Beijing Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace 1-Day Excursion with Small Group or Private Options
by Discover Beijing Tours
Choose from 4 available options
How do you want to book?
✓Confirmation before Wed, 9 Sept - card's only charged if it's a yes. If it's a no, still time to book on Viator.
Book on Viator Confirmed right away, but you pay full price.$276Overview
This is an 8 to 9-hour excursion in Beijing offering two travel options: a small group tour with up to 8 people or a private tour for a customized pace. Both include hotel pickup and drop-off in a clean, air-conditioned vehicle and a professional English-speaking guide. The tour begins with a drive to the Mutianyu Great Wall. Visitors can choose to ascend by cable car or ski lift. About two hours are spent walking along the Wall, exploring watchtowers and beacon towers. After the walk, guests may descend by toboggan, ski lift, or cable car. The Mutianyu section is less crowded and surrounded by forest and orchards, providing a quieter and fresher environment. Following the Great Wall visit, a lunch break is provided. In the afternoon, the tour continues to the Summer Palace for about one hour. Entry is through the East Gate. The guide leads the group to the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, where Qing Dynasty political events took place. Next is the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, the residence of Empress Dowager Cixi, with explanations about her daily life. The tour then proceeds to the Long Corridor, known for thousands of paintings on its beams depicting Chinese mythology, history, and literature. Finally, the visit ends at the Qingyan Stone Boat, a marble structure symbolizing stability within the palace grounds. Bottled water, entrance tickets to both sites, lunch, and the Mutianyu cable car round trip or ski lift up plus toboggan ticket are included. Optional extras at the Summer Palace, such as the Dragon boat cruise and museum entrance fees, are not included. Vegetarian lunch options are available upon request. Comfortable shoes are recommended.
Highlights
What's included
What's not included
Itinerary
Beijing
This tour offers two options with hotel pickup and drop-off. The Small Group Tour limits attendance to 8 participants for a more focused experience. The Private Tour allows a dedicated guide to tailor the visit to the group's interests and pace, providing exclusive attention without other travelers. Both options include visits to two of Beijing's main heritage sites.
Mutianyu Great Wall
The tour starts with pickup from the hotel at a mutually agreed time. Guests travel in an air-conditioned vehicle while the guide shares historical and cultural information about the Great Wall. At Mutianyu, visitors find a quieter section of the Wall surrounded by trees and orchards. Guests may take the cable car or ski lift up and spend about two hours walking along the Wall’s watchtowers and beacon towers.
120 min
Mutianyu Great Wall hike and descent options
The guide provides detailed historical information and allows sufficient time for guests to explore the Wall independently, including its hidden nooks. After the hike, guests may choose to descend by toboggan, ski lift, or cable car. The Mutianyu section has over 96% tree coverage with fragrant chestnut blossoms in spring, maintaining clean and fresh air year-round. After visiting the Great Wall, lunch is served before proceeding to the next stop.
20 min
Summer Palace
The afternoon visit lasts about one hour at the Summer Palace, a well-preserved imperial garden featuring lakes, canals, and traditional Chinese architecture. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage location known for its garden design and historic structures.
60 min
Hall of Benevolence and Longevity
Starting at the East Gate, the guide leads guests to the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. This hall was central to major political decisions during the Qing Dynasty. The guide explains its historical significance and the events that took place there.
20 min
Hall of Happiness and Longevity
Next is the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, the residence of Empress Dowager Cixi. The guide describes Cixi’s daily routine, emphasizing the hall’s luxurious furnishings, including silk robes and fine jewelry. Details of the meals served and the lifestyle of the imperial family are explained.
20 min
Long Corridor at the Summer Palace
The group then walks along the Long Corridor, a covered passage decorated with thousands of paintings. The guide interprets the artwork, which depicts stories from Chinese mythology, history, and literature, and discusses the corridor’s architectural features.
20 min
Qingyan Stone Boat
The final stop is the Marble Boat, also known as the Qingyan Stone Boat. The guide explains its symbolic meaning of stability and permanence within the garden’s design and discusses its construction and role in the palace layout.
15 min
Languages
Cancellation policy
- Cancel at least 24 hours before start for a full refund.
Additional info
Beijing Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace 1-Day Excursion with Small Group or Private Options
by Discover Beijing Tours
Choose from 4 available options
How do you want to book?
✓Confirmation before Wed, 9 Sept - card's only charged if it's a yes. If it's a no, still time to book on Viator.
Book on Viator Confirmed right away, but you pay full price.$276Overview
This is an 8 to 9-hour excursion in Beijing offering two travel options: a small group tour with up to 8 people or a private tour for a customized pace. Both include hotel pickup and drop-off in a clean, air-conditioned vehicle and a professional English-speaking guide. The tour begins with a drive to the Mutianyu Great Wall. Visitors can choose to ascend by cable car or ski lift. About two hours are spent walking along the Wall, exploring watchtowers and beacon towers. After the walk, guests may descend by toboggan, ski lift, or cable car. The Mutianyu section is less crowded and surrounded by forest and orchards, providing a quieter and fresher environment. Following the Great Wall visit, a lunch break is provided. In the afternoon, the tour continues to the Summer Palace for about one hour. Entry is through the East Gate. The guide leads the group to the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, where Qing Dynasty political events took place. Next is the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, the residence of Empress Dowager Cixi, with explanations about her daily life. The tour then proceeds to the Long Corridor, known for thousands of paintings on its beams depicting Chinese mythology, history, and literature. Finally, the visit ends at the Qingyan Stone Boat, a marble structure symbolizing stability within the palace grounds. Bottled water, entrance tickets to both sites, lunch, and the Mutianyu cable car round trip or ski lift up plus toboggan ticket are included. Optional extras at the Summer Palace, such as the Dragon boat cruise and museum entrance fees, are not included. Vegetarian lunch options are available upon request. Comfortable shoes are recommended.
Highlights
What's included
What's not included
Itinerary
Beijing
This tour offers two options with hotel pickup and drop-off. The Small Group Tour limits attendance to 8 participants for a more focused experience. The Private Tour allows a dedicated guide to tailor the visit to the group's interests and pace, providing exclusive attention without other travelers. Both options include visits to two of Beijing's main heritage sites.
Mutianyu Great Wall
The tour starts with pickup from the hotel at a mutually agreed time. Guests travel in an air-conditioned vehicle while the guide shares historical and cultural information about the Great Wall. At Mutianyu, visitors find a quieter section of the Wall surrounded by trees and orchards. Guests may take the cable car or ski lift up and spend about two hours walking along the Wall’s watchtowers and beacon towers.
120 min
Mutianyu Great Wall hike and descent options
The guide provides detailed historical information and allows sufficient time for guests to explore the Wall independently, including its hidden nooks. After the hike, guests may choose to descend by toboggan, ski lift, or cable car. The Mutianyu section has over 96% tree coverage with fragrant chestnut blossoms in spring, maintaining clean and fresh air year-round. After visiting the Great Wall, lunch is served before proceeding to the next stop.
20 min
Summer Palace
The afternoon visit lasts about one hour at the Summer Palace, a well-preserved imperial garden featuring lakes, canals, and traditional Chinese architecture. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage location known for its garden design and historic structures.
60 min
Hall of Benevolence and Longevity
Starting at the East Gate, the guide leads guests to the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. This hall was central to major political decisions during the Qing Dynasty. The guide explains its historical significance and the events that took place there.
20 min
Hall of Happiness and Longevity
Next is the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, the residence of Empress Dowager Cixi. The guide describes Cixi’s daily routine, emphasizing the hall’s luxurious furnishings, including silk robes and fine jewelry. Details of the meals served and the lifestyle of the imperial family are explained.
20 min
Long Corridor at the Summer Palace
The group then walks along the Long Corridor, a covered passage decorated with thousands of paintings. The guide interprets the artwork, which depicts stories from Chinese mythology, history, and literature, and discusses the corridor’s architectural features.
20 min
Qingyan Stone Boat
The final stop is the Marble Boat, also known as the Qingyan Stone Boat. The guide explains its symbolic meaning of stability and permanence within the garden’s design and discusses its construction and role in the palace layout.
15 min
Languages
Cancellation policy
- Cancel at least 24 hours before start for a full refund.