In the morning, your private guide and driver will greet you at your own booked hotel, and then accompany you on a full-day cultural tour in the central area of Beijing. 

Let’s first step onto Tiananmen Square, which has witnessed some of the most massive national ceremonies throughout its 600-year-plus history. Before you will be a large open ground that can hold a million people all at once, with the opulent Great Hall of the People in the west, the highest organ of state power, and the National Museum in the east, the supreme national-level treasure house of history and art. Take your time to pose before some classic backgrounds, like Tiananmen Tower, for photographs with your guide’s help. 

Walk until the northern end of the square, pass through the underground passage, and you’ll arrive at the Forbidden City, the world’s largest and best-preserved wooden imperial palace complex where 24 emperors of the last two feudal periods of China (1368 – 1911 AD) once lived. After entering through the Meridian Gate, ready to be welcomed by 9,999 rooms, which would take around 27 years to sleep through one by one, if put in a more intuitive way. When exploring those essential golden-tiled, red-walled palaces that are symmetrically built along its meridian with your guide, you might wonder why the Forbidden City has remained stable and complete until now. This is attributed to the strict control of construction quality by ancient artisans for fear of having their heads chopped off if there were any problems. Look inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the grandest hall where important ceremonies like the emperor's ascension to the throne and wedding were held, you’ll find the brick-paved floor is as shiny as new, thanks to a specially coated layer of tung oil that makes it more resistant to corrosion, moisture, and seepage.

► Note:
1. The Treasure Gallery, Gallery of Timepieces, and other temporary exhibitions in the Forbidden City are not included in the tour.
2. Your exact passport information is required to purchase the entrance tickets of the Forbidden City. The tickets are released online 7 days in advance and could easily sell out in seconds, so we kindly advise you to book the tour at least 8 days before. Otherwise, an hour or more of your sightseeing time will be wasted waiting in long lines at the manual ticket counter.

In the afternoon, let’s head to visit the Temple of Heaven. Since it’s where the emperors held the heaven worship ceremony back in days, one of its main features is that most of the structures inside are circular, built so as to echo the Chinese philosophy of “heaven is round and earth square”, symbolizing the harmonious relationship between heaven and human. Marvel at the circular blue-roofed Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, the very hallmark here, which sits majestically on a three-story white marble base. Surprisingly, the whole building was constructed without a single iron nail but relied entirely on mortise and tenon joints, remaining as strong as ever after hundreds of years of wind, rain, and earthquakes. Also, from your guide’s explanation, you’ll learn that the number of its pillars symbolizes the four seasons, the twelve months, and the twelve hours.

Afterward, let’s make our way to the Hutong alleys area, where typical narrow lanes crisscross between rows of quadrangle courtyard houses, representing the ordinary side of this city. Here, a delightful rickshaw ride and a visit to a local family will be arranged for you to feel more engaged in the traditional Beijing lifestyle - locals talking, laughing, or even dancing or playing Chinese chess at the elaborately carved doorways. As today’s trip reaches its end, the guide will escort you back to the hotel.

► Recommended Free-time Activities (at your own expense):
Since there are many well-received restaurants hidden in the Hutong alleys, offering traditional Beijing flavors, like Roast Duck and Noodles with Soybean Paste, you can bid farewell to the guide here after the tour and have dinner by yourself. The guide will be sure to provide you with some genuine recommendations. After that, relax with a stroll by the nearby Back Lake at sunset, indulge in the dynamic nightscape around after dark, and finally have a drink in an exotic pub.​

At about 08:00, your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel for an excursion to Badaling Great Wall, a renowned segment of the Great Wall of China for its unrivalled perilous magnificence among others. In 2002, when US President George W. Bush made his personal appearance at this man-made wonder that winds through the picturesque mountains like a giant dragon, he raised a question that most people might also want to know: why did the Chinese expend so much human and material resources to build the Great Wall? Ultimately, it was merely for the desire of peace - this solid fortification was set up to keep out the northern nomads so that no war would disturb the people's peaceful life. After arriving, plunge into an exciting hike. When reaching the golden shooting area between the No. 2 and the No. 4 Watchtowers, take your chance to record the precious moments with the Great Wall, just as some foreign heads do, such as Obama, Queen Elizabeth, and Emperor Akihito. Also, show your bravery on the very steep Hero Slope between the No. 7 and the No. 8 Watchtowers, and be intoxicated in a panoramic view of the magnificent Great Wall embraced in natural beauty.

As we drive back to downtown and pass by the National Stadium and National Aquatics Center, widely known as the Bird's Nest and Water Cube, the venues for Olympic Games and major sports events, we will make a brief stop for you to admire and photo these two distinctive modern landmarks.

The last stop will be the Summer Palace, the largest imperial garden still intact despite its over 270 years’ history. As a present from an emperor to his mother, there are myriad elements related to Chinese longevity culture, reflected in the names and decorations of the buildings, as well as the furnishings and potted plants inside. Approaching the main Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, accompanied by your guide’s explanation, pay special attention to an exquisite glass screen inside, whose surface is decorated with 226 different calligraphy forms of Chinese character for “longevity”. When climbing up the Longevity Hill and looking down, you’ll find that the Kunming Lake in front is shaped like a peach, which has been a symbol of longevity and well-being in Chinese culture. From a distance, the Seventeen-Arch Bridge spanning the lake also looks like the back of a longevous turtle. After the visit, the guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.

This concludes your Beijing 2-day itinerary, and may the travel memories stay with you forever. If you have no time pressure or constraints, consider our 3 to 6 days’ private tours that include more unmissable sights like the National Museum, Lama Temple, and Beijing Zoo. Welcome to contact us anytime for a trip tailored to your preferences.​