Longmai Hot Spring

Longmai Hot Spring anchors the Xiaotangshan hot-spring belt north of Beijing, a town that has warmed the capital's elite for over a thousand years - from imperial eunuchs to today's tech executives. The resort runs mineral pools, private VIP baths, a sauna circuit, and a hotel for overnight stays.

Staff are used to foreign guests and can arrange a full day pass, towel, and locker without speaking Chinese. Book the private courtyard tubs if you want the Instagram shot: steaming water, old pine trees, and not another tourist in frame.