Beijing's Imperial Wonders Tour
About this activity
Highlights
- Explore Tiananmen Square's vast expanse
- Marvel at the Forbidden City's imperial architecture
- Enjoy a traditional Chinese lunch
- Discover the history of the Ming Tombs
- Experience Beijing's rich cultural heritage
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Guided tour of Tiananmen Square
- Visit to the Forbidden City
- Lunch at a local restaurant
- Tour of the Ming Tombs
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Itinerary
In the morning, your tour guide and private car with driver will come to meet you at your hotel lobby. The first place you will visit the Tiananmen Square which is the biggest city center square in the world. Moreover, along famous Chang'an Street, you will see The Great Hall of People, and The National Museum (used to be named Chinese history and revolution museum). In additional, the center of the square is the Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum.
From the Tiananmen Gate you can walk towards the Forbidden City (the biggest Imperial Palace in world). There are 9999.5 rooms inside, and with over 600 years history. There were total 24 Chinese emperors who lived and ruled the country in this place from Ming dynasty to the Qing dynasty). It's worth to spend a couple of hours to visit the highlight of the Forbidden City.
During lunch time, your tour guide will take you to a local restaurant for local authentic food meal. In the afternoon, you will move on to the Underground Dingling Palace, part of the 13 Ming Dynasty Tombs complex.
13 Ming Dynasty Emperors were buried in this area. You will visit Dingling and the tomb of the Wanli Emperor, which is the only one of the Ming Dynasty Tombs to have been excavated. Scared Path will be the last program before you finish this tour. The path stretching for 800 meters north of the pavilion is lined with stone pillars and statutes. The statues include 12 figures of generals and civil officials and 24 animal figures -- lions, camels, elephants, unicorns and horses. There are 4 of each of these animals: two standing and two lying down. These lifelike and exquisite stone statues are of very high cultural and artistic value and constitute a museum of Chinese stone carving. After the tour you will be transferred back to your midtown hotel in Beijing.
Important information
Know before you book
- The tour operates in English; ensure you understand the language.
- Be prepared for a full day of walking and exploration.
- Check the weather forecast and dress accordingly for the day's conditions.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable walking shoes for the day's excursions.
- Bring a hat and sunscreen to protect against the sun.
- Carry a bottle of water to stay hydrated throughout the tour.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Infants Required On Laps
- Infant Seats Available
- Stroller Accessible
- Wheelchair Accessible
Good to know
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Infant meals not included
- Passport name, number, expiry and country is required at time of booking for all participants
- A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
- Please wear comfortable walking shoes
Traveler reviews
A glimpse back in time to the Ming Dynasty
We did a tour of Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Ming Tombs and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! Kevin was a great tour guide, he made it easy to understand the significance of every object and location and answered all of our questions flawlessly. We highly recommend!
Great way to visit the Forbidden City and Ming Tombs
Our guide, Lucy, was incredibly knowledgeable, and her English was flawless. We started our tour at Tiananmen Square, followed by a visit to the magnificent Forbidden City, one of the absolute highlights of our trip. We chose this tour partly because we wanted guaranteed tickets but also because having a guide explaining everything made the experience more enjoyable. On our way to the Ming Tombs, we made a stop at a jade shop (as part of the tour). Afterward, we had a buffet lunch and then the visit to the Dingling Tomb. Originally, the tour was scheduled to end with a drop-off at our hotel, but the guide offered to drop us off anywhere we wanted, so we opted for Wangfujing. Overall, I think it was a memorable experience.
Full day tours of Beijing highlights with Lily’s tours
We had a most wonderful and detailed tour of the Forbidden City & Ming Tombs this week. Our English speaking guide Andie was warm, friendly, caring, knowledgeable and informative. She met us with the car and driver at Tiananmen Square and took us around the sites at a gentle pace answering all our questions patiently. We also requested an unscheduled stop at a Jade factory which she accommodated around the lunch stop. The tour operator Lily has also been fantastic with accommodating us in this tour as well as another one (Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven & The Great Wall with Mae as the guide). She remained in communication all the way through the enquiry, planning and touring stages and provided detailed information ahead of the tour. These historic sites themselves are absolutely stunning in their exquisite architecture and rich history. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable trip made memorable by a great tour operator and guide.
Great Wall of China 🇨🇳
Our tour guide Lucy was really sweet and friendly and explained us the history of Forbidden city very knowledgeable person