Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace Private Day Trip with Lunch
Hike the restored wall and ride the toboggan, then walk the emperor's lakeside gardens in one day.
A private day trip from Beijing to Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace with a professional guide, private vehicle transport, entrance fees and lunch included. You choose cable car or chair lift to reach the wall, spend hours hiking the restored section, and ride a toboggan back down. After lunch at a Chinese restaurant, you stroll the imperial gardens, pavilions and lakeside paths of the Summer Palace before returning to your hotel. The tour operates in all weather and runs 8 to 9 hours. Dragon Boat rides are available April through October for an additional cost.
Step-by-step itinerary
- Mutianyu Great Wall Entry included 2h 30m
- Summer Palace Entry included 1h 30m
Visit Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace
- Pick up from downtown hotel
- Travel to Mutianyu Great Wall
- Choose cable car or chair lift up
- Hike on the Great Wall
- Take toboggan ride down
- Have lunch at Chinese restaurant
- Visit Summer Palace
- Stroll around gardens and pavilions
- Optional Dragon Boat ride (Apr-Oct)
- Transfer back to hotel
What’s included
- Cable car round trip or chair lift up and toboggan ride down.
- professional guide in your chosen language.
- entrance fees to both Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace.
- lunch at a Chinese restaurant.
- hotel pickup and drop-off.
- private vehicle transport for the entire day.
Times
- Every day 07:30 08:00 08:30
Options for this experience
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Prices and times updated 3 days ago
Operated by Beijing Tour Guide
The experience
Your guide and driver pick you up from your downtown Beijing hotel and drive 1.5 hours to Mutianyu Great Wall, a fully restored section with views across the surrounding landscape. You decide whether to take the cable car or chair lift up to the wall itself, then spend a few hours walking the restored stone and brick sections at your own pace. The descent is where the day shifts: a toboggan ride down the mountainside replaces the climb back, and most travelers find it the most memorable part of the morning.
After lunch at a Chinese restaurant, you head to Summer Palace, the sprawling royal garden where Beijing's imperial families spent their summers. The grounds hold ancient pavilions, mansions, temples and bridges arranged around a large lake. Walking the landscaped paths and corridors that wind through the gardens is unhurried. There is no fixed schedule once you arrive, so you can linger at the halls and pavilions that catch your eye. Between April and October, a Dragon Boat ride on the lake is available if you want it, though it costs extra and you arrange it on the day.
Wear comfortable shoes for the wall and the gardens, and bring layers: summer heat can be intense, and the operator notes that heavy rain occasionally closes Mutianyu for safety, in which case you visit an alternative section of the wall instead. The guide speaks English, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Japanese or Korean depending on which option you book. If you need a language other than English or Chinese, confirm your booking at least three days ahead. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and vegetarian meals are available if you request them when you reserve.
Is this one for you?Book this if you want both the Great Wall and the Summer Palace in a single day without arranging transport, timing or entry yourself: the private vehicle and guide handle the logistics, so you move between the two sites without planning the gaps.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Chinese and Japanese.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.
How long does it take to get from Beijing to Mutianyu Great Wall?
The drive from downtown Beijing to Mutianyu Great Wall is 1.5 hours, so you spend the early part of the morning in transit before reaching the wall itself.
Can I choose how to get up to the wall at Mutianyu?
Yes, you can take either a cable car or a chair lift up to the wall, and the toboggan ride down is included with your ticket, so the descent is your choice to make once you reach the top.
What is the Summer Palace and what do you do there?
Summer Palace is a vast imperial garden in Beijing where the emperor and his family retreated during warm months. You walk the landscaped grounds, which include ancient pavilions, temples, bridges and a large lake surrounded by corridors and halls arranged in natural harmony.
Is the Dragon Boat ride at Summer Palace included?
Dragon Boat rides are not included in the tour price and are only available between April 1st and October 31st. You can arrange one on the day for an additional cost if you want to take it.
What happens if the weather closes Mutianyu Great Wall?
If heavy rain or other weather conditions close Mutianyu for safety, you receive a full refund or the operator takes you to an alternative section of the wall instead.
Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace Private Day Trip with Lunch
8h–9h · EN · ES · FR · DE · IT +3 · at your hotel
from US$ 218 per person