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6-7 Hours Beijing Summer Palace and Forbidden City Layover Tour

5.04 reviewsForbidden City (Palace Museum)

  • 6–7 hours
  • Free cancellation up to 24h before
  • 6 languages
  • Instant confirmation

Highlights

This 6–7 hour layover tour is uniquely designed to make the most of your limited time in Beijing by combining two of the city's most iconic UNESCO World Heritage Sites—the majestic Forbidden City and the tranquil Summer Palace—in one seamless experience. With private transport and expert guidance, you'll skip the stress of navigating on your own and dive straight into centuries of imperial history, stunning architecture, and scenic landscapes. Ideal for travelers with a long layover, this tour blends cultural depth with convenience, ensuring you see the best of Beijing before your next flight.

Inclusions

What's included

  • Private comfortable vehicle(Nice and Clean)
  • Local tax
  • Free bottled water in the vehicle
  • Well-tranined English-speaking guide.
  • Admission ticket(the first entrance)

What's not

  • Meals
  • Gratuities
  • Boat Cruise in Summer Palace-Option

Itinerary

  1. Escape the city's hustle and unwind at the Summer Palace, Beijing’s stunning imperial garden retreat. Wander through serene lakeside paths, ornate pavilions, and the iconic Long Corridor as you explore this UNESCO World Heritage site. Once the summer playground of emperors, the palace offers a perfect blend of natural beauty and classical Chinese architecture—an unforgettable journey into royal leisure and landscape art. (About 1 hour visit.) Note: We know a good Chinese restaurant in Beijing, so you can talk with tour guide for food if you would be hungry during the tour (pay extra.)

    1 hAdmission included

  2. Discover the political and cultural heart of China with a tour of Tiananmen Square, one of the largest public squares in the world. Surrounded by iconic landmarks like the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, this historic site offers a powerful glimpse into China's modern journey. It’s the perfect starting point to understand Beijing’s past and present. (about 30-40 mins visit)

    40 min

  3. You will walk and visit at Forbidden City for 1-1.5 hours. Explore the heart of ancient Beijing with a guided tour of the Forbidden City, the largest imperial palace in the world. Once home to Chinese emperors for over 500 years, this UNESCO World Heritage site offers a stunning display of traditional architecture, priceless artifacts, and rich cultural heritage. Walk through majestic gates, grand halls, and hidden courtyards as you uncover stories of power, intrigue, and tradition within the walls of this legendary royal complex.

    1.5 hAdmission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

5.0

  • 54
  • 40
  • 30
  • 20
  • 10

Ratings come from 4 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

Pickup
Pickup is included for everyone.
Ticket type
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Operated by
Beijing Short Tours
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • As Summer Palace opens from 6:30am to 6pm and Forbidden City opens from 8:30am to 3:30pm, so please make sure your flight arrival time to Beijing is no later than 10am and the flight depart Beijing no earlier than 16:00.
  • A current valid passport is required for security check to Tiananmen area
  • It require at least 11 more hours layover between the two flights to make this tour availabe.
  • If you are not able to go through customs for any reasons, please take your own responsibility. There is no refund for the same day cancellation
  • Visa Process: 1) Arrive in Beijing and get off the plane. 2) Follow signs to baggage claim, then you will find China immigration inspection. 3) Apply 24-144 hours visa(fill out a long white form beforehand) 4) After get visa, walk back to the regular line for immigration clearance. 5) Walk outside baggage claim to find your driver. 6) Driver will hold your name sign outside baggage claim.
  • Since it is difficult to book tickets for the Palace Museum after the epidemic, as only 30,000 tickets are sold every day, so we will try our best to help you get tickets. If we really can't get tickets for you, we will take you to Tiananmen Square and Temple of Heaven as an alternative, thank you for your understanding.

How it compares in Beijing

  • Its from-price is close to the median of the 3624 experiences we list in Beijing.
  • Its length is typical for the group.
  • By number of reviews it ranks 835 of 3624.
  • The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Beijing

Beijing, China's capital for centuries, holds imperial palaces, sacred temples and stretches of the Great Wall within reach of its modern boulevards.

At the city's heart, the Forbidden City spreads behind vermilion walls, a labyrinth of halls and courtyards that housed the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Tiananmen Square lies to its south, and the hill of Jingshan Park to its north gives the finest view over its golden roofs. The Temple of Heaven, set in a park where locals practise tai chi and dance, is a masterpiece of imperial design.

Top-ranked sights in Beijing: Mutianyu Great Wall, Forbidden City (Palace Museum), Tiananmen Square (Tiananmen Guangchang).

See all 3624 experiences in Beijing

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Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.

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