The 15 Best Summer Palace and Forbidden City Tours in Beijing

1.The Temple of Heaven or Summer Palace Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,286 reviews · 2 - 8 hours · from $7Our pick

Choose a ticket for Beijing’s Summer Palace or Temple of Heaven, then enter with a supplier-issued QR code. You can explore independently for two to eight hours, or select an option with extra guidance. Andy and his team send directions and ticket help through WhatsApp or WeChat, while guides such as Tony, Susan, Joe, and Huang He have assisted some bookings.

“Great experience, Tony gave a great tour with great history lesson’s, also his english was great!”

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2.Mutianyu Great Wall & Summer Palace Day Tour

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

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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3.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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4.Summer Palace Entry Ticket and Optional Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 810 reviews · 3 hours - 1 day · from $12

Choose a self-guided Summer Palace ticket, a 30 to 40 minute boat arrival from Ziyu Bay Pier, or a guided day combining Beijing sights. English-speaking guides such as Yang, Joy, Gary, and Yan lead group and private tours, while ticket-only options include a useful PDF guidebook and skip-the-line entry.

“Vivian is an amazing guide, we had a wonderful experience from begining to the end”

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5.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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6.Mutianyu & Summer Palace Tour–Group/Private Options

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 423 reviews · 8 - 9 hours · from $131

Spend 8 to 9 hours visiting Mutianyu Great Wall and the Summer Palace with an English-speaking guide such as Susan, Lily, or Cindy. Choose a small group of up to eight or a private car and guide. Expect hotel pickup, lunch, entrance fees, and cable car access, with room for an earlier start or a more relaxed pace on private tours.

“The operator was super flexible and arranged for an early pick up, so that we could beat the heat on the hot day. Our guide Lucia was such a kind person who showed us all the beautiful spots while explaining so much about the sites and their history. She was so accommodating and helpful, considering that we were traveling with our 3 year old toddler. Highly recommended!”

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7.Temple Heaven, Lama Temple, Summer Palace & Peking Duck Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 377 reviews · from $56

Spend about eight hours visiting three major Beijing sights with an English-speaking guide such as Jason, Jimmy, Jay, Yan, or Sean. You’ll see the Temple of Heaven, Yonghe Lama Temple, and Summer Palace, with admission, transport, and Peking Duck lunch included. Expect substantial walking, a group of up to 35, and a finish at the Summer Palace.

“The guide was super experienced and he was super available to answer any questions from the group! Thank you”

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8.Private Ayutthaya and Bang Pa-In Summer Palace Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 341 reviews · from $184

Travel from Bangkok to Ayutthaya and Bang Pa-In Palace in a private vehicle with a guide, lunch, water, entrance fees, and hotel pickup included. Visit Wat Mahathat, Wat Lokayasutharam, Wat Yai Chai Mang Khon, and the old Siamese capital. Guides such as Jill, Bea, Lucky, and Till have been praised for their history knowledge and photo help.

“Jill picked us promptly at 9am. It’s a private tour just your party and the van accommodates up to 9. Jill was very informative and she is proof of the country’s rich culture. This tour is worth taking because the temples are far and she accompanies you throughout the tour. Other companies are self guided. This company does everything it says in the itinerary. Highly recommend this company.”

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9.Temple Heaven, Summer Palace, Lama Temple, Hutong Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 319 reviews · from $58

Spend a full day with an English-speaking guide at Beijing’s Temple of Heaven, Lama Temple, hutongs, and Summer Palace. Guides such as Joy, Jimmy, Shannon, and Andy are praised for clear storytelling and careful group handling. Expect long walks, local lunch freedom, bus transfers, and a possible finish at the Bird’s Nest.

“Very pleasant experience! The tour guide was very professional and she was able to mantain the attention of the whole group with interesting details on the visited sites. Highly recommended!”

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10.Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace Small-Group Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 316 reviews · from $186

Visit Beijing’s Summer Palace in the morning, then spend three hours at Mutianyu Great Wall after lunch. This no-shopping tour uses a small minivan group of up to 14 people. Guides such as Emma, Li, and May are praised for clear English, history talks, photo help, and patient advice on choosing the best wall route.

“Our guide Emma was amazing!! On our way there, she gave us a history lesson on the wall, and on China. We also got a mini lesson on Chinese culture and etiquette which was very useful during the remainder of our time in the country! Once we arrived, she gave us the info about getting around on-top the wall, guided us to the best parts, and even helped us find the best photo opportunities. For the record, she's a great smartphone photographer! We never felt rushed and were able to take our time at a leisurely pace. There weren't any "side-trips" to shops or factories like many other tours do.…”

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11.Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Lama Temple, Hutong Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 311 reviews · from $99

Spend a full day seeing Beijing’s essential sights with hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, admission tickets, bottled water, and a van. Visit the Temple of Heaven, ride a rickshaw through Hutong lanes, enter Lama Temple, and finish at the Summer Palace. The group is usually about 12 people, with guides such as Michael, Lucy, and Helen leading past departures.

“We covered a lot of ground and saw lots of things on this tour but it didn't feel rushed.”

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12.Summer Palace Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 309 reviews · from $10

Visit Beijing’s Summer Palace at your own pace with entry to the main grounds, Deheyuan Opera House, and the Tower of Buddhist Incense. You receive QR codes through WhatsApp, plus maps and route advice from Li, the local contact. There is no transport or in-person guide, so plan to walk and manage the visit yourself.

“The place was amazing.Our tour operator Miss Li was really great and she gave us a lot of information about the place!”

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13.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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14.Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace Small-Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 242 reviews · from $87

Meet at Dongzhimen for a small-group day out to the Summer Palace and Mutianyu Great Wall. You’ll get about two hours at the palace, lunch near the Wall, and three hours to walk restored and unrestored sections. Guides such as Emma and May are praised for clear English, history, photos, and patient help.

“The best guide I had during my time in China. A pleasure to be a part of this tour. Can highly recommend.”

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15.Small Group Tour: Mutianyu Great Wall, Summer Palace & Bird Nest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 235 reviews · from $89

Spend about two hours at Mutianyu Great Wall, then visit Beijing’s Summer Palace and pass the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium. The group is capped at nine people, with an English-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport, hotel pickup inside Beijing’s second ring road, bottled water, and a Chinese lunch. Guides include Keith, Susie, Jasmine, and Pete.

“Great tour with Suzi who fast tracked us to the great wall entrance, with the cable car lift and a thorough walk through the Summer Palace. She took us to a tea house for tea tasting. It was quite good. Extremely punctual pick up from the hotel and equally well timed drop off. It was great that with the peak travel season, everything went exactly to plan.”

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