Private 4-Day Emperor's Tour of Beijing

Five thousand years of Chinese culture and history come alive. What was it like to be the emperor? How did the emperor spend his summer holidays (before the days of China Highlights)? What was it like to be an ordinary citizen in Beijing?

Explore the emperors'Forbidden City, visit the iconic Temple of Heaven, and relax at the Summer Palace. Take a rickshaw ride through the hutongs. Walk along the Great Wall and savor the flavor of a Beijing roast duck.

Food Photography Nature Culture

From: $579

Highlights

Skip the lines at the famous Forbidden City.
Enjoy a home-visit to a traditional hutong courtyard house, imagine life in old-time Beijing.
Discover the beliefs and worship practice of Chinese emperors at the Temple of Heaven.
Explore the most beautiful section of the Great Wall, where with fewer tourists
Imagining how the emperor spent his summer holidays at the Summer Palace.
Enjoy an authentic Beijing roast duck dinner in a time-honored brand restaurant.

Suggested Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1Arrival in Beijing

Hotel: Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town (TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, 5-star) / Novotel Peace Hotel Beijing (with central location, 4-star)

Your private guide will be ready to meet and greet you at the arrivals hall. A comfortable private car (no-smoking) with an experienced driver will transfer you directly to your hotel, where your guide will help you to check-in.

Good to know:

If your arrival flight reaches Beijing late and you would like to depart a little bit later or even at noon on the second day, it is no problem because this is a flexible private tour.

Free time suggestion:

Beijing opera, more commonly known as Peking opera to Westerners, is deemed the national opera of China. The accompanying music, singing, and costumes are all fascinating and artistic. Liyuan Theater is a major place to experience the cultural treasure. Just ask your guide, and he/she will help you obtain tickets.

The emperor

Day 2The Forbidden City, Hutongs Tour, and Beijing Roast Duck

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

After breakfast, your guide and driver will transfer you to the historic Tian’anmen Square . Your guide will provide you with commentary about the history and architecture as well as anecdotes of the square, and you will have some time there for taking photos.

After going through the middle gate of Tian’anmen Rostrum, start to enjoy the highlight of the day — the Forbidden City, home to 24 emperors in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1420–1911). Your tour guide will help you explore 10 carefully-selected places in the Forbidden City, recommended by our local experts, while other group tours only visit 6 spots briefly.

After visiting the Forbidden City, you'll have a rest and enjoy your delicious Beijing local food for lunch at a traditional Beijing restaurant — Dawanju Restaurant.

After lunch, ride to the old hutong area with your guide and take a rickshaw through the 300-year-old hutongs. A visit to a local family, whose ancestors have lived in the hutongs for generations, offers a local perspective on history and is a highlight for most visitors.

After the tour, enjoy an authentic Beijing roast duck dinner in a time-honored brand restaurant — Quanjude.

Good to know:

1. Skip the line at the Forbidden City: Usually, people have to stand in a queue to buy the tickets and it will take at least half an hour. In order to save your time, your tour guide will buy the tickets online in advance so that you don't need to stand in a boring long queue.

2. Avoid the busiest crowds in the hutongs by visiting in the afternoon. This way you can have the chance to view a beautiful avenue in the 300–year-old hutongs, which is a wonderful and unforgettable experience. It is also the best time for taking good photos.

3. A traditional Chinese culture experience：we are happy to offer you a "one out of three" free experience in the hutongs (about 40 minutes) if you are interested in it: learn to apply facial makeup for the Peking Opera; learn Chinese calligraphy; learn Chinese paper cutting. Please tell your tour guide which one you prefer a day in advance so that he/she can make a reservation for you.

The hutong

Day 3The Great Wall at Mutianyu and Temple of Heaven Tour

Breakfast and lunch

In the morning, your guide and driver will take you to the Temple of Heaven. The Circular Mound Altar, Echo Wall, and spectacular Imperial Vault of Heaven are the highlights of most tour packages, but we would recommend you spend some time to discover that this was a fasting palace for the emperor. The emperor would fast at the palace before he held a ceremony to pray for a good harvest, and would abstain from meat and wine.

Enjoy lunch with your guide at Xinshuangquan restaurant.

In the afternoon, you'll hike the Great Wall at Mutianyu. This section is ranked top among all parts of the Great Wall on TripAdvisor for its picturesque scenery, fewer tourists, and beautifully restored architecture.

In order to save your time, we use round-trip cable car rides (you can also choose to walk down) to ascend and descend the Great Wall, instead of spending about 40 minutes climbing steps.

At the Wall, your guide will be with you to hike “the most beautiful and interesting part of the Great Wall” – between the 14th and 23rd watchtowers . It normally takes about 2 hours to complete the route. Then descend and take a transfer bus back to your vehicle.

Good to know:

1. Join in with local people's morning exercise: If the weather is nice, you will see the local people doing traditional Chinese tai chi in front of the Temple of Heaven at about 8am–8:30am.

2. Time-saving: You can be driven in your own vehicle to the foot of the Great Wall to save your precious time while others have to wait for the public transfer bus to get to the foot of the Great Wall.

3. Avoid the crowds on the Great Wall at Mutianyu by visiting in the afternoon. It’s also the best time for taking good photos.

4. Wild Great Wall Hiking: If you prefer a more original and somewhat decayed section of the wall, there is an interesting walk at Gubeikou, often taking 3 hours to cover 5 kilometers. Please let us know in advance if you prefer a Great Wall hiking tour at Gubeikou instead of a day tour including the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall at Mutianyu, at no extra cost.

The Temple of Heaven

Day 4The Summer Palace and Departure from Beijing

What Makes Us Different — Some Private Tour Benefits

Flexible timings:

A. You can decide to start the tour later or earlier during your stay in Beijing according to your arrival or departure flight.

B. You can decide to spend more time in the attractions you like and less time in other attractions, and do the trip without rushing.

Flexible itinerary:

We offer two alternative choices on Day3, Please let us know in advance if you prefer option 2.

Option 1: visit the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall at Mutianyu with a round-trip cable car.

Option 2: A day's Great Wall hiking tour at Gubeikou (3 hours, 6km).

Flexible meals:

A. You can order the dishes as you like in our selected local restaurants as all the included meals are à la carte, while the group tours only offer set menu without any choice.

B. In order to cater for the interests of different customers, we have selected many great restaurants for the included meals, and we could provide various options, such as vegetarian, Muslim, Chinese and Indian restaurants. We are very happy to include your special requests on our reservation form when booking the tour for you.

Price Per Person in US Dollars

Nov.1 - Mar. 31	5-star	4-star
2-5 People	$629	$579
6-9 People	$479	$429
Apr.1 - Oct.31	5-star	4-star
2-5 People	$659	$639
6-9 People	$519	$489

Note: The above prices are not applicable to Chinese National Holidays.

What's Included

Entrance to scenic spots listed in the itinerary
Private guide service from an experienced English-speaking tour guide
Private transfers between the airport, attractions, and hotels
Hotel accommodation with breakfast and Wi-Fi
Meals mentioned in the itinerary
Keep connected with our portable Wi-Fi during the sightseeing

Summary
Suggested Itinerary
Private Tour Benefits
Tour Price