15 Palace Day Trips in China That Earn Their Entry Fee

1.Mutianyu Great Wall & Summer Palace Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,004 reviews · from $29Our pick

This $29 bus tour pairs four hours at Mutianyu with three hours at the Summer Palace, then heads to Beijing Olympic Park. An English-speaking guide such as Yoyo, Lee, Jackie Chan, or Amy leads the day, explains the sights, and helps arrange optional cable car, toboggan, and boat rides. It is a busy but useful choice for first-time visitors.

“Everything was magical and perfect. The tour guide Evelyn was very professional and kind, I hope to participate in a future tour with her! Truly recommend :)”

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2.Mutianyu Great Wall&Summer Palace Excursion:Group/Private Options

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 816 reviews · from $124Top rated

Spend 8 to 9 hours visiting Beijing’s Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace with a private guide, lunch, hotel pickup, and air-conditioned transport. Choose the cable car or ski lift and toboggan. Guides such as Cindy, Lucy, Sherry, and Aurora are praised for clear history, thoughtful pacing, and family-friendly help.

“Summer is patient in explaining. She is professional and provided great service. She made sure we are comfortable and and enjoy our trip.”

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3.Beijing Classic Full-Day Tour including the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 610 reviews · from $99

Spend about nine hours exploring Beijing’s imperial heart with an English-speaking guide such as Jenny, Lee, Mary, Murphy, or Michael. Hotel pickup, transport, entry tickets, and a Chinese lunch are included. The pace is brisk, the walking is real, and shopping stops may be added, so this suits first-time visitors with only one free day.

“The tour agency was very communicative as there was an unusual wind storm the original date of our tour, and accommodated a change in schedule so we could enjoy the city sites. Marry, our tour guide, was very informative and energetic, and did a good job wrangling our group despite the overly crowded sites. She gave good info and history on all of the historical areas, as well as helped with pointers for shopping and restaurants on other days. Be prepared for the crowds and give yourself and tour guide some grace as it can be hectic at times, but that is Beijing in general. The Forbidden City, Summer Palace…”

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4.Private Full Day Tour: Forbidden City, Tiananmen & Summer Palace

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 272 reviews · from $130

Spend about eight hours with a private guide exploring Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Summer Palace. Your guide handles tickets, security routes, transport, and lunch at a local Chinese restaurant. Choose private vehicle service or subway travel, and ask for guides such as May, Peter, Jenny, or James when available.

“We booked with Catherine Lu tours. Jenny was our tour guide. We were trying to get the most out of our brief time in Beijing and they were very flexible and made some great recommendations. The Forbidden City was magnificent and mRead more”

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5.Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace Private Day Trip with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 209 reviews · from $185

Spend a full day with a private guide and driver at two UNESCO World Heritage sites. Walk the restored Mutianyu Great Wall, ride a cable car or chairlift, and return by toboggan before lunch and an afternoon at the Summer Palace. Guides may include Kelly, Violet, or Pietro, and hotel pickup is included.

“My tour started off rocky but it finished good. I booked my trip and called the night before to confirm the tour. However, the company said that it was canceled due to the limit amount of people. The person on the other end said he will rebooRead more”

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6.All Inclusive Private Day Tour: Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 190 reviews · from $138

Spend about eight hours with a private guide and driver visiting Beijing’s four major imperial sights. You’ll see Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and Summer Palace, with entrance fees, lunch, bottled water, and hotel pickup included. Guides such as Maggie, Wendy, Lucy, and Linda are noted for clear English, history, and flexible pacing.

“I had the pleasure of being guided by someone truly exceptional, Mr. George. From start to finish, the experience was seamless, informative, and engaging. George was not only knowledgeable but also incredibly personable, making complRead more”

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7.All-Inclusive Day Tour: Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 153 reviews · from $148

Spend a full day with a private guide and driver at Mutianyu Great Wall and Beijing’s Summer Palace. Ride the cable car, choose the toboggan descent, enjoy local lunch, and hear clear history from guides such as Lucy, Maggie, Kevin, and Sherry. The tour runs about 8 to 10 hours and suits first-time visitors who want an easy, flexible day.

“My friends and I had an amazing day visiting the Mutianyu Great Wall and the Summer Palace. Our tour guide, Wendy was very knowledgeable, friendly and professional. I learned a lot from her. Our driver, Mr. Yang was a good driver. Overall, I really recommend this tour especially if it’s your first time visiting Beijing.”

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8.Mutianyu + Ming Tombs or Summer Palace Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 93 reviews · from $220

You’ll visit the less-crowded Mutianyu Great Wall with a private English-speaking guide, ride a cable car or chair lift, and descend by toboggan. A local lunch, private transport, Summer Palace admission, and a visit to Ding Tomb are included. Guide Lena is praised for making the history clear and engaging.

“We had an amazing time on this tour! Our tour guide, Lena, was so incredibly knowledgeable and we learned so much! The place we stopped at for lunch was the best meal we ate during our entire time in China. This was my first time using Read more”

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9.Mutianyu Great Wall And Summer Palace Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · from $95

Travel privately from your Beijing hotel or airport to Mutianyu, where you have about three hours to walk the Wall at your own pace. Then visit the lakeside Summer Palace before returning by air-conditioned vehicle. Driver Debin has helped guests using a translation app, but an English-speaking guide is not included.

“Bellissima giornata! Escursione stupenda su uno dei tratti più belli della Muraglia e a Gubei, con il servizio attento e cortese di Debin, il nostro autista, molto disponibile e gentilissimo! Ci ha aiutato in tutto e anche se non parla inglese, è stato tutto molto semplice grazie al traduttore! Consigliato!”

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10.Mutianyu Wall, Summer Palace & Old Summer Palace Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 57 reviews · 8 - 10 hours · from $21

You’ll visit the quieter Mutianyu Great Wall, then the Summer Palace and ruined Yuanmingyuan with BusDa. English-speaking guides such as Yoyo, Selina, Christina, Lee, and Samantha lead the day. Coach, private, hotel pickup, lunch, cable car, and toboggan options let you set the pace and budget.

“Selina was friendly and informative. She took good care of the team”

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11.Beijing Full-Day Tour: Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 55 reviews · from $172

This 8-hour private Beijing tour links Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and Summer Palace. An English-speaking guide such as David, Thomas, Roy, or Helen leads the day, with transport and admission tickets included. Hotel pickup is available within Beijing’s 4th Ring Zone, though lunch and optional boat rides cost extra.

“No pudimos hacer forbidden city debido a que todas las entradas estaban vendidas. La guia, Helen, me llevó a otros lugares para compensar y para mi estuvo perfecto. Recomiendo a la guia Helen sin dudarlo. Muy activa, preocupada por Read more”

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12.Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · from $208

Spend about 8.5 hours with a private guide at Mutianyu Great Wall and the Summer Palace. You’ll ride toward the wall by cable car or chairlift, explore imperial gardens, and stop for local Chinese lunch at your own cost. Guides such as Inès, Jenny, April, and Yang have led past departures.

“Great, knowledgeable and savvy guide April allowed us to have a beautiful time at the Great Wall and Summer Palace. Thank you!”

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13.Mutianyu Wall, Summer Palace & Old Summer Palace Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 34 reviews · 8 - 10 hours · from $22

See three major Beijing sights in 8 to 10 hours, starting at scenic Mutianyu and continuing to the Summer Palace and ruined Yuanmingyuan. Choose a small-group bus, private tour, hotel pickup, or lunch package. English-speaking guides may include Yuri, Celina, Yuly, or Lee. Expect an early start, long transfers, and optional cable car, toboggan, and boat fees.

“Lee était un guide très gentil et toujours à l'écoute. Il n'avait pas un groupe facile, avec beaucoup de gens perdus et de retardataires. je suis juste très déçu de ne pas avoir pu voir le vieux palais d'été, mais ce n'est pas sa faute. les bouchons sont terribles !!”

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14.Private Half Day Tour to Beijing Panda House and Summer Palace

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · from $138

Visit Beijing Zoo’s Panda House, then explore the Summer Palace and its Long Corridor, Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, and Qingyan Stone Boat. Your private guide, such as Maggie, Lucy, Jeffrey, or Dennis, handles transport and history. A boat ride may be available for an extra fee, but winter closures are possible.

“We had a fabulous tour, though the zoo can probably be equally enjoyed without a guide. It was more helpful to have a guide for Summer Palace. If you have more time spend a day to do both of these or even a day each.”

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15.Private Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace Layover or Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · from $6Best value

Spend about nine hours with a private English-speaking guide and driver visiting Mutianyu Great Wall and Beijing’s Summer Palace. Admission, lunch, air-conditioned transport, and the Mutianyu shuttle bus are included. Airport or hotel pickup is available, while cable cars, ropeways, and the toboggan cost extra.

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