Beijing Highlights Tour: Great Wall & Forbidden City

Forbidden City tour, Great Wall hike, and Summer Palace ferry ride, historic adventure awaits

A 2-day guided tour of Beijing's major sights with a small group of up to 9 people, including the Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and Jingshan Park. Hotel pickup and drop-off within Beijing's 2nd ring road, all entry tickets, lunch both days, bottled water and an English-speaking guide are included. Your passport is required for Forbidden City entry. Moderate fitness is needed for the Great Wall hike and hill climb at Jingshan Park.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Inner City Trip: Tiananmen and Forbidden City

• Visit Tiananmen Square
• Tour the Forbidden City
• Climb Jingshan Park hill
• Explore Temple of Heaven and park

Day 2: Outer City Trip: Great Wall and Summer Palace

• Drive to Mutianyu Great Wall
• Hike on Mutianyu Great Wall
• Drive past Olympic Stadium for photos
• Visit Summer Palace and Imperial Garden

The experience

The tour starts at your hotel with pickup and runs across two full days. Day one stays in the inner city: you'll walk through Tiananmen Square, the world's largest city square, then spend hours in the Forbidden City, the imperial residence for nearly 600 years, moving through its wooden halls and courtyards to understand how the complex was laid out. After exiting, you can climb Jingshan Park's hill to the top pavilion and look back over the entire Forbidden City from above. The afternoon takes you to the Temple of Heaven, where emperors worshipped for almost 600 years. You'll see the altar and walk through the park grounds where local residents spend their days.

Day two heads outside the city to the countryside. You're driven to Mutianyu Great Wall early enough to beat the crowds, and you'll spend about two hours hiking the wall itself before lunch. The cable car option (available at checkout) takes you up and lets you toboggan down, which saves the 30-minute stair climb to reach the wall. On the return, you pass the Beijing National Stadium, the Bird's Nest from the Olympics, and then reach the Summer Palace, the massive imperial garden built as a birthday gift almost 300 years ago. You'll walk through the longest painted corridor in the world and can take an imperial ferry boat across Kunming Lake if it's running that day.

Lunch is included both days at Chinese restaurants with authentic food. The group stays small at up to 9 people, and your guide speaks English throughout. Hotel drop-off is included at the end of day two, or after the acrobatic show if you add that option at checkout. Bring your passport for the Forbidden City. It's required for entry.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off within Beijing's 2nd ring road.
• all entry tickets to the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Jingshan Park, Temple of Heaven, Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace.
• lunch both days at Chinese restaurants.
• bottled water throughout.
• an English-speaking licensed guide.
• and air-conditioned vehicle transport.

Options for this experience

3 options

Tour only, lasting 2 daysGuide in English · No fixed timeThis is the standard tour choice. Cableway or show tickets can also be bought on site, paying only with cash or Alipay. Pickup is included.

2-day tour with cablewayGuide in English · No fixed timeThe enjoyable way to reach the Wall: includes the round-trip ski lift and a toboggan ride down. It can be switched to an enclosed cable car, and the toboggan is not guaranteed. Pickup is included.

Tour plus acrobatic showGuide in English · No fixed time2-day tour with cableway and show: this option also covers cableway tickets and a VIP ticket for the Acrobat Show (middle seats, rows 6 to 12). Pickup is included.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (7 and older) · Child (under 7)

GroupUp to 11

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Addiction Travel

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a structured two-day route through Beijing's major sites with a group of nine. Choose the evening acrobatics add-on if you'd like entertainment after sightseeing, or skip it for an earlier finish.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 7).

What's the difference between the cable way option and just hiking the Great Wall?

The cable way is a chair-lift up and a toboggan slide down, which skips the 30-minute stair climb before you reach the actual wall. It's available at checkout for an extra cost. The toboggan ride down is free once you've taken the lift up. Without it, you hike the wall on foot both ways.

Do I need my passport for this tour?

Yes. Your passport is required to enter the Forbidden City, so you must bring it with you on day one. You'll also need to provide your passport number, nationality and year of birth when you book, so the operator can arrange your entry ticket.

Is lunch included, and what if I have dietary restrictions?

Lunch is included both days at Chinese restaurants with authentic food. The operator notes that halal food is not available, so if you have specific dietary needs, check with them before booking.

How much walking and climbing is involved?

Day one includes walking through the Forbidden City's halls and courtyards, then climbing Jingshan Park's hill to the pavilion at the top. Day two has about two hours of hiking on the Great Wall itself. Moderate physical fitness is needed. The tour is not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health.

What happens if I want to see the acrobatic show?

You can add the acrobatic show as an option at checkout. If you do, the show tickets and your hotel drop-off after the show are both included in that package.

Does the price include the imperial ferry boat at the Summer Palace?

The ferry boat ticket costs 40 CNY extra if you want to take it across Kunming Lake. It's not included in the base tour price, but you can add it at checkout if it's running that day.