As you arrive in Beijing, your private guide and driver will meet you at the airport or railway station, and then escort you to the hotel in a private car, in approximately one hour. 

After checking in and having a break, let’s set out for a rickshaw tour through the classical Hutong alleys of Beijing. The trained carter, dressed in traditional costumes, pedals the trishaw through the intricate lanes, sharing with you the charm of the quaint quadrangle courtyards, as well as the royal mansions and former residences of celebrities. Aside from this jolly ride, the guide will also accompany you to visit a local family in one of the old-style folk yards. When entering, the first thing you’ll notice is the screen wall, which is designed to block passers-by from looking inside, increasing privacy. It is mostly carved with animals and plants, not only symbolizing auspiciousness and happiness but also showcasing the aesthetic taste of the owners. Inside, you’ll find that various rooms are built on all four sides. Curious about how a family allocates their living space here? It actually follows the conventional Chinese principle of seniority - the highest-ranking room, directly opposite the entrance gate, is usually occupied by the head of the family, while the east and west wing rooms are where the younger generations reside. After a warm hospitality, your guide will escort you back to the hotel.

► Recommended Free-time Activities (at your own expense):
There are also culinary delights and colorful nightlife that you can enjoy around the Hutong alleys, and if you like, stay for dinner and explore more fun on your own, and then take a taxi back to the hotel by yourself. You can try Beijing specialties, such as Peking Duck, featuring freshly roasted and sliced meat rolled into a thin pancake, or Noodles with Soybean Paste. Then, leisurely stroll around the nearby Shichahai Lake, admiring the soft breeze rustling the green willows and brushing over the glittering lake surface. Or rent a vintage oar-propelled boat and cruise on it to chase a romantic orange sunset. During the blues hour, when the neon lights along the shore light up, step into a bar with a blend of cyberpunk and ancient style to revel in music and drink.​

After breakfast, the guide will pick you up from your hotel. The first stop is Tiananmen Square, the very center of Beijing, representing the city or even China. Here, take your time to appreciate the symmetrical beauty of this enormous venue, as well as the grandeur of all the buildings it encompasses, including the Tiananmen Tower, Monument to the People's Heroes, and Great Hall of the People.

Walking north across the square, you’ll come to the Forbidden City, China’s historical crown set on the central axis of Beijing, which is hailed as the world’s largest and most complete ancient wooden palace complex and served as the home and office of 24 emperors from 1368 to 1911 AD. Let’s relive the imperial glory in some of the major ones among its over 70 palaces and 9,000 rooms. Marvel at the largest and grandest Hall of Supreme Harmony, whose wooden components, like pillars, lintels, eaves, and brackets, are all decorated with gold that can reach 98% purity. The hand-made gold foil, as thin as a cicada's wing and as soft as silk, has been firmly adhered to those surfaces rich in patterns and has not fallen off until now, making you can't help but admire the luxury of the royal palace and the superb craftsmanship of the artisans. It is also interesting to know that the symbolic significance of the Hall is stronger than its practicality; that is, it was not the site where the emperors held morning meetings for state affairs as you might see in Chinese costume dramas, but just as a symbol of the supremacy of the imperial power. 

After that, continue the tour with a 1.5-hour drive to the Mutianyu Great Wall, one of the most famous but less-crowded segments of its kind in Beijing. Upon arrival, let's first enjoy a buffet lunch to build up our energy for the upcoming hiking on the Great Wall. To make it easier for you to access more of the dense watchtowers on the Great Wall while enjoying the green vibrancy of its surrounding mountains at a leisurely pace, we have specially arranged for you a round-trip cable car. When ascending it, treading on the grey bricks and touching the stone slabs on the defensive walls on both sides to feel the texture of history, you might wonder how the ancient Chinese built the Great Wall? More specifically, how did they transport huge amount of materials to the steep mountain for construction? They either manually relayed the giant bricks one to another, or had them carried by goats, or ingeniously utilized the icy road surfaces in winter to slide… The manpower, engineering, and organizational capability behind these practices will definitely leave you in awe.

On the way back to the downtown area, we’ll make a brief photo stop for you at the National Stadium (Bird's Nest) and National Aquatics Center (Water Cube), two renowned city landmarks for major sports events such as the Olympic Games. Afterward, get back to the hotel accompanied by your guide.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Buffet lunch​

In the morning, receive warm greetings from your guide in your hotel lobby, and begin the day with a visit to the Temple of Heaven, where emperors once ‘spoke’ directly to Heaven to pray for bumper harvests 600 years ago. As the world’s largest sacrificial building complex, it will surely mesmerize you with the mysterious ambiance created by the distinctive circular and square buildings, symbolizing Heaven and Earth, respectively. With your guide, witness the core Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, originally square and the only place where sacrificial activities were held. Also, get a glimpse of the Circular Mound Altar to its south, which was built more than 100 years later, when an emperor realized that the square Hall was merely for the worship of the earth and thus wanted to offer sacrifices to heaven as well. 

Next, let’s make our way to the Summer Palace, originally a birthday gift from an emperor to his mother, and the largest and best-preserved imperial garden that survived some 270 years. Ranked amongst the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, it deserves your time for its intoxicating landscape, traditional architecture, and cultural significance. When climbing up to the iconic Tower of Buddhist Incense, halfway up Longevity Hill, listen to the crisp sound of the copper bells at the eaves of the imposing yellow and green glazed tile roof as the gentle breeze blows, which will make you feel as if it is telling you the royal past centuries ago. Reaching the summit, you’ll overlook a breathtaking panoramic view of the Kunming Lake, with a few rowing boats rippling on it and the distant Seventeen-Arch Bridge stretching across it like a jade belt.

At the end of the 3 days Beijing city tour, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport or train station according to your departure schedule. Hope you enjoyed travelling with us! If you have a longer vacation, why not consider extending your tour to other popular Chinese cities like Xi’an, Shanghai, Zhangjiajie, and Guilin? Welcome to contact us anytime to tailor an exclusive trip for you.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast​