The good news is that both are wonderful!

Both have gorgeous temple buildings, but I believe only the ones at the Lama Temple are currently in use for religious purposes. As might be expected given their original purposes, the temple buildings of the Temple of Heaven are more formal.

The Temple of Heaven has much more extensive park-like grounds. It might depend on when you go, but the Temple of Heaven can be especially interesting because of all the people who go there to enjoy a seemingly endless array of activities - singing and dancing and playing cards and exercising and flying kites.... I believe weekends are particular popular, but from I've read, you can see some of this activity just about any time.

Hope that helps!

I love the atmosphere at the Lama Temple, but the Temple of Heaven is more dramatic, and there's more going on there. Last time I was there it had wonderful new toilets....

Ouch. Is there any chance that we could persuade you to drop something else from your itinerary?

They are both magnificent -- and quite different experiences even though the names may not reveal that fact.

At the Lama Temple, you will see a former palace (of many halls and courtyards) that was converted to a Buddhist temple. Even though it is mobbed by tourists, you will still see people lighting incense, leaving offerings, and such. The sculptures -- including the giant Maitreya -- are thrilling, I think. Because it gets so crowded, going when it first opens in the morning (if possible) is especially nice.

The Temple of Heaven has a very different character following on its purpose. It was an imperial temple built for the emperor to offer sacrifices and prayer for bounteous agricultural harvests. You will experience it in a very different way from the Lama Temple as you follow in the emperors' footsteps down the long outdoor corridors to the iconic building, the Echo Wall, etc. Plus the surrounding park is a great place for people-watching as kja recommends.

These are both very significant landmarks and are very enjoyable to visit, in my opinion. Sorry to push, but I wonder if there is anything else on your list that could be "sacrificed" so that you could visit both.

Thank you so much for your helpful insights highlighting the differences between the two. Now I really want to see both, so we are even more determined to work both into our schedule!

I've been to both and agree that you should try to see both. It's been a while since I did this, but I think I did both in half a day using public transportation.

On our trip last December to Beijing we only went to the Temple of Heaven, but we loved spending the afternoon there. As we walked through the entry gate we heard music and looked up to see dozens of couples dancing to traditional Chinese music. It was lovely to watch.

We watched several elderly people playing board games and another group doing what I called "Chinese line dancing". One group of elderly citizens were playing a board game like scrabble and we stopped to watch. They looked up and asked, "Where from?" We said the US. They looked puzzled and then said, "Oh America". They the proceeded to spell America out with their tiles. One elderly gentleman smiled the biggest toothless smile I have ever seen as he held up the tiles. Great memories.

As we approached another area we watched a father and three year old son twirling their colorful kites. It was a very memorable afternoon.

It is best to visit the Temple of Heaven in the morning. Tons of retirees gather there to do their favorite activities: singing, dancing, playing games, etc... The people watching is the best part. Need to go before 10am.