Mini Group: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu
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September 2026
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Adults
Age 13 and over
Children
Age 12 and under
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Same price on Viator, Outty earns a commission.
Traveler rating
4.9/5
Based on 344 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Mini Group: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu worth booking?
Mini Group: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu is a 8-hour experience in Beijing, China, from $60 per person. It scores 88 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Exceptional”, based on a 4.9/5 rating across 344 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 88 / 100
- Rating
- 4.9/5 (344)
- Duration
- 8 hours
- From
- $60 per person
Visit the Great Wall of China and Forbidden City in one day. Skip the line at the Forbidden City as our VIP guests, hiking on Mutianyu Great Wall after crowds leave. Make full use of your precious time in Beijing and dee
What you get
About this experience
Visit the Great Wall of China and Forbidden City in one day. Skip the line at the Forbidden City as our VIP guests, hiking on Mutianyu Great Wall after crowds leave. Make full use of your precious time in Beijing and deeply discover the history and culture of Beijing. No shopping, no factories, no queues!
What's included
Included
- Admission fees
- Bottled water
- Admission fees
- Professional English Speaking Guide
- Admission fees
- In-vehicle air conditioning
Not included
- Lunch
- Admission fees
- Gratuities
What you'll see and do
Tiananmen Square
Time: 8:00 - 8:30 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.
30 minutes here
The Palace Museum
Time: 8:30 -10:30 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.
120 minutes here · Admission included
Mutianyu Great Wall
In order to save your time, we suggest you to choose round-way cable car or toboggan ascend to and descend from the Great Wall, instead of spending about 40 minutes climbing lots of boring steps. Cable car station is at Tower 14. Chairlift & toboggan station is at Tower 6. 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. Normally it would take about 2 hours to complete the hike from the 14th watch tower to 23rd watch tower.
120 minutes here · Admission included
Where it starts and ends
Hotel pickup
Pickup is included for all travelers. Pickup begins about 60 minutes before departure.
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 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Trippest Travel
Know before you go
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please wear comfortable walking shoes.
- Passport information is required for the forbidden city tickets booking, please forward each individual traveler's full name and passport number at the time of booking.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off services are available within the 4th Ring Zone of Beijing City.
- You will receive details about tour guide and exact pickup time in your voucher the day before. And the tour guide will also call you via hotel or leave a message for you about pickup time the night before tour.
- Cable car or toboggan are not included. You can buy tickets on your own when arrive at the Great Wall.
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 344 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
9 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Knowledge and storytelling
7 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
Organization
3 mentionsPickup, timing, and logistics are described as running smoothly.
Food and drink
3 mentionsThe tastings and food stops are a highlight for most reviewers.
Photo opportunities
2 mentionsThe views and photo stops come up again and again.
Value for money
2 mentionsTravelers feel they got more than they paid for.
Traveler reviews
344 verified traveler reviews for Mini Group: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Great Tour except the lunch
We did the Mini Group Tour: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu with Dan as guide. It was a wunderful day with a very well organized tour, which we enjoyed very much! The trip through the forbidden city was a little bit less detailed than I expected but still very nice. You basically just follow the very touristic route straight through the core of the city and the guide will tell some instersting stories or facts about the buildings and artworks. The stay at the Great Wall was amazing, we really took a lot of time for a hike along the wall and Dan answered all questions in detail. But keep in mind that you have to pay an extra 15-20 US$ for the caple car. They offer you to walk to the wall but I am not sure if that is really an option because than you would not have a lot of time at the wall itself. The only thing which was really bad was the lunch. Dan told us there wouldn't be any good chinese restaurants in Mutianyu so we would have to eat at Burger King. After we ordered at Burer King the WORST meal of our whole trip in Asia, Dan left and came back with some amazing chinese food for herself from a little place just around the corner. We were sitting there asking ourself why she didn't tell us about this place beforehand but nobody explained to us why. For future tours: PLEASE give people the choice where to eat lunch! Besides that we had a great day! Thank you again for everything Dan!
Response from the operator: Thank you for taking your time sending review. We are glad to hear that you had a wonderful day in Beijing. Our tour guide has informed us about your lunch experience at Burger King. Considering the tight schedule, providing an additional lunch option requires balancing both time and hygiene factors. We are currently exploring clean and hygienic snack options around the Mutianyu Great Wall attraction. We offer high-quality day trips in major China cities such as Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guilin, and more. We look forward to your next booking.
via Tripadvisor
Knowledgeable and kind guide
Very cool tour, I went in the winter of 2022, so the Great Wall was completely deserted. Covid restrictions were still in place at this time. I was the only one to book, so it ended up being a full-day, private tour 😊
via Tripadvisor
Great tour!
Very nice tour with a very nice tourguide. Great wall in the early morning was impressive. I recommend.
via Viator
Good comprehensive tour of forbidden city and great wall
Overall a good day tour. Our guide William picked us up with his driver at our hotel, and we went directly to Tiananmen Square. We had a private driver and we were the only ones on the tour, so we never needed to wait for parking or for anybody else. This was very convenient and worth the expense, as car travel is very time consuming in Beijing. After Tiananmen Square, we walked directly to the Forbidden City. Then our driver picked us up and we had lunch on the way to the Great Wall (fee not included). It took 2 hours to get back from the wall to the hotel. All the experience was smooth save for the usual Beijing traffic. William is a full time tour guide, so he was very knowledgeable about the history of China and relevant events which happened at the tour destinations. He even drew out a detailed map for us by hand to show the location of the Great Wall and the reason why it was built at that latitude. William also said he specializes in foreign tours, which makes sense because his English was good. For any tour in general, especially in countries where English is not the first language, I recommend you pick a tour agency which employs full time rather than part time tour guides, as I have found the quality of the tours to be much better. Note that the Forbidden City and Great Wall are not wheelchair friendly. Expect a decent amount of uphill walking on the Great Wall if you wish to visit tower 20 (recommended). Overall a positive experience worth the time and money. However I will likely not tour these locations again in the near future, because I think once is enough for these types of historical tours.
Response from the operator: Dear Yuzo Makitani, Thanks for sharing such an encouraging feedback about your time in Beijing with William. Nothing delight us more than that you were satisfied with the performance of guide who is kind and knowledgeable. We're glad you had a great time and hope that you can visit again and to explore more places with us in the future!
via Tripadvisor
Just do it!
We had an amazing day with enough time at the Great Wall to go from one end to the other end and back. Probably not everyone will come so far, but you can try. The weather was brilliant, we had a perfect view and the wall is really a life goal everyone should have seen this. Our guide Tom was very kind and he spoke english very well. What also was very important to me: We didn't have to buy anything. If you have the time just do it. This tour is worth every penny!
via Tripadvisor
Good to know
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Price range
- $60 to $318
- Hotel pickup
- Included for all travelers
- Booked in 30 days
- 120
- Verdict
- Exceptional
Why this scores 88
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Mini Group: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Beijing.
How much does Mini Group: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu cost?
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Prices start at $60 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 Mini Group: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu take?
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Plan for about 8 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 Mini Group: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 88 out of 100, which we label "Exceptional". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.9/5 across 344 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Beijing, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Mini Group: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu?
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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 Mini Group: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 8-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Mini Group: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu?
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Around 120 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 8-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Mini Group: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu 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 Mubus: Mutianyu Great Wall Bus Tour with Summer Palace Options, Beijing: Top 6 Highlights All Inclusive 2-Day Private Tour, Private Mutianyu Great Wall Trip With English-Speaking Driver. 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.
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