Overview
Three days that cover the imperial essentials without exhausting you: the Forbidden City and Jingshan, the Great Wall at Mutianyu, and the Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace — with a hutong dinner to end it.
This is the itinerary for a first visit or a short stopover. Day one walks the ceremonial heart of the Ming and Qing dynasties — Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City's 980 surviving buildings, and Jingshan Hill for the aerial view that makes sense of the layout. Day two is given entirely to Mutianyu, the best-preserved section of the Great Wall within reach of Beijing, where you ride the cable car up and walk restored ramparts that stair-step over the ridges.
Day three softens the pace: the Temple of Heaven at dawn when the park is full of tai chi and water calligraphy, the Summer Palace's Long Corridor and Kunming Lake, and a rickshaw through the hutongs to dinner in a courtyard home.
Hotels are inside the Second Ring Road, the group never exceeds sixteen, and there are no shopping stops. Your guide is a Beijing native who explains not just what you are looking at but why it was built and what it meant.
- Mutianyu Great Wall with fewer crowds
- Forbidden City skip-the-line access
- Small group, maximum 16 travellers
- English-speaking local guide
Itinerary
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1 Arrival & Imperial Beijing
Meet your guide at the airport or station and transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon stroll Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, ending at Jingshan Park for a panoramic view over the old city.
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2 Great Wall at Mutianyu
A scenic drive to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. Walk restored watchtowers, ride the cable car if you wish, then return to the city for a hutong dinner.
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3 Summer Palace & Departure
Morning at the Summer Palace with its lakeside pavilions and the Long Corridor, followed by a tea break before your transfer to the airport or train station.
Gallery
What's included
- 2 nights handpicked hotel (4-star)
- Daily breakfast
- English-speaking local guide
- Private transport & Great Wall cable car
- All listed entrance fees
- Airport or station transfers
Not included
- International and domestic flights
- Lunches and dinners
- Travel insurance
- Tips for guide and driver
- Personal expenses
