Castles · Tour
The Budget Tier Goes by Subway, and the Morning Tai Chi Is Joinable
The same route sold at three levels, so the choice is about how you travel rather than what you see. The budget option uses the subway, with the metro fares included and no lunch, and covers Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City with a private guide, and the Temple of Heaven. The comfort option is the same route with private car transfers and a local lunch. The in-depth option adds the Summer Palace, with the car, the guide and the meal. All three keep a private guide, which is what stops a day of this size turning into a march. The order matters as much as the contents. The Temple of Heaven is taken first thing, when the park around it is full of people from the neighbourhood doing tai chi and singing, and before the crowds reach the Forbidden City.
What's included
- The entrance fee to the Summer Palace is included only if you select Option 3
- Professional guide
- If you choose option 2 or 3: private tour with lunch
- Subway/bus fee during the tour (If you choose the option 1 without lunch and use subway)
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- Transport by private vehicle(For option 2 and 3 with lunch)
- Entrance Fee to the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven
Itinerary
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Beijing
Three one-day packages covering the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. Option 1, budget: subway travel with the metro fares included, no lunch. Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City with a private guide, and the Temple of Heaven. Option 2, comfort: the same route, with private car transfers, a local lunch and a dedicated guide. Option 3, in-depth: adds the Summer Palace to the three sites above, with a private car and guide, and lunch.
Temple of Heaven
Morning pickup from your accommodation in central Beijing, and the day starts with the guide. First stop is the Temple of Heaven, where the Ming and Qing emperors held their annual ceremonies to pray for blessings. The courtyards are shaded by old trees, and at this hour the park belongs to the neighbourhood: people are doing tai chi, sword forms and group singing, and visitors are welcome to join in. The guide then works through the main structures: the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Circular Mound Altar, and the Danbi Bridge that links them.
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the building everyone recognises: circular, with a triple-eaved roof and the bracket system holding it up. This is where the emperor prayed for the crops each year, and the guide reconstructs what those ceremonies looked like.
Echo Wall
From the hall you walk the Danbi Bridge, a long, slightly rising path once reserved for the emperor, whose climb stood for his ascent to heaven. At the far end is the Imperial Vault of Heaven, smaller and circular, built to store the ceremonial tablets of Heaven and the imperial ancestors, with a blue-tiled roof and fine carving. Around it runs the Echo Wall. Whisper at one end and someone at the other end hears you: the acoustics are a piece of deliberate engineering, and they still work.
Yuanqiutan
Then the Circular Mound Altar, the most sacred ground of the whole complex. Standing on the Heavenly Heart Stone at its centre is what the Ming emperors did to speak with heaven. The guide explains what the design means: the round shape and the stepped terraces stand for the heavens, and the counts run through everything, from the number of slabs to the placing of the railings, following the idea of harmony between man and nature.
Hongqiao Market
For souvenirs, the Pearl Market is next door to the Temple of Heaven, so it costs no extra time. The guide will tell you how to bargain there, which you will need.
Tiananmen Square
Next is Tian'anmen Square, reached by subway or private car. Note that the square can close at short notice for official events; if that happens the itinerary is adjusted on the spot, and the guide walks the perimeter with you instead. From outside you see the National Museum of China, the Great Hall of the People, Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall, the Monument to the People's Heroes and the flagpole, with the history of each.
Meridian Gate (Wu Men)
Into the Forbidden City through its south gate, the Meridian Gate. The palace sits at the centre of Beijing's central axis and housed 24 emperors across the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1912). Red walls, yellow tiles, and a plan symmetrical from end to end. It is now the Palace Museum, with more than a million objects in the collection, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Palace Museum
The route takes the main halls in order. The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest, used for coronations and the great state ceremonies. The Hall of Central Harmony is where the emperor rested and prepared before a ritual. The Hall of Preserving Harmony held the royal banquets and the imperial civil examinations. After the outer court comes the inner one, the private quarters of the emperors, empresses and concubines. The tour ends in the Imperial Garden at the north end of the palace: old trees, rockeries and pavilions, and the one part of the complex built for rest rather than ceremony.
The Imperial Garden of The Palace Museum
From the Imperial Garden: Option 1: stay on and explore more of the palace yourself, or the guide points you to your next destination. Option 2: lunch at a local restaurant, then a transfer back to your hotel downtown. Option 3: after lunch, on to the Summer Palace, the Qing imperial garden in the western suburbs, and the largest and best preserved royal garden in China. It is built around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, and it puts the fine detail of southern gardens into a northern landscape. The Long Corridor and the Marble Boat are here, along with a great deal else. Afterwards you are driven back to your hotel.
Not included
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities
Good to know
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Your passport name and number are required at time of booking (for all participants)
- Please don't forget to bring your passport, you may be refused entry without it.
- Infant (1-3 years old) are free providing they do not occupy a seat
- Tian'anmen Square might close without advance notice due to government activity, if this happens you will skip the Square
- Chinese citizens, including customers from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, need to reserve the tickets for the Palace Museum 7 days in advance. Once the tickets for the Palace Museum are sold out, it will be impossible to participate in this itinerary. In addition, according to the regulations of the Palace Museum, Chinese citizens can only choose to reserve tickets with their ID cards. Therefore, when making a reservation, it is necessary to submit the Chinese name and ID card number, and on the day of the tour, the submitted ID document must be presented to join the tour group.
- In case of peak travel seasons and when all the tickets for Forbidden City reserved online for the scenic area are sold out, tourists are required to go to the ticket office of the scenic area by themselves under the guidance of the tour guide to handle the purchase of paper tickets on-site. Please be informed.
- In Peak season, the security checks at Tiananmen Square are particularly stringent. If the waiting time exceeds one hour, we recommend considering skip the square. Given the sweltering heat, waiting in line for an extended period increases the risk of heat - related illnesses. Additionally, spending too much time at the square could detract from your experience at the iconic Forbidden City, which is a highlight of our tour. Please keep this in mind as we plan our visit.
- Option 3: Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace. This is a tight one-day itinerary with a great deal of walking. Please ensure you are physically prepared for the extensive walking in advance.
- Up to 15 travelers per booking.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Guiding available in: cmn, en.
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