Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights
Traveler rating
5.0/5
Based on 944 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights worth booking?
Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights is a 48-hour experience in Beijing, China, from $179 per person. It scores 96 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Peak Performance”, based on a 5/5 rating across 944 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing. It sits in the Outty 90+ Club, the top tier of everything we rank.
- Outty Ranking
- 96 / 100
- Rating
- 5/5 (944)
- Duration
- 48 hours
- From
- $179 per person
Discover the captivating layers of Beijing on an all-inclusive 2-day tour designed exclusively for discerning travelers. Led by an expert local guide, explore iconic historical landmarks like the Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall, and Summer Palace, while also uncovering the city’s lesser-known local life, from the peaceful Lama Temple to the hidden Hutong alleys. Rest assured with seamless hotel transfers and our transparent upfront price with no hidden charges. - 4 World Heritage Sites: Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace - Cultural Immersions: Traditional Hutong rickshaw ride and a courtyard family visit. - All-inclusive: Door-to-door transfers, entrance fees, guide and driver, a buffet lunch - Great Wall Experience: Round-trip cable car or chairlift up & toboggan down included.
What you get
About this experience
Discover the captivating layers of Beijing on an all-inclusive 2-day tour designed exclusively for discerning travelers. Led by an expert local guide, explore iconic historical landmarks like the Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall, and Summer Palace, while also uncovering the city’s lesser-known local life, from the peaceful Lama Temple to the hidden Hutong alleys. Rest assured with seamless hotel transfers and our transparent upfront price with no hidden charges. - 4 World Heritage Sites: Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace - Cultural Immersions: Traditional Hutong rickshaw ride and a courtyard family visit. - All-inclusive: Door-to-door transfers, entrance fees, guide and driver, a buffet lunch - Great Wall Experience: Round-trip cable car or chairlift up & toboggan down included.
What's included
Included
- Highway tolls, parking fees, and local taxes
- Great Wall facilities: a scenic round-way cable car, or a fun chairlift up & toboggan down
- All entrance fees
- Lunch
- Professional guide, dedicated driver, Eco-friendly electric vehicle
- A premium buffet lunch for Day 1
- Unlimited bottled water
- Pickup & drop-off at your downtown hotel lobby
- Free child seat upon request
- Free earphones
Not included
- Hotel accommodation
- Gratuities
Where it starts and ends
Hotel pickup
Pickup is included for all travelers.
Options you can book
2-Day Beijing Private Tours
Feature: Classic tours fully customizable to your personal interests. All-inclusive: Private guide & driver, exclusive car, tickets, buffet lunch on day 1, Great Wall 2-way cable car or chairlift+toboggan. Route: Day 1: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall. Day 2: Temple of Heaven, Hutong, Lama Temple, Summer Palace. Pickup included
2-Day Beijing Mini Group Tours
Feature: All highlights in one go, saving with group pricing while enjoying mini-group flexibility. All-inclusive: Hotel pickup & drop-off, tickets, Great Wall 2-way cable car or chairlift+toboggan, buffet lunch on Day 1, guide & driver. Route: Day 1: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall. Day 2: Temple of Heaven, Hutong, Lama Temple, Summer Palace. Pickup included
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 12 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Travel China Guide
Know before you go
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Free pickup and drop-off are included for downtown hotels. If your hotel is outside the service zone, an additional mileage fee applies, or you can join us at a designated meeting point. Please be ready 5 minutes before the pickup time confirmed the day before. Please note that no-shows are non-refundable.
- If your travel date falls on a Monday when the main sights of the Temple of Heaven are closed, we’ll visit Beihai Park instead.
- The Forbidden City requires a real-name reservation 7 days in advance and tickets are easily sold out. We highly recommend booking your tour as early as possible; otherwise, international travelers may need to line up to buy tickets on site.
- Please provide your accurate passport information for real-name ticket bookings, and make sure to carry the same valid ID on the tour day; otherwise, the scenic area will deny entry.
- Chinese nationals, including guests from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, need to provide their official Chinese names and book at least 7 days in advance.
- Your expert guide will help you breeze through security checks at Tiananmen Square. Leave your bag in the car and carry only your passport and bottled water to speed up the progress.
- Great Wall Toboggan: For safety, it is not available for guests over 60, pregnant women, and children under 3. Children aged 3 to 10 may ride when accompanied by an adult. Don’t worry if the toboggan isn’t for you – the round-trip cable car or chairlift is suitable for everyone.
- This tour is not recommended for guests over 85 or wheelchair users.
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 941 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
8 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Knowledge and storytelling
4 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
Organization
3 mentionsPickup, timing, and logistics are described as running smoothly.
Food and drink
2 mentionsThe tastings and food stops are a highlight for most reviewers.
Good for families
2 mentionsReviewers traveling with kids report it landed well with their group.
Pace and timing
2 mentionsSeveral reviewers comment on how the schedule is paced.
Traveler reviews
941 verified traveler reviews for Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Awesome Day Tour - Summer Palace Highlight
Helen was a fantastic tour guide. You can tell that she really enjoy’s her job. Her excitement was contagious. She was very knowledgeable and explained the information almost like a story teller. I will never forget some of the lessons she taught us, especially the Chinese history surrounding “Dragon Lady”.The story was so intriguing that I went home to learn more. My favorite part of the tour was the Summer Palace. Loved it! Thank you Helen for such an eventful day.
via Tripadvisor
Day tour with Helen
Helen was the most amazing tour guide. We went during golden week which was insanely busy and Helen still managed to make the whole day go so smoothly manoeuvring us to all the different spots with ease and professionalism. What would have been an extremely difficult day to orchestrate ourselves was made incredibly enjoyable by Helen.
Response from the operator: Many thanks for your thoughtful feedback. Helen will be pleased to hear that her professionalism and calm management made such a busy Golden Week day feel smooth and enjoyable. Your recognition of the effort involved is greatly appreciated. We wish you all the best and hope to welcome you back in the future.
via Tripadvisor
Just Book it!
An amazing one-day tour! Be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Our guide Helen was fantastic — so accommodating and genuinely funny. We were picked up from our hotel’s lobby even though it was not one of the listed pick-up location. We took the chairlift up to Tower 6 and tobogganed down, which was a highlight. We also enjoyed a tea tasting and learned so much about jade, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City and a buffet lunch. Highly recommend — definitely book this tour!
Response from the operator: We truly appreciate your kind review. We're so glad Helen's accommodating and humorous guidance made your one-day tour so memorable. Your recommendation means a great deal to us, and we look forward to serving you again in the future!
via Tripadvisor
Would always choose this tour again
This was my first time ever visiting Beijing and China in general, so I was really looking forward to exploring the city and experiencing its famous attractions. What I didn’t realize when planning my vacation was that my visit coincided with Golden Week, one of the busiest holiday periods in China. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been aware of just how busy it would be, and by the time I realized, I wasn’t able to get tickets to some of the major attractions I had hoped to visit. Luckily I was still able book this tour a day prior. The tour included: Tickets Door to door pickup A wonderful tour guide -Helen Lunch and drinks A small group size etc. I would especially like to give a big shout-out to our tour guide, Helen, who truly made our day special! Traveling during Golden Week was definitely challenging, with enormous crowds and heavy traffic everywhere, but Helen handled everything with such patience, professionalism, and care. What I appreciated most was that she never made us feel rushed, despite how busy everything was. Instead, she constantly made sure we were comfortable and reminded us through her actions that we were her top priority. She has an incredible amount of knowledge and shared so much interesting information with us throughout the tour, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Helen also went out of her way to make the day memorable, even arranging for us to take a group photo with Geishas. It was such a thoughtful little extra! Getting to the Great Wall during Golden Week was particularly challenging because of the traffic, but Helen managed the situation incredibly well and did everything she could to make sure we arrived on time. What impressed me most was how attentive she was to all ten people in our group, despite everyone having different plans and hotel locations. At the end of the tour, she helped those who wanted to visit Wangfujing with recommendations on where to shop. For those of us staying farther from the city center, she thoughtfully arranged separate DiDi rides for our group and another family so we could get back to our hotels as quickly as possible, taking the terrible Golden Week traffic into consideration. She really thought about what would work best for everyone rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. Helen was knowledgeable, organized, considerate, and genuinely caring. You could tell that she wanted everyone to have a great experience and feel taken care of throughout the day. We all absolutely loved her, and I honestly couldn't have asked for a better tour guide! If you're visiting Beijing, I would highly recommend booking a tour with Helen. She made a challenging day run smoothly and gave us a wonderful experience that we will remember!
Response from the operator: Thanks for sharing such a wonderful experience! We're so happy that Helen made your first Beijing trip so special, even during the chaos of Golden Week! It sounds like she truly went above and beyond—from the geisha photo to arranging separate DiDi rides for everyone. She'll be absolutely over the moon to hear your kind words and your strong recommendation. Hope to see you again soon!
via Tripadvisor
Zsuzsanna
Helen was our guide.She was very kind,helpful I’m disabled prs./ She was also top professional,she took care everything.
Response from the operator: Many thanks for your review. We're delighted that Helen's kindness, professionalism, and attentive care made your experience so comfortable and enjoyable. We'll pass along your appreciation to her. We look forward to serving you again in the future.
via Tripadvisor
Good to know
- Duration
- 48 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Price range
- $179 to $649
- Hotel pickup
- Included for all travelers
- Booked in 30 days
- 330
- Verdict
- Peak Performance
Who runs this experience
Operated by Travel China Guide, who run 163 experiences we rank across 39 cities, with an average Outty Ranking of 52.6 and 6 in the 90+ Club.
See everything Travel China Guide runsWhy this scores 96
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Beijing.
How much does Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights cost?
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Prices start at $179 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Beijing usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights take?
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Plan for about 48 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Beijing is not rushed.
Is Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 96 out of 100, which we label "Peak Performance". That score blends traveler sentiment (5/5 across 944 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable most popular in Beijing, and how flexible the cancellation terms are. Scoring 90 or above puts it in the Outty 90+ Club, the top tier of everything we rank.
Can I cancel or reschedule Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 48-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights?
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Around 330 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Beijing can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Beijing and add a light layer if any part of the 48-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Beijing within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Beijing?
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On Outty we rank every Beijing experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Temple Heaven, Lama Temple, Summer Palace & Peking Duck Bus Tour, Beijing Mutianyu Great Wall Sightseeing Full-day Group Tours, Mubus: Mutianyu Great Wall Bus Tour with Summer Palace Options. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Beijing?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Beijing?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
What is included in Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights?
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Included: Highway tolls, parking fees, and local taxes; Great Wall facilities: a scenic round-way cable car, or a fun chairlift up & toboggan down; All entrance fees; Lunch; and Professional guide, dedicated driver, Eco-friendly electric vehicle. Not included: Hotel accommodation; and Gratuities. Always check the voucher for the final list before you travel.
Does Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights include hotel pickup?
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Yes, pickup is offered for every traveler from 17 listed pickup locations in and around Beijing.
What languages is Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights offered in?
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It runs in English. Pick your language when choosing a date and time, as not every departure runs in every language.
Will I get instant confirmation and a mobile ticket for Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights?
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Confirmation is sent by the operator after booking, usually within 48 hours; if it is not confirmed you are not charged. Mobile tickets are accepted, so you can show the voucher on your phone.
Is Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights wheelchair or stroller accessible?
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The operator notes: Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller; Specialized infant seats are available; Great Wall Toboggan: For safety, it is not available for guests over 60, pregnant women, a; and This tour is not recommended for guests over 85 or wheelchair users. If accessibility is critical, contact the operator after booking to confirm arrangements for your date.
What happens to Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights if the weather is bad?
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It generally runs rain or shine, so dress for the forecast in Beijing. Standard cancellation terms apply: free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.
What do travelers say about Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights?
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Across 944 reviews averaging 5.0 out of 5, recurring themes include the guide, knowledge and storytelling, organization. Travelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works. One thing to know: Several reviewers comment on how the schedule is paced.
What booking options are available for Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights?
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There are 2 options to choose from, including 2-Day Beijing Private Tours, 2-Day Beijing Mini Group Tours. Prices and start times differ by option, so compare them on the booking screen.
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