Independent travel guide
National Stadium (Bird's Nest)
国家体育场“鸟巢”Guójiā Tǐyùchǎng · Niǎocháo
The Bird's Nest can be appreciated on two levels: a free exterior architecture circuit or a separately ticketed stadium interior. Decide which one you want before approaching, because event closures and tour products do not follow the same rules.
Free exterior / paid elements · Checked 2026-08-02
Verified ticket prices
Official pricesExterior free; official Overall View ticket ¥100
Olympic Green exterior
FreeOverall View ticketIncludes VIP areas, aerial walkway and torch viewing platform.
¥100- Event days can alter sightseeing access. Buy through the official 'Chaopiao' mini-program or venue channel.
- No qualifying admission-only or clearly admission-inclusive international-platform product was verified. Use the official channel.
Rules vary
How to book
The official route accepts passports, but parts of the booking flow may still be Chinese-only or require staff assistance.
Check before fixing the day's route; event and interior tickets may open separately.
Booking steps
- 1
Open the official information and check whether advance booking is required for your date or exhibition.
- 2
Choose passport in the official form; if it is unavailable, contact the venue or ask the visitor desk for assistance.
- 3
Keep the booking message, ticket or receipt and present it with the same passport.
Original passport plus the official confirmation, QR code or on-site ticket.
Do not enter a made-up Chinese ID number. If the form blocks foreign documents or phone numbers, use the staffed route or contact the venue before departure.
1-2 hours (about 1–1.5 hours for the internal panorama tour; add 30–60 minutes for exterior photos and night views)
How to visit
West entrance (level-1 KL entrance, free official-talk meeting point): get off at Olympic Sports Centre Station on Metro Line 8, walk to the Olympic Park central district, pass ticket check, then enter via the west entrance.
Finish on the west side for a Water Cube view or return to the main metro route.
- 1Stop 1Olympic Park central district
Free area; arrive via Olympic Sports Centre Station or Olympic Park Station on Line 8, and photograph the Bird's Nest and Water Cube exteriors first.
- 2Stop 2Bird's Nest west entrance / KL entrance
Pass ticket check; ask about the free talk service at the level-1 entrance.
- 3Stop 3Ground-floor Golden Hall
First stop of the panorama tour: Olympic-themed displays and lobby space. Allow 15–20 minutes.
- 4Stop 4Second-floor VIP area
The panorama tour includes the VIP area, the VIP reception space from the Olympics. About 15 minutes.
- 5Stop 5The rostrum
Inner stand area overlooking the bowl-shaped seating and the field. About 15 minutes.
- 6Stop 6Top Beauty sky corridor
Steel-structure walkway at the top, overlooking Olympic Park and Beijing's central axis. Allow 20–30 minutes.
- 7Stop 7Torch viewing platform
Viewing platform panorama; after the tour returns along the same route to the west entrance. At night you can photograph the Bird's Nest lights and Water Cube from outside.
Best time
Quiet right at the 10:00 weekday opening; entering after 17:00 lets you link up with the evening exterior lights (ticket check stops 21:00). At night the steel structure looks best—exterior viewing is free anytime.
Foreigner notes
The real-name booking platform accepts valid documents including passports (ID, Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan documents, passports all work). Passport bookings must be checked at the dedicated ticket gate manually—you can't swipe the ID-card gate.
Buying in the WeChat 'Chaopiao' mini-program needs a WeChat account, and registration usually needs a phone number (WeChat supports international numbers, but a mainland China number is most reliable). You can also book by phone at 400-600-2008 without the app.
Mini-program tickets are paid via WeChat Pay; on-site cash purchases aren't confirmed. Concession tickets require document verification at the dedicated lane.
The official site has a full English version (n-s.cn/en, including the TICKETS page), with ticket and opening-hours info in English. Free talks are offered at the level-1 KL entrance, VIP area and rooftop corridor (mainly Chinese; English not confirmed).
The exterior circuit and ticketed tour are distinct products. A strong architecture visit does not require interior admission.
Avoid these mistakes
On concert/event days, internal visits are suspended or only open half a day. Check the official 'Notices' and event calendar before travelling to avoid event dates; if you can't get in that day, photograph the exterior instead (free).
Booking with a passport but walking to the ID-card gate gets you blocked. Keep the document you booked with; passport bookings use the dedicated ticket gate or manual lane.
Tickets are real-name and valid only on the booked day—expired ones are void. Confirm the date and time slot before paying; if plans change, request a refund on the purchase platform first (unused, unexpired tickets are refundable).
Buying an expensive 'Bird's Nest + Water Cube + guide' one-day package that's only worth the admission. The official panorama tour is ¥100/person, bought directly in the 'Chaopiao' mini-program; consider packages only if they include real services like car transfers.
Arriving after the 21:00 ticket-check cut-off means seeing only the exterior. For the interior, reach ticket check by 21:00 at the latest; night exterior and lights are free and always viewable.
Concession tickets (¥80) need document verification; without your student/elderly card you lose the discount. Carry the original document for concession tickets, or you'll pay the full difference on site.
Continue nearby
National Aquatics Center (Water Cube)1–2 hoursForbidden CityAbout 3.5–5 hours (half a day).Temple of Heaven Park2-3 hours (Beijing Tourism Network suggests 2 hours; existing project leads say 2-3 hours; allow 3 hours with the combined core-site ticket)Beijing seasonal itinerary guideBeijing itinerary and seasonal travel guide for a 4–5 days first visit.Beijing food guideIncludes spice, ingredient, allergen and ordering notes for independent travelers.Beijing Travel Guide & MapBeijing travel guide and interactive map for independent travelers.
Sources and evidence
Published by China Trip Primer · Read the editorial and verification methodology
Items to reconfirm
- The ¥80 concession price appears only in third-party guides (Qianggen Net 2022) and isn't listed on the official English page; specific child/elderly free policies aren't verified on official pages. — Confirm current ticket types and concessions on the 'Chaopiao' mini-program or by phone 400-600-2008.
- 'Tickets released daily at 20:00, bookable 7 days ahead' is an April 2026 Bendibao snapshot; the release rhythm and advance window may change. — Check the selectable date range in the 'Chaopiao' mini-program.
- Regular hours of 10:00–22:00 reflect the July 2026 notice; with frequent adjustments during event-heavy periods, check that month's notice for long-term validity. — Check the latest notices in the official website's notice section before travelling.
Official
OfficialNational Stadium visitor informationPublisher · National Stadium (Bird's Nest)
Used forInterior tours, event closures and visitor access
Verified 2026-07-29OfficialTICKETS (English ticketing page: panorama tour ¥100/person, visit hours 10:00–22:00, check-in stops 21:00, tel. 400-600-2008)Publisher · National Stadium Co., Ltd. (Bird's Nest official website)Used forUsed to verify the imported ticketing, booking, opening-hours or visitor-guidance fields.
Verified 2026-08-12OfficialBird's Nest official homepage and opening-hours adjustment notice (2026-07-21: from 27 July, daily 10:00–22:00, ticket check stops 21:00)Publisher · National Stadium Co., Ltd.Used forUsed to verify the imported ticketing, booking, opening-hours or visitor-guidance fields.
Verified 2026-08-12OfficialBird's Nest official visit section (tours: standard / VIP / rooftop Bird's Nest; free talks at the KL entrance, level 1; Visitor Information Service Centre)Publisher · National Stadium Co., Ltd.Used forUsed to verify the imported ticketing, booking, opening-hours or visitor-guidance fields.
Verified 2026-08-12Professional guide
Community experience
Community experienceBeijing Bird's Nest ticket prices and concessions (full ¥100, concession ¥80; Metro Line 8 direct; buy via the Chaopiao account)Publisher · Qianggen Net
Used forRecent visitor experience used only for route choices, pacing and practical pitfalls.
Verified 2026-08-12Community experienceBird's Nest booking/ticket process (real-name, passport via dedicated gate, same-day ticket validity, refund rules)Publisher · WeChat account (repost of the Bird's Nest process in a Taishan free-ticket booking article)Used forRecent visitor experience used only for route choices, pacing and practical pitfalls.
Verified 2026-08-12Venue-specific official pages are used where available. City-level official references provide context and are not booking confirmation; editorial and community sources are used only for route choices, pacing and first-hand experience.
国家体育场国家体育场南路1号奥林匹克公园