Beijing Summer Palace, Lama Temple & Olympic Stadium Tour

Three Beijing landmarks in one day, with a guide and entry arranged

A private Beijing tour with a live English or Chinese-speaking guide covers the Summer Palace (the Qing Dynasty imperial garden), the Lama Temple (a national key Buddhist monastery), and Beijing Olympic Park with the Bird's Nest stadium. Entrance fees for the Summer Palace and Lama Temple are included; the tour runs eight to nine hours with hotel pickup at 8 a.m., a silk factory visit, lunch at a local restaurant, and tea at a tea house before return. Children from age 3 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Beijing's main attractions

• Meet guide at hotel lobby 8:00 am
• Visit Summer Palace imperial garden
• Explore Lama Temple Buddhist monastery
• Visit silk factory and learn silk culture
• Have lunch at local restaurant
• Explore Beijing Olympic Park Bird's Nest stadium
• Enjoy tea at tea house
• Return to hotel

The Experience

Your guide meets you at your hotel lobby at 8 a.m. and the day starts at the Summer Palace, a large-scale imperial garden built by the Qing Dynasty and modeled on the West Lake of Hangzhou with design techniques drawn from gardens south of the Yangtze River. The palace grounds give you room to move at your own pace through the landscape before the group moves on to the Lama Temple, a national key Buddhist temple in the Han nationality area, where the monastery's three archways and five grand halls make up the main structure.

Between the two temples, you stop at a silk factory to experience the silk culture firsthand—a shorter visit that breaks up the day before lunch at a local restaurant. Afterward, the route heads to Beijing Olympic Park and the National Stadium, known as the Bird's Nest, which hosted the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies, track and field competitions, and football finals. The stadium sits in the south of the central Olympic Park area and holds about 92,000 audience seats. The day winds down with several cups of tea at a tea house before your return to the hotel.

The tour is eight to nine hours total. A guide in English or Chinese stays with the group throughout. Entrance fees cover the Summer Palace and Lama Temple; the Olympic Stadium entrance is an optional add-on at checkout. Public transportation options are available nearby if you want to explore on your own time.

What’s included

• Entrance fees for the Summer Palace and Lama Temple.
• hotel pickup and private guide in English or Chinese.
• a stop at a silk factory to experience silk culture.
• lunch at a local restaurant.
• and tea at a tea house before return to your hotel.

Operated by ToursbyChina

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want a private guide for the full day rather than joining a group, and note that Olympic Stadium entrance isn't included while Summer Palace and Lama Temple are.

Top questions

What is the Summer Palace and why is it part of this tour?

The Summer Palace is a Qing Dynasty imperial garden built on the model of the West Lake of Hangzhou, using design techniques from gardens south of the Yangtze River. It is one of Beijing's most significant historical sites and the tour includes entrance fees so you can walk the grounds without arranging tickets separately.

What happens at the Lama Temple during this tour?

The Lama Temple is a national key Buddhist monastery in the Han nationality area, made up of three exquisite archways and five grand halls. You visit the temple as part of the day's route; entrance is included in your tour price.

Is the Olympic Stadium entrance included, or do I need to pay extra?

The Olympic Stadium entrance is optional and depends on which option you choose at checkout. One option includes it; the other does not. Either way, you see the Bird's Nest and the Olympic Park grounds.

What time does the tour start and when do I get back to my hotel?

Your guide meets you at your hotel lobby at 8 a.m. The full tour runs eight to nine hours, so you return in the late afternoon. The schedule includes stops for a silk factory visit, lunch at a local restaurant, and tea at a tea house.

Can I bring my children on this tour?

Yes, children are welcome from age 3 and up. The tour includes hotel pickup and a guide for the full day, so families can move through all three sites together.

What language does the guide speak?

Your guide speaks English or Chinese, depending on which language option you select at checkout. The guide stays with the group throughout the eight to nine hours.