Beijing Summer Palace Ticket: Full Access & Tower Views

The 728-Meter Long Corridor Waits at Your Own Pace

You get self-guided entry to Beijing's Summer Palace with a digital QR code, flexible timing, and your choice of Standard access or All-Inclusive coverage of the Tower of Buddhist Incense, opera house, and market street. No guide, no transport, no meals. Just the ticket and the garden. Decide between the two options before booking.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Summer Palace and main attractions

• Enter Summer Palace main gate
• Visit Tower of Buddhist Incense
• Walk along the Long Corridor
• Explore Suzhou Market Street
• Visit Garden of Virtuous Harmony

The experience

The Long Corridor stretches 728 meters along Kunming Lake's northern shore, and you walk it alone: no group, no schedule, no one telling you when to stop. This is what a Summer Palace ticket gives you: entry to Beijing's UNESCO World Heritage garden on your terms, with two options depending on how deep you want to go. The Standard Main Gate Ticket opens the core areas: the gardens, the lake itself, the Marble Boat, the corridor. The Combined Full Access Ticket adds four more paid inner attractions: the Tower of Buddhist Incense, the Garden of Virtuous Harmony, Suzhou Street, and the Wenchang Gallery. Both come as a digital QR code you scan at the gate, no paper, no waiting in line.

The Tower of Buddhist Incense is the landmark most people come for. It sits on Longevity Hill, three stories tall and octagonal, and you can climb it. Inside is a 5-meter bronze Thousand-Hand Guanyin cast during the Ming Dynasty. From the top, Kunming Lake spreads out below you: the whole palace complex visible at once. If you skip the tower, you still get the Long Corridor, which is itself a world heritage site: 14,000 painted panels running the length of the shore, each one a different scene. It's a covered walkway, so rain doesn't stop you. The Suzhou Street is stranger: a replica of an 18th-century waterside market built inside the palace so the emperor could see a bustling town without leaving. You can walk the banks or take a short boat ride on the canal. The Garden of Virtuous Harmony was Cixi's private theater district, centered on a three-story opera house with underground wells and pulley systems for effects.

You need to decide which ticket before you book. The Standard option costs less and covers what most first-time visitors want. The Combined ticket is worth it if you're spending more than two hours and want to see the tower and the opera house. Those two alone justify the upgrade. There's no guide, no transportation included, and no meals. You arrive however you want (public transport is nearby), walk at your own speed, and leave when you're done. The site is wheelchair accessible, and strollers work on the main paths. The QR code entry means you skip the ticket booth entirely. Just scan and go.

What’s included

• Admission ticket (Standard or Combined option).
• digital QR code entry.
• advance reservation confirmation.
• access to main gardens, Kunming Lake, Long Corridor, and Marble Boat.
• with Combined ticket: Tower of Buddhist Incense, Garden of Virtuous Harmony, Suzhou Street, and Wenchang Gallery.

Options for this experience

3 options

Main Gate Morning Ticket06:30 and 09:00Morning entry, 6:30 AM to 9:00 AM or 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. We will send you a QR code for your tickets 3 to 5 days before your departure; scan it to enter the park. Excludes Buddha Fragrance Pavilion, Dehe Garden, Suzhou Street and Summer Palace Museum.

Main Gate Afternoon Ticket12:00 and 15:00Afternoon entry, 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM or 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. We will send you a QR code for your tickets 3 to 5 days before your departure; scan it to enter the park. Excludes Buddha Fragrance Pavilion, Dehe Garden, Suzhou Street and Summer Palace Museum.

Combined Ticket06:30 and 12:00Entry from 6:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Includes the main ticket plus Buddha Fragrance Pavilion, Dehe Garden, Suzhou Street and Summer Palace Museum. Once booking is complete, we will send you a QR code for the ticket 3 to 5 days before your departure.

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

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to SundayDepartures at 06:30, 09:00, 12:00 and 15:00Last departure this season: 1 Dec

AgesAdult (18 to 90 years) · Youth (5 to 17 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupUp to 15

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 yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by NextStop Travel

Is this one for you?Right for anyone who wants to explore the Summer Palace without a guide or group schedule. You move at your own pace and skip the entry-line wait by scanning your QR code at the gate. Choose the Combined ticket if you want the tower views and opera house. The Standard ticket covers the Long Corridor and lake in less time and at lower cost.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (5 to 17 years); Infant (under 5): 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.

What's the difference between the Standard and Combined tickets?

Standard covers the main gardens, Long Corridor, Kunming Lake, and Marble Boat. Combined adds the Tower of Buddhist Incense, Garden of Virtuous Harmony (opera house), Suzhou Street, and Wenchang Gallery.

How do I enter with the QR code ticket?

You receive a digital QR code after booking. Scan it at the main gate and enter: no paper ticket needed.

Is a guide included?

No. This is a self-guided ticket only. You explore at your own pace.

Can I take a boat on Kunming Lake?

Boat rides are not included with the ticket. You can walk along the shore and take optional boat rides on Suzhou Street's canal if you have the Combined ticket.

How long should I spend at the Summer Palace?

Most visitors spend 2 to 4 hours. The Long Corridor alone is 728 meters, and climbing the Tower of Buddhist Incense adds another 30 to 45 minutes.

Is the Summer Palace accessible for wheelchairs?

Yes, the site is wheelchair accessible, and strollers work on the main paths.

What's not included with the ticket?

Transportation to the palace, meals, drinks, boat rides (except on Suzhou Street's canal with the Combined ticket), and guide services are not included.

Can I use public transport to get there?

Yes, public transportation options are available nearby the Summer Palace.