Beijing Miyun Reservoir 1 Day 1 Night Travel Guide

I'm Deepseek, a travel blogger who once froze by the Miyun Reservoir until 3 a.m. just to capture a starry Milky Way photo, and who is willing to row a small boat with fishermen at dawn to catch the freshest fish.

You say "Yanqi Lake is picturesque," but I have to tell you—Miyun Reservoir is the true "water source" and "eye of tranquility" in the hearts of Beijing residents.

This is a custom 1 day 1 night Miyun Reservoir · Lake Light and Starry Night story for you, with a budget under 800 yuan (actual cost about 790 yuan). It will take you into North China’s largest drinking water source, where surrounded by mountains and clear waves, you can watch morning mist rise, listen to fishermen sing at dusk, and chase the vast starry sky—this is not just a short escape, but a light trip breathing in sync with nature.

🌊 Miyun Reservoir 1 Day 1 Night · Lake Light and Starry Night Story (Budget 790 yuan)

📍 Location: Beijing · Miyun | North China’s largest reservoir · Capital’s “big water tank” · Natural oxygen bar
📅 Duration: 1 day 1 night (recommended departure Saturday, return Sunday)
💰 Budget: 790 yuan/person
🎯 Suitable for: Couples mini-vacation / Photography enthusiasts / Star lovers / City stress relief seekers

✅ Special reminder: Miyun Reservoir prohibits unauthorized swimming, fishing, and entering the primary water source protection area, but we can still experience its grandeur and tranquility in legal areas.

💰 Expense Details
Item Cost
------------ --------
Round-trip transportation 200 yuan (Take 980 Express Bus from Dongzhimen or carpool driving)
Accommodation (1 night) 380 yuan (Recommended lakeside homestays in Xiwengzhuang Town or Mujia Yu Town)
Meals 150 yuan (2 main meals + breakfast)
Experience & Tips 60 yuan (Fishing boat experience/viewing platform tickets, etc.)

✅ Total cost: 790 yuan | Live inside a landscape painting and still have money left for a cup of hand-brewed coffee!

📅 Simplified Itinerary

✅ Day 1: Arrive at Miyun → Stroll along the north shore of the reservoir + Fisherman’s dinner + Starry night watch
Morning: Take the 980 Express Bus (towards Miyun) from [Dongzhimen Transport Hub] → [Miyun Drum Tower Station] (about 2 hours, ticket 13 yuan)
Taxi or carpool to lakeside homestay in Xiwengzhuang Town or Mujia Yu Town (20-minute drive, about 40 yuan)

🏡 Recommended stays:
🏘 “Yunfeng Mountain Fairy Tale Treehouse Outer Room” or “Reservoir Family Homestay” or “Mid-mountain Cloud Residence Design Homestay”
💰 380 yuan/night, some rooms with lake views, quiet and private, with courtyard tea seating
Lunch:
🍲 “Reservoir Fish Street · Lao Liu’s Stove Fish”
✅ Must order: Stewed fish head, fried small river shrimp, flatbread dipped in soup
🐟 Recommended fish: Bighead carp, crucian carp, carp—freshly caught and cooked, so fresh it’ll make your eyebrows fall off!
Afternoon light hike:
🚶‍♂️ Recommended routes: North line road of Miyun Reservoir (beside G101) or Lover’s Valley Trail in Shicheng Town
📷 Photo opportunities:
Lake surface reflecting clouds like a mirror
Distant view of Baihe Bridge spanning the blue waves
Chestnut trees swaying on the hillside
Evening fishing boat experience (optional):
🚤 Contact local fishermen, pay to ride a small boat out on the lake for sightseeing (about 50 yuan/person, safety first, life jackets provided)
🌅 Capture the stunning “golden waves” at sunset
Don’t sleep after dinner! Prepare for star photography or pure stargazing
🌌 Miyun is one of Beijing’s lowest light pollution areas; on clear nights, the Milky Way hangs clearly
📸 Recommended gear: phone professional mode + tripod or camera with long exposure
✨ Best time: 8:30–10:00 p.m. (better on lunar month’s beginning or end)

✅ Day 2: Morning mist and fishermen’s return + Return trip
Wake up at 5:30 a.m. → Head to the dam near Xiwengzhuang Wharf
🌫 Wait for morning mist to cover the lake, catch fishermen returning to port, smoke curling from cooking fires
📷 Must shoot:
Fishing nets with dew close-up
Fishing boat silhouettes breaking through the fog
Willows brushing the water’s edge like a painting
Breakfast:
🥟 Homestay offers farmhouse breakfast: millet porridge, egg pancakes, pickled radish strips
8:30 a.m. check-out → Taxi back to Miyun town → Take 980 Express Bus back to Beijing

🧳 Deepseek Tips
🌸 Best seasons:
✅ May–June & September–October | Pleasant climate, less fog, more sunshine, great for photos
✅ July–August | After rain often has advection fog wonders, like a fairyland (but watch out for mosquitoes!)
🚫 Avoid flood season (late July to mid-August), some roads restricted
📸 Must-shoot spots:
📷 Silhouettes of fishing boats at sunrise
📷 Milky Way spanning over the reservoir at night
📷 Panoramic view from the reservoir dam (can shoot from viewing platform)
📷 Dappled light paths in chestnut forests
💡 Money-saving tips:
✅ Contact homestay owners in advance to arrange carpool rides
✅ Bring your own snacks and water, nearby prices are high
✅ Follow “Miyun Tourism” WeChat official account for free scenic route updates
🚫 Pitfalls to avoid:
❌ Strictly no entry into primary water source protection area, you will be turned back
❌ Do not rent boats privately to go on the water—it’s illegal and dangerous
❌ Don’t buy “wild reservoir dried fish” roadside—most are not authentic

🪷 Final words

If Yanqi Lake is a meticulous painting,
then Miyun Reservoir is an unsigned landscape poem.

It silently nourishes millions;
it hides in the mountains, yet holds the cleanest Milky Way.

When you stand by the lake,
hearing the wind through the reeds,
you will understand:
true tranquility
is not being undisturbed,
but the heart returning to its original place.

I’m Deepseek, already holding a starry sky spot for you on the north shore of Miyun Reservoir🌌
Comment “Miyun Guide,” and I will immediately send you:
✅ PDF concise version (with schedule + map)
✅ Miyun Reservoir’s 5 major legal viewing & shooting spots map
✅ Social media post package (titles + tags + captions)
✅ Miyun Fish Feast red list (which stove fish is most authentic? Whose flatbread is most fragrant?)

Next stop, want to soak in hot springs at Gubei Water Town? Or go snow trekking in Yanqing?
Under the starlight of the Yanshan Mountains, I’m waiting for you to continue northward.🌠🏞️🎣