Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace Private Day Trip with Lunch

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/11

Duration8h–9h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · DE +6

PickupAt your hotel

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.

8h–9h

Step-by-step itinerary

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

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.

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.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Beijing Tour Guide

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.