Beijing Essence & Great Wall Hiking Tour

Day 1

Place & Transport: Arrive in Beijing, Flight not included
Today's Activities: Airport Transfer (Beijing)

Day 2

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Hutong Tour in Xicheng District, Treasure Houses, Li Heng Tang Pearl Store
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Courtyard 7 Restaurant, Chinese Dinner at Hepingmen Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant

- The Forbidden City (2.5 hours): The Forbidden City was home to 24 emperors between 1368 and 1911.This "city within a city" is a World Heritage Site, and is the largest and the best preserved ancient imperial architecture complex in the world, with great square, halls and gates contrast with intricate halls, gardens, courtyards and quarters. The exhibitions, both permanent and temporary, are all important treasures of ancient China.
- Tiananmen Square (50 minutes): Tian'anmen Square is the largest city square in the centre of Beijing, named after the Tiananmen (literally, Gate of Heavenly Peace) which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City. It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several key events in Chinese history. As the world's largest city square and enduring symbol of China's national pride, it is surrounded by many imposing buildings including the Heavenly Gate (entry to the Forbidden City), Museums, government buildings and Chairman Mao's Mausoleum.
- Hutong Tour in Xicheng District (1 hour): Hutong is a maze of historic alleyways with old single storey traditional courtyard houses, which are now fast disappearing. In this one hour tour, you can hop on a rickshaw to ride through the narrow alleys as well as visit a local family then walk on the Silver Ingot Bridge (Yinding Bridge) and find out about the different thresholds of the courtyards.
- Treasure Houses (30 minutes): Treasure house has undergone 4 time renovations, the present one takes up almost 220 square metres, more than 440 treasures on display belonged to Qing dynasty royalty, half of which have not never been on display in the old one. It's worthy of visiting.
- Li Heng Tang Pearl Store: Lihengtang Pearl Store is a state-run enterprise that cultivates processes, manufactures and sells all type of fresh water and sea pearls. China is the largest fresh water pearl producer in the world with the main base being in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Famous varieties of seawater pearls include: The Tahitian Black Pearl and Nanyang Golden pearl. The Lihengtang Pearl Store offer pearls of all types and quality pearls and caters to all price ranges. China Highlights customers will see the seeds being planted in the live mussel and also how learn how to differentiate real pearls from fake. This is a great opportunity to buy genuine pearls, with that come with a guarantee, for your family and friends but there is absolutely no pressure to buy.
Tel: 010-88467845
Address: No.2 North Gate Kongjunzhihuixueyuan
- Hepingmen Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant: Beijing Roast Duck is renowned as the most delicious food of Beijing while Quanjude Restaurants enjoy a high reputation for its Beijing roast duck. Quanjude restaurants have developed their own technique and are famous for outstanding quality. Hepingmen Quanjude restaurant was established in 1979 and located beside Hepingmen Gate (Peace Gate).
- Courtyard 7 Restaurant: Courtyard 7 is located in central area of Nan Luo Guo. Its well designed Chinese style modeling, the layout makes it antiquity and rusticity. Its special featured restaurant provides new modern French dishes. Seating in Courtyard 7, you may see the fusion of eastern and western culture, and smell apart of old and new fashion air. Here, you can not only taste delicious gourmet food, but also can enjoy a piece of pure land and haven in such a busy city. Courtyard 7 welcomes you stay and enjoy.

Day 3

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: Hike from The Gubeikou-Jinshanling Great Wall(5 hrs)
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- Hike from The Gubeikou-Jinshanling Great Wall(5 hrs) (5 hours): The Gubeikou of the Great Wall is composed of two parts – Panlongshan Great Wall and Wohushan Great Wall, as Wohushan Great Wall is now still completely wild and unrestored, so usually the hiking route is also named for Panlongshan to Jinshanling Great Wall. Visitors will pass several watch towers and beacon towers, which only have foundation stones by weathering. After 2-2.5 hours hiking, visitors might have reached the forbidden section within the military zone, visitors need make a detour and go down to the deep valley and begin the second part much tougher and challenging in bushes or fields. The whole journey is about 15km, can be finished in 5 hours with medium pace.

Day 4

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: Temple of Heaven, Exterior visit of Beijing Olympic Stadiums(Bird's Nest and Water Cube), Summer Palace with boat Cruise and the Garden of Virtue and Harmony
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- Temple of Heaven (1.5 hours): Built in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty, Temple of Heaven is a complex of Taoist buildings where emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties visited for annual ceremonies of pray for good harvests. Located in the south of Central Beijing, it covers an area of 273 hectares. Temple of Heaven was enrolled as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998.
- Exterior visit of Beijing Olympic Stadiums(Bird's Nest and Water Cube) (1 hour): Located at the north end of the central axis of Beijing City, with a large area of 1215 hectares, it contains National museum, exhibition area, Olympic Village and Olympic competition avenues. Approximately 31 venues are used in Beijing Olympics, including National Stadium, the Bird's Nest and National Aquatics Center. You will explore the park, but it doesn't include going inside the Bird's Nest and Water Cube.
- Summer Palace with boat Cruise and the Garden of Virtue and Harmony (2 hours): The palace is about 12 kilometers northwest of the city center and is equally as famous as the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace is called 'Yiheyuan'(Garden of Nurtured Harmony) in Chinese. It is the best preserved and the largest imperial gardens in China and one of Beijing's premier attractions. It is also possible to cruise on the lake which takes 10 minutes by the ferry boat.
- Jing Mian Da Wang Restaurant(Chong Wen Men Branch): Jing Mian Da Wang specializes in its traditional decoration of old city with archaistic red lanterns & bridal sedan chair, it mainly caters wheaten food to diners from local and different regions, creating a cozy atmosphere of festival and household.

Day 5

Place & Transport: Depart Beijing, Flight not included
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Beijing)
Meals: Breakfast