Beijing Highlights: Forbidden City & Great Wall Tour

Beijing Highlights: Forbidden City & Great Wall Tour Itinerary

On the morning of your tour, you'll be picked up from your hotel, ready to explore two of Beijing's most emblematic historic landmarks. Begin in Tian'anmen Square and discover the important events that have occurred here, making it one of the most famous places in the Chinese capital. One of the largest city squares in the world, Tian'anmen is also home to a number of monuments and statues, and lies at the entrance to the Forbidden City, making it the perfect place to kick off your guided tour.

Enjoy a two-hour guided visit of the Forbidden City, the world's largest and best-preserved ancient Chinese imperial palace complex. As you wander through the majestic architecture of its palaces, temples and pagodas, you'll learn all about the emperors who lived here, from the Ming dynasty who built it in the early 15th century, to the Qing dynasty, who gave way to the Republic of China in 1912.

Following your tour, you'll make a stop at a Jade Carving Factory to learn about the production and importance of this traditional local handicraft, before indulging in a delicious typical lunch.

You'll then head in the location of one of China's most famous constructions: the Great Wall. Visit the Mutianyu section, to the north of Beijing, which was originally built in the mid 6th century. You'll have two hours here to admire the ancient wall and the spectacular surrounding natural scenery: dense forests whose colours change according to the season stretch for miles to the jagged mountain peaks on the horizon. You'll also have the opportunity to take the cable car up to the highest point of Mutianyu Wall to get the best views of the area (not included).

Returning to Beijing city centre, you'll pass by the Olympic Stadium, known as "The Bird's Nest". And once we arrive downtown you'll get the chance to immerse yourself in the deeply ingrained culture of Chinese traditional medicine.

Then around 4 pm we'll accompany you back to your hotel, after a day jam-packed with the most important monuments in China,

Mutianyu Great Wall Day Trip

If you'd prefer to spend more time exploring the Great Wall of China, we also offer an excursion that just takes you to the Mutianyu Great Wall.

Forbidden City Guided Tour

If you don't want to leave Beijing, you have the option of just enjoiyng a guided tour of the Forbidden City.

Hotel pick up

This activity includes a pick up service from hotels located within Beijing's 2nd Ring Road, that is, the historic centre of the city. If your accommodation is located outside of this area, please make your way to one of the following meeting points for the scheduled time:

• Exit C of the Beitucheng Metro Station at 6:30 am.
• Novotel Beijing Sanyuan at 6:40 am.
• Doubletree by Hilton Beijing at 6:40 am. 
• Novotel Beijing Xinqiao at 6:50 am.