So it's Saturday morning, you've slept through the night (thank you, melatonin), and it's time to throw yourself into the historic center of Beijing, right? Wrong. On Saturday mornings, the Forbidden City—the imperial palace compound that was off-limits to the masses for 500 years—is crammed with domestic-Chinese tour groups, each group wearing matching baseball caps and scurrying after their flag-waving leader. They tend to diminish the majesty of the Ming dynasty courtyards that served as the seat of government until the last emperor abdicated at the start of the twentieth century. So save the Forbidden City for this afternoon, once the crowds have thinned, and head instead to the Capital Museum, which at 9 a.m. will be virtually empty.

The Capital Museum (86-10-6337-0491; capitalmuseum.org.cn) is a brand-new airy architectural knockout filled with innovative 3-D displays that introduce you to Chinese customs and traditions. You need only 90 minutes there and to visit only two floors. On the second floor is a time line that tells you what was happening in Beijing at the same moment as key events in Europe and the United States, so you can put China's history in context. On the fifth floor are reproductions of Chinese homes and street scenes. Both will magnify your appreciation of everything else you'll see in Beijing.

Now that you can envision how locals have lived for centuries in Beijing's traditional residential alleyways—called hutongs—you are ready to explore them yourself. Have your car drop you off at Liulichang Street—a boulevard of antiques and curio shops south of Tiananmen Square. Walk eastward along the pedestrian-only street past the stores that have gotten touristy of late—you can tell from their perfect paint jobs in preparation for the Olympics—and you'll hit a car-free hutong area (note the peeling paint) where you'll see everyday life being lived. After you've had your fill, drive to lunch at Tian Di Yi Jia (140 Nan Chi Zi Dajie, Dong Cheng District; 86-10-8511-5556; meals, $25), a courtyard compound within the former Imperial City that has been beautifully decorated with a mix of traditional Chinese furniture and striking contemporary art.

Now that it's about 2 p.m., head for the Forbidden City's north gate (the rear entrance), and proceed from north to south (back to front), since this will mean fewer crowds than if you entered at Tiananmen Square (forbiddencitychina.com). Stroll through the Imperial Garden into the courtyards where the emperor, the empress, their children, and his concubines lived. Don't miss the hall where the disastrous Dowager Empress Cixi, the power behind the throne for 50 years, sat invisibly behind a yellow silk screen, whispering commands to her young nephew, the emperor.