Beijing Summer Palace: Pre-Booked Tickets & Fast Entry

Pre-Book Your Summer Palace Entry & Walk Straight In

You arrive with a pre-booked ticket, skip the entry queue, and walk directly into the Summer Palace gardens. The 290-acre royal retreat is yours to explore at your own pace: no guide, no group, no fixed route. Subway access and full wheelchair accessibility mean you can focus on the pavilions, the Long Corridor, and Kunming Lake instead of logistics.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Summer Palace royal garden

• Pre-book Summer Palace tickets
• Show passport for entry
• Explore Summer Palace grounds

The experience

Most visitors queue for an hour at the gate. You won't. The difference between arriving with a printed ticket and joining the line at the counter is the difference between starting your day in the gardens and starting it in a crowd. Summer Palace, the royal retreat of Qing Dynasty emperors, sits just a subway ride from central Beijing, but only if you've already sorted the entry. Pre-booking your tickets means you show your passport, hand over your confirmation, and you're through the gate while other groups are still figuring out which window to approach.

The palace itself spreads across 290 acres of gardens, pavilions, and water. You move through it at your own pace. There's no guide attached to you unless you choose one, no group you have to keep up with, no schedule beyond what you decide. The Long Corridor runs for half a mile under painted beams. Kunming Lake opens up in front of the main palace buildings. The Marble Boat sits at the water's edge, a structure that actually floats. You walk where you want, stop where something catches you, linger on a bridge if the light is right.

Getting there is straightforward: subway access is nearby, and the site itself is fully wheelchair accessible, so mobility isn't a barrier. The gardens work in any season, though summer heat can be intense: early morning or late afternoon tends to feel less crowded. Once you're inside, the pre-booked ticket is done. The rest is just you and the grounds.

What’s included

• Admission ticket to Summer Palace.
• entry without waiting in the general queue when you show your passport and confirmation.

Options for this experience

3 options

Advance booking of Summer Palace admission ticketsNo fixed time

Combined Ticket12:00, 15:00 and 20:30

Ticket&English speaking guideNo fixed timePrivate tour lasting 2 hours, including a ticket and an English-speaking guide

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 12:00, 15:00 and 20:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (18 to 59 years) · Senior (60 and older) · Child (6 to 17 years) · Infant (1 to 5 years): free

GroupPrivate

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPublic transport nearby

Operated by China Pleasure Tour Co,. Ltd.

Is this one for you?Right for anyone who wants to skip the entry line and explore the Summer Palace gardens independently: pre-booking removes the guesswork at the gate and lets you start your visit the moment you arrive.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 17 years); Infant (1 to 5 years): free.

How do I use a pre-booked ticket at Summer Palace?

Show your passport and your ticket confirmation at the gate. You'll be admitted directly without waiting in the general queue.

Is there a guide included with the ticket?

No. The ticket is for entry only. You can hire a guide separately if you want one, but it's not included or required.

How long can I spend inside Summer Palace?

There's no time limit. You can stay as long as you like once you're admitted. Most visitors spend 2 to 4 hours exploring the gardens and buildings.

Is Summer Palace accessible for wheelchairs?

Yes. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and transportation options nearby are also wheelchair accessible.

How do I get to Summer Palace from Beijing city center?

Public transportation options are available nearby. The subway is the most common way to reach the site.

What's inside Summer Palace?

The grounds include the royal gardens of the Qing Dynasty emperors, pavilions, the Long Corridor, Kunming Lake, and the Marble Boat, among other structures and walkways.