Beijing Summer Palace Tickets & Self-Guided Entry

Summer Palace Beijing: Book Your Ticket, Explore the Imperial Garden Solo

You book your Summer Palace ticket online, receive a QR code by email, and enter at the east gate without waiting in line. Explore the imperial garden at your own pace across Kunming Lake and Wanshoushan Mountain, with access to the main grounds and major pavilions. The ticket doesn't cover four small interior sites, and you'll need your passport details at booking and on the day of entry. Subway line 4 gets you there in minutes.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Beijing Summer Palace

• Book entrance tickets online
• Send passport and contact details
• Receive ticket QR code
• Take subway line 4 to Xi yuan station
• Walk 5 minutes to east gate
• Scan QR code to enter Summer Palace
• Explore Summer Palace at your own pace

The experience

You scan the QR code at the east gate and walk straight into three-quarters water and centuries of Qing Dynasty design. The Summer Palace ticket you've booked online gets you past the entrance (no queue, no negotiation), and then the garden is yours to move through at whatever pace feels right. Kunming Lake spreads in front of you, Wanshoushan Mountain rises behind the pavilions, and the paths fork in directions you choose. This is the best-preserved imperial park in Beijing, and you're not following a group or a schedule.

The ticket covers the main grounds and the major structures, but it doesn't include four smaller sites tucked inside: Wenchang Gallery, The Garden of Virtuous Harmony, The Tower of Buddhist Incense, and Suzhou Street. That's worth knowing before you go, so you're not hunting for entrances that aren't part of your pass. Getting there is straightforward: subway line 4 to Xi yuan station, exit C2, five-minute walk east to the gate. You'll need your passport on the day you visit, and the local partner will email you the QR code after you provide your passport details, date of birth, and contact information during booking.

Three hours here feels rushed if you want to sit by the water or sketch the bridges. Four or five hours lets you move without hurrying, stop at the tea pavilions, and actually absorb the scale of the place. There's no guide narrating the history, no group waiting while someone takes photos, no fixed route. You're reading the plaques if you want to, or just walking the lakeside paths and letting the layout tell its own story. Public transport gets you there and back, and the whole experience costs less than a guided tour because you're handling your own time.

What’s included

• Summer Palace entrance ticket.
• QR code for gate entry.
• access to the main palace grounds and major pavilions including Kunming Lake and Wanshoushan Mountain structures.
• self-paced exploration with no time restrictions.

Options for this experience

5 options

Summer palace ticket only - no tourGuide in English or Chinese · 07:00 and 09:00Booking for Summer Palace tickets only: covers the Summer Palace admission fee alone, with no guide, no transfer and no tour included

Private walking tour lasting 2 hoursGuide in English or Chinese · No fixed timePrivate walking tour lasting 2 hours

Morning departure at 9:00 amGuide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeMorning departure at 9:00 am

See 2 more options

Group tour departing at 1:50 pmGuide in English or Chinese · 09:00Afternoon departure at 1:50 pm: the group guide will meet guests at Exit C2 of Xiyuan station on Subway Line 4 for every afternoon departure at 1:50 pm (not on Mondays)

Summer Palace and Great Wall tourGuide in English or Chinese · 07:00This option includes a private transfer, admission fees to all sites, and a tour guide

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 dayDepartures at 07:00 and 09:00

Book up to20h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (under 12)

GroupUp to 30

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.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Private China Tours

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to move through the Summer Palace without a guide or group schedule, and who don't mind handling their own entry logistics in exchange for flexibility and lower cost. The QR code system means you skip the ticket booth line entirely.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

1 verified traveler review

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 12).

What's not included in the Summer Palace ticket?

The ticket covers the main palace grounds and major structures. It does not include entry to Wenchang Gallery, The Garden of Virtuous Harmony, The Tower of Buddhist Incense, or Suzhou Street, which are smaller sites inside the complex.

How do I get the QR code for entry?

After booking, email your passport name, passport number, date of birth, country, email address, phone number, and WhatsApp number to the local partner. They'll send the QR code to your email, which you scan at the entrance gate.

How do I get to the Summer Palace?

Take subway line 4 and exit at Xi yuan station, exit C2. Walk east for five minutes to reach the east gate of the Summer Palace.

What do I need to bring on the day of my visit?

Bring a current valid passport. You'll need it to enter the site.

Can I take my time exploring, or is there a time limit?

There's no time limit. You explore at your own pace once you enter with your QR code. Most visitors spend three to five hours depending on how much detail they want to see.

Is there a guide included with this ticket?

No. This is a self-guided ticket. You explore the Summer Palace on your own without a guide or group.