Beijing Summer Palace: Skip-Line Ticket & Optional Guided Tour

The Summer Palace Without the Queue

You book a ticket online, receive a QR code by email five to seven days ahead, and scan it at the gate to skip the queue. Choose between a regular ticket for the main garden areas or a combination ticket that unlocks the museums and Suzhou Street. Add a 2-hour guided tour, private round-trip transfers from your hotel, or both. You explore at your own pace after the tour ends, and the whole experience takes as long as you want it to.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Beijing Summer Palace

• Choose ticket package
• Receive entry QR code by email
• Scan QR code at Summer Palace gate
• Explore main garden areas
• Optional guided tour at East Gate
• Visit Hall of Joyful Longevity
• See Hall of Benevolence and Longevity
• Walk the Long Corridor
• View Marble Boat on Kunming Lake
• Explore on-site museums (if open)
• Use private car transfer if booked

The experience

There's something about standing in front of a place you've only seen in photographs: that moment when you realize you're actually there. The Summer Palace does that to you. But the thing that kills that feeling fastest is spending an hour in line at the gate while the morning light shifts across Kunming Lake. That's why booking ahead matters. You get a QR code sent to your email five to seven days before you travel, download it, and walk straight to the entrance. No scanning tickets on your phone at the gate, no fumbling with printed slips. Just scan, step through, and suddenly you're inside one of Beijing's most celebrated imperial gardens.

The palace itself sprawls across 290 acres, and how you move through it depends on what you choose. A regular ticket gets you the core experience: the iconic lakes, the pavilions, the Long Corridor with its thousands of painted panels. That's solid for a ninety-minute to two-hour wander. But if you want to see the Grand Opera House, the Tower of Buddhist Incense, Suzhou Street, and the Summer Palace Museum, you need the combination ticket. Just remember those museums close on Mondays, so plan around that if you're visiting mid-week. The QR code works at every checkpoint inside the grounds, so you won't be fumbling with anything once you're past the first gate.

If navigating Beijing's public transit to reach the palace sounds like the opposite of relaxing, the private car transfer option removes that entirely. A driver picks you up from your downtown hotel, takes you straight there, and brings you back when you're done. The all-inclusive package adds a two-hour guided tour on top. A local guide meets you at the East Gate and walks you through the Hall of Joyful Longevity, the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, the Marble Boat, and the details most visitors miss. After the tour, you're free to keep exploring or head back. It's the kind of package that works if you want the story behind what you're looking at but don't want to be locked into a rigid schedule.

The logistics are straightforward: book now, get your QR code in your inbox before you leave home, download it to your phone, and you're set. The ticket is only valid on the date you book, so pick your day carefully. If you're traveling with kids in a stroller or using a wheelchair, the palace is accessible throughout: all the main areas and surfaces are flat and navigable. Seniors get in free, but you'll need to show your passport at the gate and explain your age to the staff on the spot.

What’s included

• Your package includes the QR code ticket (regular or combination, depending on your choice), valid entry to the Summer Palace on your booked date, and access to the main garden areas.
• If you choose the combination ticket, you also get entry to the Grand Opera House, Tower of Buddhist Incense, Suzhou Street, and the Summer Palace Museum (closed Mondays).
• If you select the guided tour option, a local English-speaking guide meets you at the East Gate for a two-hour tour of the palace's top attractions.
• If you choose the transfer package, round-trip private car service from your downtown Beijing hotel is included.
• The all-inclusive package combines ticket, guided tour, and transfers into one booking.

Options for this experience

6 options

Standard tickets without a guideGuide in English or Chinese · 8 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 15:00Regular tickets without a guide: they cover admission to the Summer Palace, and museum access is charged separately. Scan your QR code sent by email.

Combined entry, no guide includedGuide in English or Chinese · 08:00, 10:00 and 13:00Combination entry without a guide: includes main entrance access and visits to the museums inside the Summer Palace, with no guide.

Option 2: regular tickets plus guideGuide in English or Chinese · 7 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 15:00Option 2: regular tickets plus guide. Includes the main palace entrance fee and a 2-hour guided tour. Meet your guide at the East Gate of the Summer Palace.

See 3 more options

Option 2: combination entry plus guideGuide in English or Chinese · 08:00, 09:00, 13:30 and 14:30Covers the main entrance and the extra gardens and museums in the palace, plus a 2-hour guided tour. Afterwards you can explore the museums on your own.

Option 3: ticket plus transferGuide in English or Chinese · 6 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 14:00Option 3: tickets plus transfer. Includes the entrance ticket and a round-trip private transfer from a downtown hotel to the Summer Palace; the service lasts 4 to 5 hours.

Option 4: tickets, guide and transferGuide in English or Chinese · 6 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 14:00Option 4: tickets, guide and transfer. A driver collects you from your downtown hotel, takes you on a 2-hour guided tour, and drives you safely back afterwards.

You pick the guide language when booking.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day13 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 15:00

AgesAdult (11 to 59 years) · Senior (60 to 90 years) · Child (4 to 10 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

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 due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Discover Beijing Tours

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to skip the entry-gate queue and avoid arranging your own transport to a palace that's a distance from downtown: the QR code and optional transfers handle both, leaving you free to focus on the gardens themselves.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 10 years); Infant (under 4): free.

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.

When do I get my QR code ticket?

Your QR code is sent via email five to seven days before your travel date. Download it immediately and keep it on your phone. It's your entry pass.

Can I visit the Summer Palace museums with a regular ticket?

No. Museums (Grand Opera House, Tower of Buddhist Incense, Suzhou Street, Summer Palace Museum) are only accessible with a combination ticket. Museums are closed Mondays.

How long does the guided tour last?

Two hours. Your guide meets you at the East Gate and covers the main attractions. After the tour, you can explore freely or leave.

Is private transfer included in all packages?

No. Transfer is included only in Package 3 (Ticket + Round-Trip Transfer) and Package 4 (All-Inclusive). Packages 1 and 2 are ticket and tour only.

Is the Summer Palace accessible for wheelchairs?

Yes. All main areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible. Strollers and prams are also permitted.

What if I'm a senior?

Seniors enter free, but you must show your passport with your date of birth at the gate and explain your age to staff on the spot.

Can I use the QR code on a different date?

No. The ticket is valid only on the date you book. Choose your travel day carefully when you reserve.

Do I need to print the QR code?

No. Keep it on your phone and scan it directly at the entrance gates.