Beijing Essential Full-Day Tour including Great Wall at Badaling, Forbidden City and Tiananmen Squar

Beijing, China

If your time in Beijing is short, take this full-day tour to see all the essential sights: Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China. You'll see why the capital of the People's Republic of China continues to be a historic center of power, culture and wealth today.

Your sightseeing day tour of Beijing's essential sights starts at Tiananmen Square, with an overview of China's communist history. You'll tour the grounds and see Tiananmen's vast array of halls and monuments.

From Tiananmen Square it's a short walk to the Forbidden City, also known as the Imperial Palace Museum. The history of every dynasty is represented in four palatial halls, plus antiques and treasures from China's thousands of years of history.

After a stop for lunch you will visit the Badaling section of the Great Wall, one of the best preserved sections of this 2,000-year-old architectural wonder. You will be able to climb the Great Wall and take in the panoramic views from the top.

The day tour also includes a stop at the famous Longdi Jade Factory where you can shop for beautiful bargains.

USD $81.99

Review by: John P	March 2012
The tour was excellent and the Guide gave us plently of information on what we were seeing. Also he took some photos of both of us which was great. His English was good It was a long day and very cold but most enjoyable. John and Judy australia

Review by: modym02	March 2012
Another great tour with Jackie Lee. Good narratives of present and past.

Review by: Gordon B	March 2012
My tour with Mr. Jimmy Li was an excellent 1 day tour. I appreciate that I was able to visit all three venues the same day-Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and the Great Wall. There were five other persons on this tour and it was a good group. Mr Li did a great lecture on each venue as well as answering questions. Our Chinese lunch was delicious and the jade and silk demonstrations were good. I would highly recommend this tour if you have only 1 day to spend in Beijing. The time at the Great Wall was adaquate as was the other venues. The transportation and driver was good as well. Thanks for the good communications on the meeting place and pick up time. Arrived back at my hotel on time.

Review by: YASAMAN A	January 2012
I got exactly what I wanted. Surprisingly I was the only person on the tour. Mr. Li, the tour guide, was great. He is really knowledgeable and friendly. If you are in Beijing for a day or so, this is the best choice. Mr. Li gave me lots of interesting info, which I would never known about it if I was on my own. The way he scheduled it was great. I was a bit worried about it, but he is an expert and after all he knows better than us where to go first and then..... I absolutely loved it. Just relax and get the tour :)

Review by: Christopher B	December 2011
Great use of time and our tour guide (Jacky Lee) was a super star. If you are going to climb to the top of the Great Wall, be sure to stretch and eat a couple of bananas first. It puts any stair climbing machine to shame.

Review by: James	November 2011
Nothing we didn't like about it. We were the only ones on the tour that day so had a personalised tour which was great, Many extra attractions/visits we didn't know were included which was awesome. Cherry our tour guide had awesome local knowledge and a incredible knowledge of the history everywhere. Definately recommend it

Review by: Nathan F	November 2011
awesome, great guide, great food.

Review by: Thuy	October 2011
A great way to see the highlights in one day!

Review by: Steven E	August 2011
very busy day started at the wall was very busy, then visited Tiananmen square and Forbidden City was brilliant so much history

Review by: Anna Eva E	June 2011
The guide was very friendly, professional and arrived on time. Everything was very interesting-a bit too commercial

Review by: Derek C	May 2011
I was given a private tour (I was the only person who booked the tour for this day). My tour guide was excellent. She answered all my questions and was very informative. She's a native Chinese person who lived in Beijing all her life, so she was perfect for this tour.

Review by: Sari L	May 2011
There were supposed to be 5 people on this tour but 3 canceled so it ended up being just my husband and me! Our guide Tony spoke English fluently and was very knowledgeable! We didn't end up going to Badaling because it was a Sunday and a lot of people would be there so we went to a quieter part of the Great Wall instead although it was steeper to climb. We were given a choice and chose this one, the right choice I think but there was still quite a lot of people there! Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square were also great places to visit but be warned as there is about 4km worth of walking on this part. If you tire easily, especially after climbing the Great Wall, you might want to think about saving this visit for another day. We visited a jade, silk and cloisonne gallery which was interesting. No pressure to buy at all but we did grab some nice souvenirs!

Review by: Alissa D	April 2011
This tour was not what I expected. The tour guide was soo boring. he never really gave us any time to look at stuff ourselves and the thing that people were the most interested in which was the great wall was were we spent the least amount of time ( tea store and silk factory were annoying. just a high pressure attempt to get us to buy high priced items

Review by: AUTHAR G S	March 2011
excellent tour, guide was superb

Review by: Caroline S	March 2011
Had 1 day free in Beijing at the end of a work trip, this was a great way to see a few of the sights. The guide, Thomas, was very polite and knowledgeable, and the tour went ahead even though there were only 3 people. I definitely recommend this tour!

Review by: Teresa R	March 2011
The trip was a great experience, and I never worried that I would not be taken care of. My tour guide Thomas called the day prior to confirm pickup, and he was prompt to meet me in the lobby. He spoke very good English and gave great information the entire time. The only drawback to the trip was the lunch, which was obviously an agreement with the "restaurant" to feed us mass-produced and typical Chinese food then leave us in the shops to spend money for about 30 minutes. This and stopping at the jade and silk manufacturers took extra time and were obviously agreements to bring tourists in to buy souvenirs. I'd have preferred to stick with just the sights I wanted to see. Otherwise, a great tour and well worth the money paid!

Review by: Carla S	February 2011
Fantastic sights, not to be missed when going to Beijing. We were only 3 people on this trip in a bus for about 20, so that part was comfortable. The guide (Jacky) gave us a lot of historical information but spoke English with a very strong accent so it was not always easy to understand him fully. He had the good idea to visit the wall in the afternoon so there were not many too people. Unfortuanately it was a very cloudy day so the views were very limited.The entire day was great up until the end where the driver wanted to drop me somewhere 10 minutes walking from the hotel which I refused because I did not have a clue were I was. This made him really p....d off so he drove like a madman for the rest of the way complaining loudly in Chinese to the guide. This was extremely rude and uncomfortable for me.

Review by: Stella H	February 2011
Was a fantastic tour, mainly cause we had a great tour guide called Thomas. He knew what he was on about. I would definitely recommend this tour.

Review by: Claire K	January 2011
Had a fantastic experience/tour with the tour operators in China who i booked through Viator. Would certainly use Viator again for future holidays, tour guides in Beijing were more than helpful and all spoke very good English,

Review by: Carlos S	January 2011
For those tourists who want to visit Beijing and take home many souvenirs, this tour may be excellent for you. _br/_ But as this was not my family nor my intention, we did not enjoy this tour as much as others might. _br/_ We felt very pressured by out tour guide to purchase at the myriad of stores and factories we stopped at during our 'Beijing tour'. I was even thrown into an argument at the tea house we visited because the attendant was outraged that we didn't want to spend our money in her tea house, even though we'd already paid for a tour. At another point in our tour-- in the jade factory-- our tour guide began negotiationg prices with us as if he were a salesman and not a tour guide. _br/_ I felt a little like an exploited American during this tour. _br/_ I think we spent a combined total of three hours at the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden city-- the 1.5 hours we had to spend at the Great Wall was certainly not enough. The rest of our time was spent shopping._br/_ We went along the Great Wall by ourselves, without the insight of a guide, it would have been nice to have his insights during that time._br/_ I would not recommend this tour to those tourists who are genuinely interested in learning about the history of Beijing._br/_ One redeeming quality about our tour guide was that he did provide some insight for us while we were at the Forbidden City.

Review by: LISA M	December 2010
Very informative guide, would recommend.

Review by: Bruce D	November 2010
Great guide and very insightful!

Review by: ARMANDO A	November 2010
The trip was great, I think it could've skipped the Silk Factory were they try to sell you all kinds of things, but overall the Guide Mr. Tom was great.

Review by: Margaret M	November 2010
This was a good and very efficient tou. Covered the top attractions in Beijing in about 8 hours door to door (pickup at 7:00, drop off at 3:00). I went on a slow day (Monday), so it was just me and another couple but we had a great time regardless. Our tour guide spoke English well, and was knowledgeable about each site. Like other reviewers, I believe he probably worked on commission to some of the stops (ie. the Jade Factor and Silk Factory) but he wasn't pushy at all in terms of trying to get us to purchase souvenirs. It was interesting to see how Jade and Silk are made and a nice break from some of the outdoor stops (since it was cold outside), but when it came to the gallery, I kind of wanted to just skip out, instead of looking through a large section of overpriced knickknacks. Lunch was at the cafe at the Jade or Silk factory (can't remember) and was just okay. Overall, I would recommend it for someone who wants to see some sites in Beijing but doesn't have a lot of time.

Review by: MARIE JOSE B	November 2010
The place we have lunch was very very bad, dirty but the trip was interesting and full

Review by: Steven C	October 2010
This was a fabulous tour. Thomas was an excellent guide. Only problem was that the driver dropped us off on the side of the road across the street from our hotel!

Review by: David C	September 2010
An excellent tour - our guide was very helpful and offered to take our photos at important locations. An excellent lunch was served and we visited some interesting silk and jade factories with no pressure whatsoever to buy I would recommend this tour to everyone

Review by: Katie V	August 2010
The tour was great. It ended up just being me and my friend going on this tour. Since we were only in Beijing for a short period we needed to see as much as we could and this trip definitely allowed us to do just that. The tour guide was great and very well knowledged. I would recommend this tour to anyone who wants a great experience of Beijing!

Review by: Nerida C, Australia	April 2010
Absolutely amazing, the Great Wall was fantastic.

Review by: Robert R, United States of America	April 2010
Just my luck! I was expecting a group tour but it seemed everyone else postponed so I ended up on a private tour instead. Micheal was a wonderful guide. He even helped me with my Mandarin pronunciation. Along with the jade factory, we also visited a silk factory. Micheal also suggested a different section of the Great Wall instead of Badaling because it was too crowded. Got a great workout regardless. Not only was the silk factory a bonus, but the tea house after the Great Wall was one too! I got to try some jasmine, oolong and pu'erh tea. I bought some tea, I loved it so much! If you want to see Beijing and are pinched for time, I recommend this tour.

Review by: Roberth R	April 2010
Just my luck! I was expecting a group tour but it seemed everyone else postponed so I ended up on a private tour instead. Micheal was a wonderful guide. He even helped me with my Mandarin pronunciation. Along with the jade factory, we also visited a silk factory. Micheal also suggested a different section of the Great Wall instead of Badaling because it was too crowded. Got a great workout regardless. Not only was the silk factory a bonus, but the tea house after the Great Wall was one too! I got to try some jasmine, oolong and pu'erh tea. I bought some tea, I loved it so much! If you want to see Beijing and are pinched for time, I recommend this tour.

Review by: MICHAEL W	April 2010
Tour was very interesting. Pickup was on time, though signage at a designated area of hotel would be an improvement. Coach ride was comfortable and driver was prompt and very knowledgeable of surrounding areas. Once at the site, there was an opportunity to buy food. Audio devices give a good personal historical account without the need to listen to a guide or follow a group. Plenty of time for picture taking. Just be sure to be back at the bus at the correct time for departure, and you'll have a great time.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	March 2010
I had one day to see Beijing at the end of a business trip. This was the perfect tour. I got to see three of the best tourist attractions Beijing has to offer. Our guide was terrific. Just wished the weather was a little better that day.

Review by: Jennifer B, Canada	February 2010
This tour was great. Our guide was fantastic. His knowledge of history and culture was great and his English was next to perfect. We really enjoyed ourselves and would definitely recommend anyone to take this tour!

Review by: Anonymous	February 2010
This tour was great. Our guide was fantastic. His knowledge of history and culture was great and his English was next to perfect. We really enjoyed ourselves and would definitely recommend anyone to take this tour!

Review by: Pilar L	February 2010
Interesting, but the timings could have been better.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	December 2009
The tour was excellent! We had the best guide, who shared so much about China and the history.

Review by: Sean D, United Kingdom	November 2009
Very good overview of Beijing if you are here for a limited time. Our guide was excellent. Be prepared for how steep the Great Wall at Badaling is! Tea ceremony an unanticipated highlight!

Review by: Patricia F, United States of America	October 2009
Tour guide was very knowledgeable, but I would suggest if you have the time, split up this tour, it is a lot of walking for one day. It was wonderful but I think the Great Wall would be more enjoyable on a separate day! but it certainly is a must tour.

Review by: Anonymous, Australia	October 2009
An enjoyable tour. The guide was informative and helpful, and there was a good amount of time at each site.

Review by: Hamdy B, Australia	December 2008
A must see tour. I can not understand how people go to Beijing without booking this tour! In a short time we saw alot. I have 2 teenagers and I was looking for the most comfortable but sufficient tour. I was not disappointed.I gave the tour man a big tip as his English was excellent and I felt the tour was real value for money. We will always go on similar tours.

Review by: Andrew G	November 2008
The tour certainly showcased a "best of" in Beijing, the tour leader was very good and explained all of the sights well. My only negative comment was the time spent at the commission shops, such as the Jade factory awful place! The shop attached to the lunch venue then the Tea House outlet near the Olympic site - if I wanted a very touristy shopping tour I would have booked on one.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	October 2008
Excellent guide and activities very personalized.

Review by: Rory D, United States of America	April 2008
Our guide was wonderful, she gave history to detail and we couldn't have been more pleased. Our flight was delayed and we had to reschedule our tour and Viator handled it without incident.

Review by: William S, United States of America	January 2008
Outstanding.

Review by: Clements A, New Zealand	July 2007
This trip was amazing, my husband and I highly recommend it. We were sole tourists, which was a shame because it is always nice to meet other people but the tour guide was friendly and very informative. Our only negative comment was that we felt that the tour guide must be on commission with the various vendors, as we were left to the mercy of the shop assistance badgering. This was a shame and I encourage other tourists to be prepared for this, but overall we had a fantastic time and would highly recommend this tour to everyone! NOBODY should visit China and not do this tour!

Review by: Signe P, Australia	May 2007
The guide was FANTASTIC and had a wonderful sense of humor! The sights were amazing, and the company and travel were perfect.

Review by: Daniel S, United States of America	April 2007
The tour group of 5 was intimate and friendly, the air conditioned bus was roomy with such a small group, our tour guide knew his history. Could have spent less time at the Jade Factory store, Forbidden City gift shop and government tourist store attached to where we ate lunch but overall it was a great experience and a great value.

Review by: Charles C, United States of America	April 2007
What a fantastic tour!