Mutianyu Great Wall & Summer Palace Tour
About this activity
Highlights
- Explore the ancient Mutianyu Great Wall
- Stroll through the Summer Palace's gardens
- Enjoy a traditional Chinese lunch
- Learn about China's imperial history
- Capture stunning panoramic views
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Round-trip transportation from Beijing hotels
- Guided tours of Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace
- Lunch at a local restaurant
- Personal expenses and gratuities
Itinerary
In the morning, your professional English speaking tour guide and driver with air-conditioning car will come to pick you up from your hotel lobby. Then you will go to the Mutianyu Great Wall first (1.5 hours driving), which is further section in Beijing area and less crowed. This stretch of the Great Wall is known for its beautiful surroundings – dense woods and rich pastures that change colors with the seasons of the year. It winds its way over 1000 meters to the crest of a mountain, before turning sharply and dipping downhill. You'll have around two hours to explore the Great Wall. It takes around half an hour to hike up on foot, or you can choose to take the cable car or chair lift: it's also possible to toboggan.
After your tasty lunch in a local restaurant, you will visit the Summer Palace. It takes a bit over an hour to get there from the Great Wall. The Summer Palace was the royal garden in the past time. There are beautiful many pavilions, mansions, temples, bridges and huge lake, and corridors. While the Long Corridor is the longest one in the world which is on the Genuineness World Records. You will also see famous Seventeen Arches Bridge, Qingyan Stone Boat, Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill there. After the tour. Then drive you back to the hotel.
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Important information
Know before you book
- The tour operates daily and lasts approximately 8 hours.
- Hotel pickup is available from most central Beijing hotels.
- Please inform the operator of any dietary restrictions in advance.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable walking shoes suitable for uneven terrain.
- Bring a camera to capture the stunning landscapes and architecture.
- Carry a bottle of water to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Stroller Accessible
- Infants Required On Laps
Good to know
- Toboggan unavailable for guests over 60, pregnant women and children under 3, as well as in bad weather or long queues. Round-trip chairlift/cable car available instead.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Please wear comfortable shoes
- This experience is weather-dependent. If canceled due to severe weather conditions, you may choose an alternative travel date or tour, or receive a full refund.
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems or heart problems.
Traveler reviews
Private Tour is 100% worth it! Shoutout Linda and Mr. Wang!
Went on the full-day Great Wall + Summer Palace private tour, and can’t recommend enough! Our driver was Mr. Wang, and he was punctual, professional, and always had the car ready and waiting for us after each stop of the day! Our guide was Linda, and she was phenomenal - handled all the logistics throughout the day, provided so many interesting facts and stories about each location, offered to take photos for us (and knew the best photo ops!), always checked in on how we were doing, and even gave us recommendations on what to do with the remainder of our time in Beijing! Amazing experience, all the way throughout!
100% worth !!! Linda was AMAZING !
We booked a private tour for the Great Wall MuTianYu, and the Summer Palace. Linda was our tour guide and Mr. Wang was our driver. Everything was so lovely! Linda messaged me on whatsapp the day before to confirm the tour and pick up time/location. They were very punctual, and Linda shared with us a lot of the history on the Great Wall in the car ride over. She led us through all of the logistics of the entry, shuttle bus, and cable car to get up to the wall. After she shared more specific history and details of the wall, she gave us an hour of free time to roam around on our own which was greatly appreciated! She helped us take many lovely photos and brought such positive energy to the day! After the great wall, she took us to a delicious buffet lunch, and then to the Summer Palace. She shared a lot of the history and details here as well and navigated us through the big area. Afterwards she provided so many great recommendations for the rest of our time in Beijing! Thank you so much Linda and Mr. Wang for such a stress free, fun tour!
Great day out
Our guide was Maggie, she’s very knowledgeable & a fluent English speaker. She brought the history of the Great Wall & Summer Palace to life for us, connecting the history we learnt in the forbidden city 2 days before. You will gain so much more by having a guide, plus of course the local knowledge she shared with us all. The great wall is just that, great, an amazing feat of construction in a mountain top location, very well restored with stunning views. There’s a lot of steps but it’s so worth it & less crowded than the other common location to visit. We went up by chairlift, great views & chose the toboggan ride to come down, good fun! The summer palace is well worth a visit, the centre piece being the huge lake & the world’s longest corridor. Set in beautiful gardens, the summer residence of the Emporers. A great day with a great guide!
A great day out
Our guide was Maggie, she’s very knowledgeable & a fluent English speaker. She brought the history of the Great Wall & Summer Palace to life for us, connecting the history we learnt in the forbidden city 2 days before. You will gain so much more by having a guide, plus of course the local knowledge she shared with us all. The great wall is just that, great, an amazing feat of construction in a mountain top location, very well restored with stunning views. There’s a lot of steps but it’s so worth it & less crowded than the other common location to visit. We went up by chairlift, great views & chose the toboggan ride to come down, good fun! The summer palace is well worth a visit, the centre piece being the huge lake & the world’s longest corridor. Set in beautiful gardens, the summer residence of the Emporers. A great day with a great guide!
The Perfect Guide for the Great Wall & Summer Palace
Rita was an absolutely amazing tour guide during our visit to the Great Wall and Summer Palace. She was pleasant, patient, incredibly knowledgeable about Chinese history, and genuinely helpful throughout the entire experience. She encouraged us to ask her anything, from historical questions to even helping with bargaining, and she always did so with kindness and enthusiasm. What stood out most was her storytelling. The way she brought Chinese history to life was so compelling that after visiting the Summer Palace, I’ve now decided to watch The Last Emperor just to learn even more. That curiosity was sparked entirely because of Rita. You would be extremely lucky to have her as your guide. Rita, you truly deserve 5 stars. Thank you so much for such a memorable experience and well done!