Beijing Private Day Tour: Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace

Beijing, China

The tour sites at the center of the city may be really close to your hotel, in which case you will have already gone. This tour focuses on the sites that are a little bit further away and that are not as easy to get to. You’ll visit the Mutianyu Great Wall and the Summer Palace, both located in the North of the city. This tour covers both sites in one day to maximize your free time in the city.

Meet your guide at the lobby of your hotel in Beijing city centre and drive together to the Great Wall.

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. This specific section of the wall was built in order to defend not only the capital, but also the imperial tombs lying in close proximity.

The Great Wall at Muyianyu, located in Beijing’s Huairou County about 70 km’s city center is one of the lesser-visited parts of the Great Wall but still restored enough for pleasant climbing.  There is a cable car up, and there is also a toboggan ride down, these are optional. The wall here is surrounded by amazing forests and greenery as far as the eye stretches.

During the Great Wall hike, you can bring your food to have lunch while enjoying the views, or you can ask your guide when you finish the hike to help you find a local restaurant to have a traditional Chinese cuisine lunch on your own expense. Before visiting the Summer Palace, 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.

After this visit, 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.  After this last visit, we will take you back to your hotel in Beijing city centreTraveler Reviews

Review by:   LUIS M,    June 2017
It is probably the best tour in Beijing, there are spectacular views of the Great Wall and no crowds, also the Summer Palace with its lake is a place worth to visit.

Review by:   lisak429,    June 2016
We had a wonderful time on our tour! Ellen was a great guide, very friendly and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this tour.

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