. Currently:

• Museum exhibitions on the 2008 and 2022 Olympics occupy parts of the interior.
• Seasonal events: Concerts, motorsports events, and a popular ice park in winter.
• Stadium tour: Walk the track, sit in the stands, visit the VIP lounge and athletes’ tunnel.

Admission: ¥50 (stadium tour). Free to view the exterior. Hours: 9:00–18:00 daily.

The Water Cube / Ice Cube (National Aquatics Center)

The National Aquatics Center (国家游泳中心) — universally known as the Water Cube, now the Ice Cube — is the Bird’s Nest’s quieter but arguably more beautiful companion. Its blue ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) bubble façade was inspired by the geometry of soap bubbles and gives the building an otherworldly quality, especially at night when it glows a translucent blue.

Michael Phelps won eight gold medals here in 2008. In 2022, the inner competition pools were drained and covered to create curling rinks.

Water Park

The interior has been partially converted into a water park — slides, wave pools, and a leisure swimming area — open to the public year-round. This is a popular destination for Beijing families on weekends. Admission: ¥150–¥200 (water park), ¥30 (exterior visit and exhibition).

Olympic Forest Park

Immediately north of the main stadium complex, the Olympic Forest Park (奥林匹克森林公园) is a 680-hectare green space divided into two sections by the North Fifth Ring Road:

South Park

Centred on an artificial lake (Aohai Lake) and featuring walking and cycling paths around a central hill. The hill — built from construction waste — offers panoramic views over both the Olympic venues and, on clear days, the distant mountains.

North Park

Larger and wilder, the North Park has extensive natural forest, meadows, and a wetland area that attracts significant birdlife. It is quieter and more suitable for serious exercise — joggers, cyclists, and families use it heavily on weekends.

Admission: Free (open 24 hours). Bike rental: Available at multiple points within the park, ¥20–¥40/hour.

The Olympic Green

Connecting the venues, the Olympic Green is a formal landscape of tree-lined avenues, plazas, and the Dragon of Water — an 8-km artificial river running through the park. The central axis is aligned precisely with Beijing’s historic north-south imperial axis, a deliberate design choice connecting the Olympic legacy to the city’s ancient spatial organisation.

Getting There

Metro: Line 8 to Olympic Sports Center station (奥林匹克体育中心) for the Bird’s Nest / Water Cube. Line 8 to Forest Park South Gate (森林公园南门) or Olympic Park (奥林匹克公园) stations for the park.

From central Beijing (Tiananmen), the journey takes approximately 35–40 minutes by metro.

When to Visit

Best time of day: Late afternoon and evening, when the light transforms the façades and both buildings illuminate dramatically.

Photography Tips

• The reflection of the Water Cube in the Olympic Green river on still mornings is exceptional.
• The aerial view from Olympic Forest Park’s central hill gives the best overview of the entire complex.
• Night photography is rewarding — both buildings illuminate from within; bring a tripod.
• Stand approximately 600 metres south of the Bird’s Nest to capture both venues in a single frame.

Nearby Attractions

Practical Tips

• Crowds: The park is quietest on weekday mornings; weekend afternoons (especially summer) see large families and school groups.
• Combined visit: Most visitors spend 3–4 hours covering the Bird’s Nest, Water Cube exterior, and a brief walk through the forest park. A full-day visit (including the water park) is also manageable.
• Food: Multiple restaurants and fast-food outlets within the park; quality is mediocre — eat before or after the park in nearby Wangjing area.
• Accessibility: The main Olympic Green is wheelchair accessible; forest park trails vary.

The Olympic Park is a reminder that infrastructure built for spectacle can have a meaningful life after the games — as park, as museum, as the daily backdrop for a city’s ordinary pleasures.