Welcome to Beijing, the capital city of China! Once you arrive at the airport or the train station, your private guide and driver will pick you up and escort you to the hotel downtown in our comfy private vehicle. After check-in, plan the rest of the day as you please.

► Recommended Free-time Activities (at your own expense):
About a 20-minute taxi ride from your hotel, you can get to the crowd-pleasing Beihai Park (Ticket fare: CNY 5 from Apr. to Nov.; CNY 10 from Dec. to Mar.), to savor the charm of a royal garden. There, wandering through the tortuous corridors and pavilions with grey tiles and white walls, you’ll feel as if you have entered a graceful Chinese painting. Also, stop to admire the most famous Nine-Dragon Screen, the only double-sided glazed wall in China, featuring vivid dragon patterns and brilliant colors that remain as bright as ever after hundreds of years of weathering. As you stroll along the willow-lined lakeside walkway, Beijingers’ leisurely life will unfold before you – the elders singing operas, ladies dancing to the music, and children kicking shuttlecocks, in groups of twos and threes. For a more relaxing experience, take a boat ride for CNY 5 on the rippling lake, reflecting the beautiful Tibetan white pagoda, and unlock another kind of beauty in the park.​

After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a private transfer to Tiananmen Square, once a royal forbidden area and now a city square where the most important national events have always been held. Accompanied by your guide, take a 30-minute walk and appreciate the grandiose landmark buildings here, such as the Monument to the People's Heroes, Great Hall of the People, and Tiananmen Tower.  

Let’s pass through Tiananmen Tower in the north and reach the Forbidden City, the world's largest and most intact wooden palace complex that has survived a span of some 600 years. With your guide, step onto this sacred ground where 24 emperors once resided from 1420 to 1912 AD, and breathe the air that belonged only to the supreme power of ancient China. What welcomes you first will be the three core halls of the Outer Court sitting on a three-layered white marble platform, especially represented by the largest and stateliest Hall of Supreme Harmony, where the emperor held major ceremonies. While marveling at their sheer scale, also be surprised to learn about the ingenious designs hidden around them, such as the dragon-like decorations that protrude from the platform and blend perfectly into the imperial grandeur, counted up to a total of 1,142. In fact, these dragon heads are drainage pipes, and rainwater would flow away through the mouths. Thanks to them, along with other drainage tiles and ditches, the Forbidden City has never been flooded, even with no standing water since it was built. Go ahead and explore more architectural wisdom in the Inner Court, the sleep quarters of emperors, empresses, and other concubines.

In the afternoon, continue our visit to the National Museum, where more than 1.3 million cultural relics are now being exhibited, telling slices of China’s history from the Neolithic Age to the last feudal dynasty fell in 1912. Take the chance to witness those world-renowned highlights of the collections. Among them, A huge bronze vessel with four sheep heads will surely leave you in awe. It is surprising to know that the creatural protrusions on this ancient sacrificial wine vessel were not welded on but cast integrally with the body, which is a ‘black technology’ that is difficult for modern craftsmen to replicate.

Afterward, move to the Temple of Heaven, the largest sacrificial building complex that ever existed in China or even on earth, constructed for ancient emperors to offer sacrifices to the God of Heaven for good harvests. After admiring the iconic Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, walk south to stand on the central circular stone of Circular Mound Altar, give it a shout, and you’ll be immersed in the echoes from all directions, a result of its exceptional acoustics. At the end of the visit, the guide will escort you back to your hotel. 

► FYI: On Fridays, Saturdays, and major festivals, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest will be lit after dusk and last until 21:00, much to the delight of photography lovers. If your travel date is right on one of these days and you’re interested, stay later on your own and capture the stunning visuals of its illuminated golden top and blue tiles, and finally take a taxi back to the hotel by yourself. 
► Photo Spots Recommendation: a. the front panoramic view from the Red Stairway Bridge; b. a storytelling shot created with the silhouette of the arch at the North Gate; c. a more layered perspective from the northwest and northeast corners, which can also be framed with the moon.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast​

This morning, your guide will greet you in your hotel lobby, and then let’s embark on a 1.5-hour drive to the Badaling Great Wall, the most celebrated for being the grandest of all sections in Beijing. Upon arrival, start an exciting hike on the Great Wall to behold its epic landscape while gaining insights into those densely distributed beacon towers, where torches or haystacks were lit to convey military messages in ancient times. You would never have imagined that something outrageous happened on the beckon towers more than 2,700 years ago - the fatuous King You of Zhou (reigned 781 - 771 BC), to please his favorite concubine, arbitrarily had his soldiers light the beacons, which led to the unwitting vassals mistakenly believe that an enemy was invading and wasted their troops to attack. Later, when a real invasion occurred, the vassals saw it as another deception and held their positions, eventually resulting in the downfall of the empire. What will also surprise you is that the UAV food delivery is available here, which can deliver some snacks in about 15 minutes. If you’d like to experience it for a simple lunch at your own expense, the guide will be glad to help you place an order through your mobile phone.

After that, let’s head to the Ming Tombs, the necropolis of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD). As you walk along the Sacred Way, you’ll be awestruck by the 18 pairs of lifelike stone carvings on both sides, including animals lying or standing and statues of military and civil officials, which jointly guard the afterlife of those “Sons of Heaven”. Then, proceed to visit the Dingling Tomb, the only excavated one among the Ming Tombs, burying the last and longest-reigning emperor of the dynasty. Enter its most famed Underground Palace, probe into its integrated layout, and appreciate the grand white marble throne with dragon reliefs, the large red-lacquered coffins of the emperor and empress, as well as the exquisite stone-carved gate. Intriguingly, the very first living creature to enter the Palace was a chicken - it was thrown in for danger detection as a burst of black smoke emerged from inside when the first brick was removed during the archaeological excavation. Finally, we will convoy you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast​

Begin today with a warm greeting from your guide at the hotel, and then set off to the Panda House of Beijing Zoo, to admire those adorable fur balls of pandas. Under the guide’s wonderful explanation of the distinctive features of the cute creatures, joyfully play an ‘identity guessing’ game. The timid and cautious little girl who likes to chase after the keeper may be the ‘Daytime’! ‘Fu Xing’, with a pair of beautiful bird-like eyes, might be gnawing on a steamed bun now. Take a close look and see if there is one with a strong sense of shot? Yes! She is the ‘Meng Meng’, a hot mom who has starred in movies and is known as the ‘movie queen of Beijing Zoo’.

Then, make our way to the Summer Palace, originally a birthday gift constructed by an emperor for his mother and now the largest and best-preserved imperial garden left for the world. Feast your eyes on not only the quaint grace of the Long Corridor decorated by over 14,000 classical paintings amid natural beauties, but the imperial solemnity of its Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, the place for the ruling power to handle state affairs when they escaped the summer heat here from April to October. Moreover, when getting into the Garden of Virtue and Harmony, wonder at the towering Grand Theater, which staged over 200 performances for Empress Dowager Cixi (1835 – 1908 AD), including Peking Opera, lion dances, and acrobatics.

The next stop will be the Prince Gong’s Mansion, once the home of a powerful and wealthy corrupt official. Now, follow your guide to witness its extreme extravagance. It is said that when the mansion was seized, over 360 billion RMB worth of treasures were confiscated, and it took nearly half a year to collect these movable treasures, such as jade articles, jewelry, gemstones, calligraphy and paintings. Also, your attention might be grabbed by bat patterns on the railings, windows, and lintels, 9,999 in total, indicating ‘lucks’ in Chinese culture.

Let’s go on a special rickshaw tour in the Hutong alleys, where traditional quadrangle courtyards interweave like veins, forming the living circle of old Beijingers. Watching the carter skillfully whisk you through hundreds of crisscrossed alleys, you may wonder how could one avoid getting into a dead end? Easy! Generally, as long as you see private cars parked right next to the walls or bicycles at the doors of dwellings in a lane, you can walk forward boldly; but if only pedestrians there, think twice before you go. A visit to a local family will also be arranged for you to glimpse deeper into the lives of ordinary Beijingers since the 1950s. Finally, get back to the hotel accompanied by your guide.

► Restaurant Recommendation for Dinner (at your own expense):
If you want to stay in the Hutong area on your own to seek some culinary delights, go to the popular Mr. Shi’s Dumplings and Home-cooked Dishes, where Chinese traditional handmade crescent-shaped dumplings with diverse fillings will surely satiate you. The restaurant also serves Beijing-style Noodles with Soybean Paste. With English menus and staff who speak basic English, you can easily get an authentic local dining experience here. 
Average cost per person: CNY 75 (USD 10)
Address: No. 88 Baochao Hutong, Drum Tower East Street, Dongcheng District

Meals: Western buffet breakfast​

Today, your guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel first for a devout visit to the imperial Lama Temple, also known as the Yonghe Lamasery, outstanding for being the largest and best-preserved Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet. During your walk, you’ll see practicing monks as well as incense-burning locals, praying or seeking tranquility. Like others, get some free incense to pray or show respect to those spiritual deities. As you reach the westernmost Pavilion of Ten Thousand Buddhas, pay homage to the 18-meter-high (59-feet-high) Maitreya Buddha statue inside, which has been listed in the Guinness World Record and has taken the throne among single-wood carved Buddha statues.

Out of the temple, walk down the alley on the west side and you’ll reach the Temple of Confucius and its interconnected Imperial Academy. Just have some peaceful, relaxing time in this ancient supreme institution for learning and teaching Confucius classics, which has an impact on Chinese society for over 2,000 years. 

Your 5 days private Beijing tour package reaches the end now, and your guide and driver will escort you to the airport or railway station and see you off there. Wish you a nice trip home! Other popular cities in China, like Xi’an, Shanghai, Zhangjiajie, and Guilin, are also worth including in your itinerary, and if you’re interested, feel free to contact us for your customized China holiday.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast​