Long layover at PEK, Beijing airport

You need to apply for the transit visa-free exemption if you would like to head out of the airport and take a Beijing city tour.

The 24-hour visa free transit is a temporary entry permit for international passengers who travel to a third country on an international flight with a stopover time of no more than 24 hours in China and need to leave the port. International passengers who apply for visa free transit shall submit valid passports or other international travel documents, connecting onward tickets and other materials, fill out entry card, and accept inquiries from exit/entry border inspection authorities.

Thanks. But I am still not clear. Am I eligible with Indian passport? And when and where do I apply, at the airport when I land? I have 5 hr. and then 21hr. layover. Can I use it both times?

If your route is from Mumbai to New York and has 2 times stopping at Mainland China, you may not be eligible for transit visa exemption. As I know, you can only stop in one place for no more than 24 hours and you will fly to the third country or region out of mainland China if you would like to apply for the 24-hour visa-free transit.

If you qualify for all the conditions of transit visa exemption, you need to apply for the 24-hour visa-free transit when you arrive at the Beijing airport. There is the special counter for handling 24-hour visa-free transit. After you land at the airport, you can follow the instruction or ask the staff of the airport to the counter.