Beijing Great Wall & Forbidden City private full-day tour

Three UNESCO sites in one day, the morning indoors and the afternoon on the Wall

A private full-day tour of Beijing covering Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Mutianyu Great Wall, with hotel pickup, a personal English-speaking guide, private vehicle, lunch and cable car included. The itinerary stacks the major palace complex in the morning when your guide can walk you through the 600-year-old layout, then drives you ninety minutes out to hike the best-preserved section of the Wall in the afternoon when crowds thin. Forbidden City tickets sell out online seven days ahead, so book at least eight days in advance.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Tiananmen Square2h
2. Forbidden City3h · entry included
3. Mutianyu Great Wall3h · entry included

Explore Beijing's landmarks and Great Wall

• Hotel pickup by private guide
• Walk around Tiananmen Square
• Visit Forbidden City top palaces
• Drive to Mutianyu Great Wall
• Enjoy buffet lunch at Great Wall
• Hike and take photos on Great Wall
• Return to hotel in Beijing

The experience

Your guide meets you at your hotel lobby in the morning and you travel in a private air-conditioned car with a driver. The first stop is Tiananmen Square, where you walk the perimeter with your guide and frame photos of the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of the People and the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao across the open plaza. Then you pass through the Gate of Heavenly Peace (the portrait of Chairman Mao hangs above it), and enter the Forbidden City itself. Your guide has selected ten of the palace's 9,999 rooms to show you: the major ones along the traditional central axis and special chambers on the east and west wings, so you move through the complex with a route instead of wandering.

After roughly two hours inside the Forbidden City, you head back to your car for the drive to Mutianyu. The section of the Great Wall there is the best preserved and most visited in Beijing, and the timing is deliberate. You arrive in the afternoon when the morning crowds have moved on. A buffet lunch of authentic Chinese dishes with soft drinks waits for you on arrival. The round-trip cable car is included in the tour price, so you ride up the mountainside instead of climbing, then have at least two and a half hours to walk the Wall, shoot photos and move at your own pace along the restored brick and stone. The descent is by toboggan if you want it, or by cable car again. After you finish, your driver takes you back to your hotel in downtown Beijing.

The tour runs nine to ten hours total. Hotel pickup is included for any hotel within the third ring road of Beijing. The operator suggests booking a centrally located downtown hotel to keep the morning pickup on schedule. Comfortable walking shoes matter. You cover ground at both the Forbidden City and on the Wall itself.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off within the third ring road of Beijing.
• private English-speaking guide and air-conditioned car with driver.
• entrance fees to the Forbidden City and Mutianyu Great Wall.
• round-trip cable car or chairlift at Mutianyu (with toboggan descent option included).
• buffet lunch with soft drinks at Mutianyu.

Options for this experience

7 options

City day tour with taxiUp to 15 per booking · Guide in English · 08:00, 08:30, 09:00 and 09:30Private one-day tour of the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. Included: hotel pickup and drop-off, private guide, taxi fare, entry tickets. Pickup is included.

City day tour with private carUp to 15 per booking · Guide in English · 08:00, 08:30, 09:00 and 09:30Private one-day tour of the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. Included: hotel pickup and drop-off, private guide and driver, entry tickets. Pickup is included.

Mutianyu and Forbidden CityUp to 15 per booking · Guide in English · 08:00, 08:30 and 09:00All-inclusive private tour for one day covering Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, a buffet lunch and the Mutianyu Great Wall. Included: hotel pickup and drop-off, private guide and driver, entry tickets, lunch, and a two-way cable car or chairlift plus toboggan on the Great Wall. Pickup is included.

See 4 more options

Full-day mini group tourUp to 12 per booking · Guide in English · 07:00Classic Route: a one-day tour of Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City/Palace Museum, a buffet lunch and the Mutianyu Great Wall, lasting 11 hours. All-inclusive: hotel pickup and drop-off, tickets, a two-way Great Wall cable car or chairlift plus toboggan, buffet lunch, and guide and driver services. Best Value Mini Group: avoid crowded large groups and meet like-minded travelers in an intimate setting with personal care. Pickup is included.

Tour and two-way airport transferUp to 15 per booking · Guide in English · 08:00, 08:30 and 09:00Private one-day tour of Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City/Palace Museum and the Mutianyu Great Wall, including pickup and drop-off at the airport (PEK). Included: private guide and driver, buffet lunch, entry ticket, and a round-trip cable car or chairlift up and toboggan down on the Great Wall. Pickup is included.

Spanish, German or French guideUp to 15 per booking · Guide in English · 08:00, 08:30, 09:00 and 09:30Private one-day tour of Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, a buffet lunch and the Mutianyu Great Wall. Included: a guide who speaks Spanish, German or French, driver, entry tickets, lunch, and a two-way cable car or chairlift plus toboggan on the Great Wall. Pickup is included.

Private two-day Beijing toursUp to 15 per booking · Guide in English · 08:00, 08:30 and 09:00All-inclusive private tours: private guide and driver services, entry fees, buffet lunch on day 1, and a two-way cable car or chairlift and toboggan on the Great Wall. Customized route: Day 1 covers Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Mutianyu Great Wall; Day 2 covers the Temple of Heaven, a hutong, the Lama Temple and the Summer Palace. Pickup is included.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 09:30

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (12 to 85 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 20 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Travel China Guide

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you prefer a private vehicle and guide to manage three UNESCO sites in one day, and want to visit Mutianyu Great Wall in the afternoon when it's less crowded.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

Can I book this tour if I'm arriving at Beijing airport and need a ride to my hotel?

The standard tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off within the third ring road. A separate option pairs the full-day tour with a private two-way airport transfer, so your driver meets you at arrivals and takes you to your hotel at the end of the day.

What exactly is inside the Forbidden City that I'll see?

The Forbidden City is a 600-year-old imperial palace complex with 9,999 rooms built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Your guide walks you through ten of the most essential palaces: the major ones on the central axis and special chambers on the east and west wings, so you see the layout and the architecture without getting lost in the scale of it.

How crowded is Mutianyu Great Wall in the afternoon?

Mutianyu is the best-preserved section of the Wall near Beijing and the most popular, but the tour is scheduled for the afternoon specifically to avoid the morning crowds. You'll have at least two and a half hours to walk, photograph and explore at your own pace.

Is the cable car at Mutianyu included in the price?

Yes. The round-trip cable car fare is included in the tour. You ride up the mountainside, and you can choose to ride down or take the toboggan descent on the way back.

What's included for lunch?

A buffet lunch of authentic Chinese dishes with soft drinks is served at Mutianyu after you arrive. Halal food and baby food are not available, so let your travel consultant know if you need alternatives.

When should I book this tour if I want to make sure I can get Forbidden City tickets?

Forbidden City entrance tickets are released online seven days in advance and often sell out. Book your tour at least eight days before your travel date, since ticket purchase follows a real-name policy and availability is limited.