Beijing Summer Palace: Direct Entry Ticket & Kunming Lake

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/14

Duration2h–5h

GroupUp to 10

Mobile ticketAccepted

Kunming Lake spreads out in front of you—728 meters of covered corridor waiting

You arrive at the east gate with a QR code, skip the ticket line, and spend your day exploring the Summer Palace's 70,000 square meters of palaces, gardens and ancient structures. You walk the 728-meter Long Corridor along Kunming Lake, see the Hall of Industrious Government and Suzhou Street, and move at your own pace through one of China's first protected cultural heritage sites. The QR code arrives seven days before your visit date.

2h–5h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Summer Palace highlights

Enter Summer Palace via east gate
Visit Hall of Industrious Government
Walk around Kunming Lake
Explore Empress Dowager Cixi's residence
Stroll along the Long Corridor
Visit Suzhou Street

The Experience

The east gate of the Summer Palace appears, and you're holding a QR code on your phone instead of standing in a ticket line. Security check, scan, and you're through—no negotiation, no waiting for someone else to figure out the system. The Summer Palace sits across 3,008 square kilometers, three-fourths of it water, and you've got the whole day to move through it at whatever pace makes sense. Peak season runs April through October with last entry at 6pm; if you're going November to March, entry closes at 5pm, so timing matters when you book.

The Long Corridor is the thing people mention first—728 meters of covered promenade running along the northern shore of Kunming Lake, connecting the buildings at the foot of Longevity Hill. It's the longest garden corridor in China, and walking it means you're moving through centuries without the sun beating down on you. The lake itself was built in the early 18th century during the Qing Dynasty, originally called Wengshan Lake before they renamed it Kunming to honor the emperor's hometown. It was meant to recreate the West Lake in Hangzhou, which was considered the most beautiful lake at the time—and standing there, you understand why someone wanted to build that memory into stone and water.

Suzhou Street is the most visited spot, a recreation of South China towns from 1750 where emperors and empresses used to walk for leisure. The Hall of Industrious Government was built in 1750 and renamed after the Summer Palace was rebuilt, suggesting that benevolent rulers would enjoy long lives. The empress dowager's quarters—mostly wood construction for ventilation and light—sit as the major architectural structure in the living quarters. You move between these spaces on your own time, no guide narrating, no group waiting for stragglers. The ticket arrives as a QR code seven days before your travel date, and you'll need your passport name and number at booking for all participants; bring your actual passport on the day you visit for the security check at the gate.

What’s included

Admission ticket to the Summer Palace with direct entry via QR code at the east gate.
access to all palace buildings, gardens and structures including the Long Corridor, Kunming Lake, Suzhou Street, and the Hall of Industrious Government.
wheelchair accessibility throughout the grounds.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessible

Operated by Lily's Tour Company

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to explore the Summer Palace without arranging a ticket in advance or waiting in line at the gate—the QR code sent a week early means you arrive ready to walk straight through security and start your day.