Beijing: Mutianyu Great Wall & Summer Palace Small Group
Two of Beijing's biggest draws in one day, without the crowds at Mutianyu
You're picked up from your Beijing hotel, driven to Mutianyu Great Wall before the crowds arrive, given two hours to walk and optional cable car or toboggan access, fed lunch at a local restaurant, then taken to Summer Palace for the palace tour and optional imperial ferry boat ride on Kunming Lake. The whole day is guided in English, transport and entry are handled, and you're back by evening.
Step-by-step itinerary
- Mutianyu Great Wall Entry included 2h
- Beijing National Stadium passing by
- Summer Palace Entry included 1h 20m
Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace Tour
- Drive early to Mutianyu Great Wall
- Take ski-lift up the Wall
- Hike on the Great Wall for 2 hours
- Take toboggan slide down the hill
- Have lunch before or after Wall visit
- Drive past Olympic Stadium - Bird Nest
- Visit Summer Palace Palace Area
- Walk through longest Corridor with paintings
- Take Imperial Ferry Boat on Kunming Lake
What’s included
- Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off from anywhere in Beijing's 2nd ring road, an English-speaking licensed guide, entry to Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace, lunch at a family-style local restaurant, bottled water throughout the day, and air-conditioned transport. Cable car access up the Great Wall is optional.
- the toboggan slide down is free if you take the cable car. The imperial ferry boat on Kunming Lake is included if weather permits.
Times
- Every day No fixed time
Options for this experience
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Prices and times updated today
Operated by Addiction Travel
The experience
What if you could skip the queues at the Great Wall and still have time to float across an imperial lake the same afternoon? That's the shape of this day. You start early at Mutianyu, the section most visitors miss because it's further out, which is exactly why it stays quieter. The VIP pass lets you drive straight to the wall instead of waiting for a shuttle bus, then you've got two hours to walk the restored sections. If the cable car and toboggan appeal to you, they're there. If you'd rather climb, that works too. Lunch happens whenever fits your pace (before or after the wall) at a family-style local restaurant with real Beijing cooking, not tourist versions.
After Mutianyu, you pass the Bird Nest stadium (the Olympic one from 2008) on the drive south. The stadium's closed to visitors, so you photograph it from the car and keep moving. Then comes the Summer Palace, which is where the imperial family actually spent their summers to escape the heat. You walk through the Palace Area first to see how they lived, then take the longest painted corridor in the world (it's a real thing, not marketing), and if the weather allows, you board an imperial ferry boat on Kunming Lake. That boat ride is the part people remember. The lake's massive, the palace sits above it, and you get the whole thing from the water instead of from the paths everyone else uses. The whole tour runs about nine hours with the drive time built in.
Groups stay under nine people, which changes how the day feels. Your guide speaks English and is a licensed Beijing guide, not a translator. Hotel pickup happens from anywhere inside the 2nd ring road, so if you're staying central, they come to you. Bottled water's included, the van's air-conditioned, and you don't arrange tickets or transport yourself. That's the point. The cable car up Mutianyu is optional. If you want the gondola instead, you can swap it in advance with your passport number. The toboggan slide down is free if you take the cable car up, though it sometimes closes if the line gets too long or the weather turns.
Is this one for you?Book this if you want the two most visited Beijing attractions in a single day without arranging tickets, transport, or timing yourself: the small group size and early start at Mutianyu are what keep the crowds manageable and fit both sites into one afternoon.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 7).
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
Is lunch included?
Yes. Lunch is included at a family-style Chinese restaurant. There's no halal option available. You can eat before or after the Great Wall, depending on your preference.
What's the cable car option?
The cable car (ski-lift) takes you up Mutianyu instead of climbing 30 minutes on foot. The toboggan slide down is free if you take the cable car up. You can swap the cable car for a gondola in advance by providing your name and passport number.
Do I need to buy Great Wall or Summer Palace tickets separately?
No. Entry to both attractions is included. The VIP pass for Mutianyu lets you drive directly to the wall without a shuttle bus.
Is the imperial ferry boat on Kunming Lake guaranteed?
The itinerary says "if available," so it depends on weather and conditions on the day. It's not a separate fee if it runs.
What's the maximum group size?
No more than 9 people per tour.
Do I need to bring my passport?
Yes. Bring your passport on the travel day. If you're swapping cable car for gondola in advance, you'll need to provide your passport number when booking.
What's included in the price?
English-speaking licensed guide, hotel pickup and drop-off (2nd ring road hotels), bottled water, lunch, air-conditioned vehicle, and entry to both attractions. Cable car and toboggan are optional add-ons.
What's not included?
Cable car or gondola tickets (unless purchased as an add-on), toboggan slide (free if you take the cable car), and any personal expenses.
Beijing: Mutianyu Great Wall & Summer Palace Small Group
9h · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 83.66 per person