8 Hours Ultimate Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall Layover Tour

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Beijing capital airport pick up or from a hotel in Beijing. Your guide will hold your name paper and pick you up from the selected time.

   5 min

2. About 1 hour drive to the city center to visit Tiananmen Square which is the largest public square in the world. Standing in the middle of the square with taking a 360 panoramic photo to have all the major buildings into your great photo. This is the best certificate for this trip. You will walk around and visit the Tiananmen Square for 30-40 mins. Important: All visitors must pass through security screening before entering Tiananmen Square. Waiting times in queue are usually 30–40 minutes on regular days, but can exceed 1–2 hours during public holidays and peak seasons. Please allow extra time for your visit.

   40 minAdmission included

3. Followed by a visit at the Forbidden City, it used to be the residence for the Emperors (24 emperors in total) in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. It occupies 72 hectares (180 acres) and takes about 1.5 hours to see the major palaces. You will walk with your guide and visit all the must see places in the huge Forbidden City.

   1.5 hAdmission included

4. The Meridian Gate is the grand southern entrance to the Forbidden City. Built in 1420, it was once reserved for the emperor and served as the main ceremonial gateway to China's imperial palace.

   10 minAdmission included

5. The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest and most magnificent building in the Forbidden City. It was the venue for major imperial ceremonies, including coronations, weddings, and celebrations of the emperor's birthday.

   10 minAdmission included

6. The Hall of Central Harmony is a smaller hall where emperors rested and prepared before important ceremonies. It symbolizes balance, harmony, and thoughtful leadership.

   10 minAdmission included

7. The Hall of Preserving Harmony was used for imperial banquets and later became the venue for the highest-level imperial examinations, where scholars competed for top honors in ancient China.

   10 minAdmission included

8. The Palace of Heavenly Purity was the emperor's residence during the early Ming Dynasty and later became the place where emperors handled daily state affairs and received important officials.

   10 minAdmission included

9. The Hall of Union stands between the emperor's and empress's palaces, symbolizing harmony between heaven and earth, as well as the balance of imperial power. It also housed the imperial seals of the Qing Dynasty.

   10 minAdmission included

10. The Palace of Earthly Tranquility was originally the empress's residence. During the Qing Dynasty, it became a sacred place for imperial wedding ceremonies and important religious rituals.

    10 minAdmission included

11. The Imperial Garden is the peaceful retreat at the northern end of the Forbidden City. Filled with ancient cypress trees, elegant pavilions, rockeries, and colorful flowers, it provided a relaxing escape for the emperor and the imperial family after official duties.

    20 minAdmission included

12. After that, about 1.5 hours drive to Mutianyu Great Wall and you will visit the most popular & prettiest Great Wall section in Beijing. Your lovely tour guide will provide some history background of Beijing & Great Wall to make the ride to Great Wall not boring. Upon arrival, you only enjoy the time for visiting and taking photos as tour guide will manage time & sightseeing for you. You will visit Great Wall for 1.5-2 hours. Cable car & toboggan is an option (pay extra). Later on, you will be transferred back to your hotel/ PEK airport. Tips: We can stop at a good local Chinese restaurant on the way to the Great Wall for an authentic meal. (Optional if any need)

    1.5 hAdmission included

Cancellation

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

Reviews

Ratings come from 26 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

How it compares in Beijing

• Its from-price is 10% above the median of the 3624 experiences we list in Beijing.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 291 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