Day 1 City Highlights
Temple of Heaven
Pick up at 9 am to see the Temple of Heaven where the Ming and Qing emperors performed their ritual ceremonies. Morning is the best time to see the local senior doing exercise, practicing Taichi, playing Shuttlecock, doing ground calligraphy as well as singing and dancing.
Tiananmen Square
The tour continues by driving by the Tiananmen Square, the largest city-center square in the world. Sometimes there are a lot of people in the Square and security check takes a long time. Also it is a long way to walk to the entrance of the Forbidden City. So it is better to drive by to see the main buildings instead of walking 45 minutes to the Forbidden City. It is optional to walk or drive by; the guide will play it by air with your consent.
Forbidden City
After the Square, the driver will pull over nearby the Eastern Gate of the Forbidden City which is ten minutes walk to the entrance of the Forbidden City, where the Ming and Qing Emperors resided for more than 500 years. It is the best place to take pictures of the moat and watchtower of the Forbidden City on the way to the entrance, Southern Gate.
Peking Roast Duck
Lunch will be served in a cozy non-tourist Peking Roast Duck restaurant. Peking Roast Duck is the most famous local food in Beijing, which is very popular with visitors home and abroad. There are over 3000 restaurants in Beijing that serve Peking Roast Duck.
Summer Palace
After lunch, drive to the Summer Palace, the largest and best preserved imperial garden in China. Inside the Summer Palace, we will take a boat to see the Suzhou Street, where the eunuch and concubine used to disguise as sellers for the emperor to enjoy shopping.
Day 2 Juyongguan + Sacred Way + Hutong
Great Wall at Juyongguan
Pick up at 9 am to see the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall which is the closest part of the Wall to Beijing which takes about one hour. The best thing to see this part of the Wall is that it's only 5 minutes walk to the actual Wall from the Parking Lot. Juyongguan is one of the three greatest passes of the Great Wall which is roughly circular with a perimeter of 4,142 meters.
Sacred Way
Continue the tour by driving half an hour to see the Sacred Way where 36 stone statues are standing to guard the Ming Emperors' afterlife. The Ming emperor believed that after their coffin was carried through the Sacred Way, their soul could rise up to Heaven. The 7 km long way was considered to be the distance between the secular world and celestial world. After 40 minutes walk along the Sacred Way, drive back city to have lunch in a local non-tourist restaurant.
Olympic Stadiums
After lunch, drive around the Olympic Village to see the Bird's Nest and Water Cube outside, as well as some other stadiums.
Hutong
Continue to explore Hutong, the old and narrow city alley way which witnessed hundreds of year’s history of Beijing. We are going to take rickshaws and visit a local family to know something more about Beijing locals.
Tour Pricing (USD)
660$/P.P. (1 Person)
375$/P.P. (2 Persons)
315$/P.P. (3 Persons)
265$/P.P. (4 Persons)
225$/P.P. (5 Persons)
200$/P.P. (6 Persons)
180$/P.P. (7-9 Persons)
Tour Highlights:
• Tiananmen Square
• Forbidden City
• Temple of Heaven
• Summer Palace
• Boat Ride (N/A in winter)
• Great Wall at Juyongguan
• Peking Roast Duck
• Sacred Way
• Olympic Stadiums
• Hutong
• Siheyuan
Tour Inclusions:
-- Transfers between hotel and sights
-- Entrance fees to all sights listed
-- A local English-speaking guide
-- Boat ride in the Summer Palace
-- Peking Roast Duck lunch (Day 1)
-- Quality local Chinese lunch (Day 2)
-- Tips to Hutong guide/rickshaw rider
-- Mineral water
-- Government taxes/service charges
Tour Exclusions:
-- Accommodation
-- Gratuities (optional)
