Authentic Beijing: Mutianyu Great Wall, Summer Palace with Traditional Beijing Duck Dinner

Beijing, China

The Great Wall is a breathtaking sight, and truly an once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s a challenging hike from the valley to the top, but the reward is a spectacular view of the wall curving around the mountains as far as your eye can see. Join this tour to visit two of the most famous Beijing sites: the Great Wall and the Summer Palace, all in one day. Our tour will take you to the Mutianyu Great Wall, which is less crowded than most other parts of the wall, and offers one of the most beautiful views. To sweeten the experience, you will enjoy an authentic Beijing Duck dinner.

Meet your guide at the lobby of your hotel in Beijing city centre. Begin your trip with a visit to the Great Wall. Visitors to Beijing love the Great Wall, and for a good reason: it is one of the wonders of the world. Did you know that the Great Wall is the longest piece of architecture in the world, stretching from China’s east coast to China’s west desert? As you stand on the top tower and look at the wall snaking its way across the tops of the mountains, it’s incredible to imagine that once these walls protected the Chinese empire’s land from different invaders. At Mutianyu, you can hike up the side of mountain to the wall, and pass several different watch towers for different views. On the way down, you can either walk, or take the cable car or the tobbogan (Own expense).

Then you’ll have a traditional Chinese cuisine lunch at a local restaurant where your guide will help to explain everything you’re eating. After that, we will take you to a Silk Factory where experts will help you see the process of silk making from silkworm to finished product. Your guides can also help you explain how everything is made and it’s the perfect place to get some souvenirs for friends and families at home. You’ll gain an understanding of the different qualities of silk, to make sure that you don’t get ripped off.

Then, you’ll be taken to the Summer Palace, one of Beijing’s most popular landmarks and one of the best examples of an imperial garden in China. The site which covers a total of 2.9 square kilometers and incorporates a huge lake, has long been a royal garden and was considerably enlarged during the reign of Empress Dowager Cixi who effectively controlled China for 47 years between 1861 and 1908.  

Your dinner in the evening will be an unforgettable experience tasting one of the most famous cuisines, Peking Roast Duck (or you can also call it Beijing Duck). It is best known for its remarkable marinated duck, its crisp skin a rich amber hue, which you can wrap in tiny pancakes with plum sauce, cucumber, spring onion, and sometimes hami melon. Your guide will help you and explain the history of Beijing Duck, and how it is traditionally eaten in Beijing.

After the dinner you will be transferred to your hotel in Beijing city centre

Traveler Reviews

Review by:   emerykf,    October 2016
What a great tour of some of the Beijing highlights! The choice of the Mutianyu Great Wall section was fabulous with beautiful views, interesting construction, strenuous hiking, and few people. I wouldn't recommend this for folks who don't want to climb! The summer palace was lovely though I could have spent the full day there. The silk factory is really just an expensive silk store with a few examples of production which were interesting. The duck dinner was, unfortunately, wasted on us because the lunch was also so big we weren't hungry enough to enjoy all the dishes ordered for our dinner meal. Lily, our guide, was really interesting, with great English and some good information on the locations we were visiting.

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