Beijing 3-Day Imperial Heritage Tour: Forbidden City, Great Wall & Summer Palace

Kick off your journey as your driver picks you up from your Xi’an hotel and transfers you to Xi’an International Airport for your 2-hour flight to Beijing. Upon arrival, your local tour guide will be waiting for you at the arrival hall exit with a personalized name sign, ensuring a smooth meet-up.

Hop aboard your private vehicle and head straight to Tiananmen Square—one of the world’s largest public squares, home to the National Museum of China, the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, and the Monument to the People’s Heroes, where you can soak in the grandeur of Beijing’s core.

Next, pass through the Meridian Gate (Wu Men) to enter the magnificent Forbidden City (The Palace Museum), a 250-acre imperial complex that served as the residence for emperors and their households for over 500 years and was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1987. Follow your guide to explore iconic halls: start with the outer court’s Hall of Great Harmony (Taihe Dian), the largest and most prestigious wooden hall in China where emperors held grand ceremonies like coronations. Then move to the inner court to visit the Hall of Heavenly Purity, once the emperor’s living quarters, along with the Hall of Union and Hall of Earthly Tranquility. End your Forbidden City tour with a stroll through the serene Imperial Garden before exiting via the North Gate.

In the afternoon, visit Temple of Heaven, where you’ll wander along Danbi Bridge to explore the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest and Hall of Imperial Zenith, and experience the magical Echo Wall and Circular Mound Altar—this ancient imperial sacrificial site, with a history dating back to the Ming Dynasty, was built for emperors to pray for good harvests and heavenly blessings. After the tour, you’ll be transferred to your Beijing hotel (booked independently).

Rise and shine! Your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel lobby at 8:00 am and take you to the Mutianyu Great Wall—a more rugged and less crowded section than Badaling, with over 96% of the area covered in lush trees and orchards. Hike up and down the ancient watchtowers with your guide, and choose between a convenient round-trip cable car ride or an exciting toboggan descent for a memorable experience amid stunning mountain views.

After breakfast, head to the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan), a meticulously preserved royal garden and World Heritage Site renowned for its harmonious blend of natural landscapes and exquisite architecture, originally built as a summer retreat for Qing Dynasty emperors and empresses. Follow your guide to explore key attractions: visit the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity (once the emperor’s office) and the Hall of Happiness and Longevity (the empress’s residence), then stroll along the Long Corridor—the world’s longest art gallery and corridor, adorned with thousands of colorful paintings, where your guide will share fascinating stories behind the artworks. Stop to take photos at the iconic Qingyan Marble Boat, a unique structure built to symbolize imperial stability.

Later, drive past the Beijing Olympic Park and the “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium—catch a glimpse of Beijing’s modern side, and feel free to ask your guide to stop for photos if you’d like.

At the end of the tour, you have two flexible options: end your journey in Beijing, or take a flight back to Xi’an (flight ticket not included). If you return to Xi’an, your driver will pick you up from Xi’an Airport and transfer you to your Xi’an hotel (booked independently).

Important Note: Flight tickets and hotel accommodations are not included in this tour. Guests are required to book and pay for them independently.

Tour Ends in Xi’an