Tian'anmen Square is the largest city square in the centre of Beijing, named after the Tiananmen (literally, Gate of Heavenly Peace) which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City. It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several key events in Chinese history. As the world's largest city square and enduring symbol of China's national pride, it is surrounded by many imposing buildings including the Heavenly Gate (entry to the Forbidden City), Museums, government buildings and Chairman Mao's Mausoleum.
The Forbidden City, in the very heart of Beijing, was home to 24 emperors during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. It is the largest and best preserved ancient imperial architectural complex in the world, featuring a great square, halls and gates, in contrast to intricate halls, gardens, courtyards and living quarters. The exhibitions, both permanent and temporary, are important treasures of ancient China. You will be walking for about 1.5-2 hours (2 kilometers). The walks in the Forbidden City are graded moderate.
The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is ranked top among all parts of the Great Wall on TripAdvisor for its picturesque scenery, the most child-friendly section and beautifully-restored architecture. It is about 1.5 hours driving from downtown Beijing. In order to save your time, we suggest you to choose round-way cable car ascend to and descend from the Great Wall. Cable car is not included. At the Wall you’ll have free time to enjoy the beautiful scenery and your guide will show you the background information of the Great Wall. The cable car ascends to and descends from the 14th watch tower. We recommend you to hike up the most beautiful part of the Great Wall – between the 14th and 23rd watch towers which were known by hikers as “the Golden Route”. However the chairlift ascends to the 6th watch tower while the toboggan descends from tower 6 too. It might be a challenge to hike from the 6th watch tower to the 23rd watch tower. But you can decide based on your physic condition.
Summer Palace is the largest imperial royal garden in the world which was built by the Chinese Emperor Qianlong in Qing dynasty as a gift for his mother’s birthday! You’ll see the wisdoms and treasures of traditional Chinese architecture art while you walking in this garden. It is about 273 hectares in size and is composed of three main scenic areas: the palace area, lake area, and mountain area. You’ll visit the Summer Palace by taking a dragon boat on the lake which is the best way to visit Summer Palace (the boat trip is not available in winter as the lake would be frozen) and, on the way you will have a chance to view all of the beautiful palaces at the side of the lake. After the boat trip, you will walk along a long corridor which is regarded as the longest art gallery in the world and has 14,000 Chinese traditional paintings on the beams.
This is the place where ancient Chinese emperors used to worship their “Gods”. The Altar, Echo Wall and spectacular Imperial Vault are the highlights. You’ll find the Hall of Abstinence is a special place that those emperors use this palace for fasting before they held a ceremony to pray for a good harvest and would abstain from meat and wine. Usually, the emperor go to this palace three days in advance with no drinking, no entertainment, no mourning and paying no attention to any sins and crimes being committed which showed his piousness to his god.
As the longest hutong in Beijing, Dongjiaominxiang Alley was designated as an embassy zone, also called "Beijing Legation Quarter", it was known as "a kingdom inside a kingdom", housing the embassies of France, Japan, the United States, Germany, Russia, Belgium, Holland, Italy and Austria. Many foreign banks, hospitals and post offices also operated here, which explains the various Western-style structures scattered on both sides of the alley. Some of the century-old buildings have been preserved and re-purposed, such as the former Italian Embassy, which now houses the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
The experience from start to finish was excellent, we were met as we got out of customs at the airport and felt taken care of the entire trip. Our guide, Laura, was phenomenal as was our driver. 1st rate experience and great value for what we got to experience.
Wow, where do I begin! This was our first visit to China, we booked this trip from the UK in advance. Our guide Mel, met us at our hotel and on the first day took us to the Temple of Heaven, Tianemen Square and the Forbidden City. All our admission tickets were booked by Trippest prior to arrival which meant we didn't have to queue at all. Mel was super informative and gave us lots of information whilst we were travelling to the sights. Day 2 was Summer Palace and the Great Wall, a truly unforgettable experience. Mel took great care of us throughout the day, again giving us lots of useful information whilst travelling. He took some great photos of us and ensured we were comfortable throughout the trip. Thank you Mel - you were brilliant
Raymond and Selinda were our guides in Bejing from China Highlights and they were excellent and passionate and knowledgeable about Beijing - we would certainly ask for them again if using China Highlights. Very personalized service and private car. It's all top-notch but beware - it comes at a premium. We paid on average $500.00 per day for 2 adults and 1 child which included no train transfer and only one airport transfer.
We took the 2 days Beijing tour and it was so wonderful to see the great wall, Forbidden city, Tiananmen square, the Summer palace, the Temple of Heaven, etc.. David, our tour guide made our visit so enjoyable and we had a really great time. We learned so much history from David and he also is very skillful in getting short cut so we can get in line must faster. Overall we highly recommend this tour.
The tour was really good and very convenient, it’s unlike the other tours where they list something and take you to other places not mentioned. Also over 2 days it’s perfect to take your time at each location and spend time and not to rush. Overall I completely enjoyed that tour and I would highly recommend it.. the tour guide Sandy was very kind and helpful and also knowledgeable.. thanks a lot for an amazing time
Amazing! Just Amazing! It is a hike if you want to walk to the "end" of the wall and back so wear comfortable shoes! It was a lot of fun and I am so glad I went. Our guide was awesome and she kept us on schedule and we never felt rushed.
I had the most memorable time in this short trip around Beijing and the Great Wall. I not only got a feel for the sights and sounds of Beijing but also had the company of the most friendly and knowledgeable tour guid Jin. On our bus journeys we discussed the highlights of the 6000+ year history of China. Jin was very patient, considerate, knowledgeable and answered all my questions. Learnt a lot from this trip. Would recommend anyone to this trip if you have very limited time.
I totally enjoyed this 2 day tour. I not only experienced the sights and sounds of Beijing but also had the company of the amazing tour guide Jin. He was very knowledgeable, eager to answer my questions and very considerate and courteous. I got to discuss the highlights of over 6000 years of China history during the long bus travel. Totally recommend this trip.
An amazing tour with Jin, a very knowledgeable and flexible Beijing local who cares about your comfort and who knows everything one must know about the Beijing and the Great Wall including its history, culture, economy and architecture. Jin and the driver were very flexible when it came to personal needs such as needing to go get snacks and medicines at a pharmacy. Transportation was great throughout, we were picked up at our airbnb the second day but not the first day. However, we got dropped off at our airbnb the first day and then at the railway station the second day, which more than makes up for it. The food for lunch was amazing, great restaurant choices. All of the sights chosen for the tour as well as the explanationations by Jin really give you a sense of what China is like in the past, the present and how it will become in the future
We had the most incredible tour of Beijing & the Great Wall with Jerry our guide & Mei our driver. Nothing was a problem for them to ensure that we had a fantastic tour for two days. Jerry showed great knowledge & enthusiasm for his city, & gave us a great introduction to China. Mei was always within a very short distance of where we were to be picked up at the different points of interest. He is a very safe driver on what were at times chaotic roads & gave us lovely coffee to keep us warm & content. As a pair, Mei & Jerry are a great team who work tremendously hard to ensure our comfort & enjoyment !
I just returned from a trip to China in the last week. While I spent most of my time in the southern part of the country for vacation, I added a few days in Beijing to take in some of the sights. I arranged a mini-group tour. However because of the the time of year and cold weather, I was the only guest on the tour. That did not deter my tour guide, Cactus at all. She enthusiastically showed me all the sights provided great background, shared local stories and indulged my desire to document the experience. Beijing is an incredibly rich city; was so lovely to have someone so thoroughly expose me to some of it. Everything was exceptional from the hotel pick-up in a lovely updated private vehicle, our seamless entrance into all the sites to our authentic local lunches. While others including other tour groups waited in long lines (even during January the low tourist season) Cactus quickly led us easily into all the major sites. She also allowed me to guide the experience. While I enjoy history, I’m much more interested in how it shapes current perspectives and lives. And she was great about telling how the past has led to the current vibrant China. If you are doing a tour and can, definitely request Cactus. My tour included: Day One: Forbidden City, lunch, Mutianyu Great Wall Day Two: Jingshan Park, neighborhood surrounding Forbidden City, Summer Palace, lunch, Temple of Heaven Side note: I’m an American and Beijing was my first solo international travel experience. I felt safe and well taken care of during this experience. Additionally if it matters to you, Cactus English is impeccable. Since a photo is worth a thousand words, I’ve included some.
Our tour guide, Helen, was excellent and there's no way we could've seen everything in 2 days on our own! Also, customized the trip so that we could try Peking duck without spending too much and shopping at the Pearl market. Highly recommended for the whole family!
The trip started with our guide, Colin (a FANTASTIC guide btw) meeting me at my hotel down a narrow street. We walked to meet the others. The first day included the Temple of Heaven and other fantastic places. And I will say I signed up for this trip for 2 particular sites - The Temple of Heaven and The Great Wall at Mutianyu. Both delivered! But Colin and his laid back personality made the trip 5 star!!! When we got to the Great Wall, it was snowing. We were the only ones there (It was Christmas Eve) and it was stunningly beautiful. Winter is seemingly the best time to come! Do it! Ask for Colin - you will not be disappointed! He is tops!
Susie was our guide for two days and she was fantastic. She was very pleasant, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. The food was good at the locations Susie arranged. We enjoyed the evening show that Susie recommended. The entire two days were completely enjoyable.
Sophie our guide was perfect. Sympathic with a very big knowledge about the places we visited. The tour was super organized, they contacted us as anounced one day before with the exact time we were picked up at the hotel and arrived very punctual! I really can recommend this agency!
Had a great time in this tour in a small group of 5. Our guide Colin was super friend! No wasting time at shopping centers etc and just focused on the actual attractions. Also the trip included lunch at amazing Chinese restaurants. All tickets included. Will tour with this company again.
We chose Beijing tour not knowing what to expect but sunny, our trip guide made it really a wonderful experience. She has all the required information and is very empathetic. When my wife suddenly fell sick, sunny accommodated the tour accordingly - we managed to get a view of entire attractions at Beijing in just 2 days - another plus was no push on unnecessary shopping buys throughout this trip. Highly recommend this tour package and sunny as well. Thanks from - bhanu and Mala
Outstanding tour, cold weather and sunny skies. This tour provided a wonderful overview of the culture, architecture, art and history of the emperor’s and their lives. Our guide Sunny was amazing with her ability to share the history and make the tour fun and exciting. She was patient and was able to provide some much information in a short amount of time. Recommend this tour and I hope Sunny can be your guide
This tour was great as we got to see everything we wanted to while in Beijing. Our tour guide, Tom, was very genuine and a great guy. We enjoyed everything we wanted to, and the highlight for us was going to the great wall where we got to spend 2-3 hours enjoying the climbing and views from the wall. Great tour!
This was my first time in Beijing and I only had a few days in the city. I was picked up punctually from my hostel and immediately felt at ease with my friendly tour guide Jerry. To my surprise I was the only one on the tour but everything still went ahead (tours often get canceled if there is only 1 or 2 people) and nothing was skimped on. We visited all the stated attractions and felt extremely comfortable asking Jerry (tour guide) any questions who was extremely knowledgeable. We ate at excellent local restaurants where a range of dishes were ordered (more food than physically possible to eat) for a great introduction to Chinese cuisine. Overall I am extremely happy I did this tour and would definitely recommend to any Beijing first-timers. Thanks once again to Jerry, our driver, and everyone else involved!
We took this 2 day tour of Beijing with Nancy as our tour guide and got much more than we expected. Not only was the tour interesting, we saw the most amazing sights. Nancy gave us a lot of information and went out of her way to ensure we had the best stay possible with recommendations on restaurants etc. Such a lovely girl and she takes great photos! We would recommend this tour to others to see as many of Beijings interesting sights as possible in 2 days with your own personal guide.
This 2 day tour is probably one of the most efficient tours around as it is small group. At the same time their guides are very knowledgeable patient and kind. Worth the money in my opinion. Then again, I need to express thanks to Nancy for this 2 days she has guided this small group of 4.
If you are pushed for time and have two days two cover all the key sights around Beijing including Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, The Great Wall, Jingshan Park, The Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace - BOOK THIS TOUR and ask for Sunny, she is a star! Organisation 5/5 Knowledge of the tour guide 5/5 Helpfulness of the tour guide 5/5 English language ability of the tour guide 5/5 Restaurants visited on the tour 5/5 Value for money 5/5 As you can tell I was very impressed - this was a great 2 day experience. For those that love to get those steps in I covered 29,696 and over 80 floors in the 2 days!
My wife and two teen sons went on this tour. It was supposed to be a mini group (up to 6 people), but to our pleasant surprise it turned out to be just the four of us, so essentially a private tour - on both days! Our guide, Tom, was amazing! Greeted us at our hotel early and knew all of our first names - highly professional! Not only extremely knowledgeable about the historical sites, but interesting to speak with about Chinese (and US) culture in general. I had been on one other tour similar to this in the past and we stopped at three other shopping side trips (not clearly stated). This was entirely focused on the historical sites stated in the advertisement. Tom also took us to two very nice places for lunch. One was his usual place and the other a favorite fried won ton place - excellent! Overall, I would highly recommend this tour and requesting Tom as your tour guide!
We were on a business trip and only had 2 days to see Beijing - this tour proved to be exactly what we were looking for. Our guide Sunny was excellent - she spoke very good English and was very knowledgeable about the history and culture of China. We visited all the key sights and were given a unique insight into Beijing and how the city has grown and changed in recent years.Sunny took has to two great restaurants for lunch - including a dumpling bar which was big favourite with the locals. Sunny couldn't do enough to help us and made our trip to Beijing an experience we will never forget. Thank you!
An excellent introduction to Chinese history and culture. Jin, our tour guide, was extremely knowledgeable and had awesome command of English. He was also hospitable and went above and beyond in providing us assistance and practical tips about the city. Jin also knew the best restaurants in town, as the lunches included in the tour were all delicious. We had the most impressive Peking duck, stir-fried vegetables, Chinese-style bacon, and freshwater fish, to name a few. We covered a lot of ground, including Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, and the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall on the first day, then Temple of Heaven, Jingshan Park, Summer Palace, and the Bird’s Nest (Olympic Park) on the second day. However, we did not feel rushed and was able to soak in the moments. We also had sufficient opportunities to take as much photos, with Jin taking some of our group photos. I would definitely recommend. Pro-tip: Wear very comfortable shoes, as Beijing is a huge city and its points of interest are immense. In any event, you’ll learn a lot all while putting in your day’s worth of exercise
I loved this tour! Although it's a small group tour, it turned out that I was the only person who booked, so it was just me and my tour guide, Cactus. She was delightful to spend two days with - full of knowledge and stories about Beijing and China, and just overall a great person to get to know a bit. This tour really does cover all the highlights in two days. I would cheerfully book with this tour service again, especially if I could request Cactus as my guide!
Leo was fantastic. Super guide. The tour was everything we could have asked for. We only had 2 days in Beijing and this maximized the use of our time. We both learned a lot about the city, the country and it's people. Thanks
This tour went above and beyond expectations. I had trouble going through security at the airport so I had to miss the first part of my day 1 trip. But the company was extremely responsive + accommodating and allowed me to do the skipped part of the trip on the third day! Overall the tour hit all the standout spots in Beijing. My tour guides Helen and Colin were excellent and knowledgeable. There English ability was very good. They even went out of their way to recommend events and places to visit outside of the tour (I highly recommend the martial arts show! I thought it was going to be a bit cheesy but was incredibly wow’d). The drivers and vehicles selected by the company were comfortable as well. Again, I cannot reccomend this tour enough!
Sunny is a knowledgeable, caring & responsible tour guide. She explained the background and history of the places of interest in detail so that we can appreciate the things that we see. It’s help us in understanding the history and enable us to learn and appreciate it. Sunny is also patient and approachable. I would like to give her a 5 Stars rating for her professionalism and services provided to us for the 2 days.
excellent- great way to see Beijing and the Wall. Our group was 6 on the first day and 3 on the second and our guide Jin was extremely informative and helpful.
A great way to experience a lot of the sights in Beijing if you have limited time. Our guide, Nancy, was wonderful - very knowledgeable, very proud of her country and its history and she is a warm and engaging person. The small group means that you get to see a lot and can be responsive and adaptable to the needs of the group. I would recommend this tour and highly recommend Nancy!
This tour was a great tour for me. I only had 4 days in Beijing so this 2 day mini tour really maximized my time and was well worth the cost. King Kong is an excellent tour guide. Speaks English well and was very accommodating. He knew the history of each tour location and was very nice throughout the 2 days. I would highly recommend this tour and KingKong as a guide.
I usually prefer to explore the cities on my own, but since I had only 2 days in Beijing and do not speak any Mandarin, I had decided to book this tour. I was not disappointed. Our Group was very small - only 2 People - which allowed us to move fairly fast and be flexible. Our guide Judy was excellent - she was kind, attentive and patient, took care of all our needs, gave us the history and stories behind each sight. Judy also helped us with souvenir shopping. We asked to go to the Silk market, and she suggested the Pearl market as an alternative since it was closer. She translated for us, helped to bargain and to make a good choice. We saw all of beijing highlights in 2 days, which would be hard to do on my own. besides, it was getting quite cold, so it was very convenient to skip all the lines and have a car waiting for us. If You have a Limited time in Beijing and want to see the key places of interest - this tour is a good option. Judy was great!
Fantastic trip from start to finish visiting all major sights in 2 days. Nancy our guide was fabulous steering us through the Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Great Wall Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace at comfortable pace. Nancy was very knowledgable friendly and spoke excellent English. Lunch was on both days very good. Driver was also very good. Thank you for a wonderful 2 days.
The first day was a mini group tour in Beijing and the Great Wall. Lily was a great tour guide who gave us all the information that we needed and also kept our spirits up despite heavy traffic to and from the Great Wall. I was lucky that my second day became a private tour in Beijing with Lily and a driver. I felt very fortunate to have booked with such a great company that still allowed me to have the second day of my tour despite being the only person there. The added bonus of not being sent to pre-agreed shopping locations meant the tour was worth every penny.
I don’t hesitate to wholeheartedly recommend this tour. The tour is well paced and covers all of Beijing’s key sites, plus a trip to the Great Wall, including comprehensive information, and at a good price. We had a fantastic time! Jin was our tour guide and we couldn’t have hoped for a better one. Jin was patient, informative, well organised, and a pleasure to be with. His social skills when relating to guests are excellent. He was the best tour guide that we have had in our 5 week tour of Australia and China. Thank you, Jin! If you want a comprehensive, two-day tour of Beijing, including a trip to the Great Wall, then look no further...
We came to Beijing on business and had spare time over the weekend to see the many sights in the area. This tour came highly recommended by a colleague who had done it last year, and it turned out that the other tour participants were in a similar situation to ourselves, also in China on business, with the weekend available to look around. Our guide Judy was lovely, really friendly and knowledgeable. The minibus arrived at our hotel on time and was spacious. Day 1 was action packed, with loads of walking and the Great Wall and Forbidden City were real highlights. I didn't think Day 2 could live up to Day 1, but it really did! The Summer Palace, had fascinating history, the lake and gardens were just beautiful, and traditional Chinese music added to the ambience. One point of mention was that unfortunately the vehicle did smell of cigarette smoke on a couple of occasions when we returned to it, and we assumed the driver was smoking in there while he was waiting. But this was a minor issue for me and I still give the tour 5 stars as we were well looked after, the tour was well organised and good value for money for a cosy small tour format.
This was a great tour. Sophie was a very knowledgeable and helpful guide. We were there about 2 weeks before the the big Oct. 1 celebration and staying very near Tienanmen Square, which created problems because of the street and subway closures. Our street, and station were closed and Sophie was very helpful getting us back to our hotel at night. We visited all the sites advertised and she had a good knowledge of each. I would highly recommend this tour!
Professional tour arrangement with a very dedicated and helpful guide. Pick-up on time and good information about the tour beforehand. Thank you Jerry!
As a solo traveler on business, I was drawn to this agency when I saw other reviews by like travelers that it was a good option. I prefer small group tours, and this one was exactly what I expected - very well run, good mix of the major sites to see for someone in town only two days - we hit the highlights. There were only 5 of us on the tour, one couple and three of us as solo business travelers which was great as I was not the only single there - we all go along great, helped each other out taking photos so we weren't forced into too many selfies. Our guide was Rico and he did a great job - very good english skills, took pictures for our group and each of us on our own whenever we asked, knowledgeable as a licensed guide. Very enjoyable tour, would definitely recommend.
Was in Beijing for only a few days. This tour helped me to hit all the big tourist spots in a short period of time. Jerry, our tour guide, was phenomenal. He went above and beyond to accommodate all of us on the tour - taking our pictures, ordering us specific dishes we wanted, helping us to locate restaurants or other tourist spots in the city, looking up simple things like conversions, and communicating with folks that we couldn't. The only complaint I have about the tour is that the dishes included in our lunches were very "western" & it felt unfortunate to come all the way to China to eat the same kind of food they prepare for folks in the States.
Everything from start to finish was wonderful! We stayed at a hotel closer to the airport, so we just paid an extra fee to have a driver come pick us up and take us to the group. We did a 2 day tour (Jingshan Park, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Bell Tower, Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City and the Great Wall). Each day we had lunch out in the city (included in package). Cactus was amazing! She was very fun and knowledgeable. She was also very helpful in taking lots of pictures on our phones for us. I absolutely recommend her! Thank you for all your help and for showing us such a beautiful city!
We booked this trip and also private transfers to and from the airports, which were both on time and very professional. The tour was excellent. Colin was our guide and he made the tour a great experience. He communicated very well with the three different parties on the tour with humour and tact and was a fount of knowledge about the various sights. There was a lot of walking e.g. through the ForbiddenCity and I was a bit slower the others but he kept checking I was OK on stairs etc. The lunches that Colin arranged were brilliant. He asked what we liked and provided sumptuous spreads on each day. It was a very good idea to be in a small group of six. All the other tour groups we saw were massive coach excursions and their participants looked very regimented and exhausted. We were the lucky ones! I would say that the highlights were Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Great Wall and Olympic park. The driver also deserves praise for getting us through the traffic quickly.
Sunny was our guide, she was so nice and very knowledgeable and spoke very clear English. Prior to each stop she gave us background knowledge of each site we were about to see. We always stopped to take many pictures and Sunny was always patient and waited for us, she would even take pictures of the group for us. The van we traveled in was comfortable and they supplied water bottles. The lunch stops included in the tour were very tasty and authentic to the culture. I highly recommend a tour with Sunny if you are visiting Beijing!
We loved our tour with Sunny, she is the best and super sweet! Very knowledgeable abut all the places and very patient with us going around and taking some pictures, we feel this tour would be as great as it was without her, so THANK YOU SUNNY for being s kind and so wonderful to all of us! Luci Durchin.
I was travelling alone and first time in China. I wanted to visit the city in a safe and comfortable way before continuing my business trip. This 2 days tour was just what i needed - we were 4 people (all solo travelers from around the world) and Jerry was our guide! The enviroment was very relaxed, safe and comfortable. Jerry picked us up from the hotel every day and evwry day he dropped us off there too. The night before the tour, a message was left at the reception of the hotel confirming the pick up time (and two days before a mail was sent with the details too). Jerry was always with us and always happy to explain and answer questions. The trip to the Great wall was just amazing, but everything else was very good too. The places where we stopped for food were great and Jerry recommended the different dishes to try. He took good care of us. I would totally recommend this if you want to visit the city but have limited time (or if it is your first time here!).
Our guide did a very good job of working with the different personalities of the people in our group while providing us with all the information about the sites we were visiting. The time allotted for each site we visited was very good. We had different drivers and vehicle sizes for both days because of group size and our guide worked well with both of them in the heavy Beijing traffic. The lunches each day where exceptional. If you only have a short time in China you cant go wrong with this tour if you have a good guide, and ours was excellent. The time of the year year made it even better with the trees being in full color. The Great Wall is unbelievable but when you add the trees in full color it is magnificent.
A very interesting tour with guide sonny and driver mr yu. Good information from sonny and safe driving from mr yu. Thank you
Tour guide Jerry goes extra mile to ensure trip is enjoyable for us. We asked which restaurant has good scallion pancake and the next day he brought us there for lunch! He brought us to inside of hutong, normally we would only see from outside. He is always smiling, informative and always offer to take our photos. Car is clean and comfortable. Trippest is a reliable agency. We highly recommend their tours
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