Beijing Snapshot

Day 1 : Beijing

Upon your arrival at Beijing airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free at leisure.

Day 2 : Beijing

First on your tour this morning will be a visit to Tiananmen Square, the largest city square in the world and spiritual heart of China. Here, you’ll walk through the Tiananmen Gate into the Forbidden City, which houses the Imperial palace from the Ming and Qing dynasties and is one of the grandest palace complexes that remain today. Enjoy an included lunch before being driven to the Temple of Heaven, where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties used to attend annual ceremonies of prayer for a good harvest.

Note

The Forbidden City is closed on Mondays. Depending on your day of arrival in Beijing the order of sightseeing may need to be changed.

Day 3 : Beijing

Today’s full day tour starts with a 1.5 hour drive to the magnificent Great Wall, the longest wall in the world, stretching around 6,700 km and built over 2,000 years ago. On arrival travel by cable car to the Mutianyu section of the wall, where you can walk along the ramparts and enjoy the gorgeous views as well as be amazed by the incredible construction of the wall itself.

Lunch will be provided at a restaurant nearby, before you continue to the Chang Tomb, the largest and best preserved of the 13 tombs near Beijing. The layout is identical to the tomb of the first Ming emperor in Nanjing and similar to a miniature version of the Forbidden City. Afterwards visit the Ding Tomb, the burial site of Emperor Wanli, the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who ruled for 48 years until his death in 1620.

Day 4 : Beijing

A morning tour is arranged to the enchanting Summer Palace on the northwestern outskirts of the city. This was the imperial summer resort of the Qing dynasty, and boasts some of the most incredible classical gardens in China. Included in the tour will be a 15 minute boat ride on the lake, which is set in the middle of the magnificent gardens. Afterwards, continue to the Lama Temple (Yonghe Lamsery), which is the largest preserved lamasery in Beijing. A Buddhist lamasery of the Yellow Hat sect, the Lama Temple houses a 26 metre tall statue of Tathagagata (Maitreya) Buddha, made from a single Tibetan sandalwood tree, in the Hall of Infinite Happiness.

Note

The Summer Palace boat ride is not available when the lake is frozen, normally from 1 November to 1 April.

After the tour you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight (please note your flight today must be booked from 4.00 pm onwards to enjoy the included touring).