Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride
Traveler rating
5.0/5
Based on 1 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride worth booking?
Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride is a 4-hour experience in Beijing, China, from $118 per person. It scores 51 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Worth a Look”, based on a 5/5 rating across 1 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 51 / 100
- Rating
- 5/5 (1)
- Duration
- 4 hours
- From
- $118 per person
The Summer Palace in Beijing combined political and administrative, residential, spiritual, and recreational functions within a landscape of lakes and mountains, in accordance with the Chinese philosophy of balancing the works of man with nature. This comprehensive 5 hour guided private tour will take you to discover the many charms of one of China's most beautiful garden: heritage architecture, fascinating museums, amazing gardens, relax boat cruise, all kinds of bridges and pavilions, important historical events. Your experienced tour guide will bring the Qing dynasty in front of your eye.
What you get
About this experience
The Summer Palace in Beijing combined political and administrative, residential, spiritual, and recreational functions within a landscape of lakes and mountains, in accordance with the Chinese philosophy of balancing the works of man with nature. This comprehensive 5 hour guided private tour will take you to discover the many charms of one of China's most beautiful garden: heritage architecture, fascinating museums, amazing gardens, relax boat cruise, all kinds of bridges and pavilions, important historical events. Your experienced tour guide will bring the Qing dynasty in front of your eye.
What's included
Included
- English speaking guide
- Boat ride in the Summer Palace(Summer time)
- Bottled water
- Private Tour
- Transport by private vehicle
- Hotel pickup and drop-off(for hotels within the 4th ring road of Beijing city)
- Entrance Fee
Not included
- Gratuities
What you'll see and do
Summer Palace
Choose the start time suits your best and await pickup from your Beijing City accommodation, where you board a vehicle destined for the west gate of the Summer Palace. Along the way, your knowledgeable guide is on hand to provide expert insight and interesting historical anecdotes. Feel free to ask questions if you have.
30 minutes here · Admission included
Seventeen Arches Bridge
After enter the Summer Palace, immerse yourself in a spectacular view of this beautiful garden, learn all the elements required to built the most amazing and beautiful paradigms of what a garden can be in the Qing Dynasty. From here in Summer Time you will take a relax boat ride to the South Island, if there is no boat you will walk along different bridges and passages to reach the north. Your boat cruise concludes at the south island, stroll around the courtyards and halls here, explore the largest bridge inside the Summer Palace at Seventeen Arches Bridge which was built in the 18th century. The Seventeen Arch Bridge looks like a rainbow arching over the water. There are 544 distinctive lions on the columns of the white marble parapets. Learn the stories behind them from your tour guide's commentary.
60 minutes here · Admission included
Hall of Benevolence and Longevity
Stroll along the Kunming Lake then reach the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity where Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu took charge of state affairs. Gain deep insight into the histories happened here. Continue to explore the Garden of Virtue and Harmony which was the largest stage in China at the time. Check out different exhibition rooms, in which many national treasures as well as the daily articles of the Empress Dowager Cixi are on display.
40 minutes here · Admission included
Long Corridor at the Summer Palace
Stroll through different courtyards and halls, listen to the detailed stories about Express Empress Dowager Cixi, get to know how did she controlled the country by put the little emperor on the throne. Move on to the Long Corridor. First built in 1750 with 273 rooms, the corridor was fully painted with colorful designs and pictures, winding its way along the lake like a colorful ribbon. Four octagonal pavilions with double roofs were built at regular intervals to represent the four seasons. The gallery has about 8000 colorful paintings, which, as the most charming part of the gallery, depict landscapes, human figures, battle scenes, flowers, birds, etc.
40 minutes here · Admission included
Tower of Buddhist Incense(Summer Palace)
Next, explore the middle axis of the Summer Palace, which including the Hall of Dispelling Clouds where Empress Dowager Cixi celebrated her birthday and received birthday gifts from officials and foreign envoys. Climb up to the Tower of Buddhist Incense, which Empress Dowager Cixi held praying ceremonies on the 1st and 15th of each lunar month. From here, you will enjoy a bird's eye view of the scenery of the whole palace.
40 minutes here · Admission included
Kunming Lake
Your next stop is the Marble boat, which was first built in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong which taking the implying meaning of "the water can hold the boat as well as topple the boat", he want to use the the Marble Boat symbolizes the steadfast rule of the Qing dynasty.
20 minutes here · Admission included
Suzhou Market Street
The rest of your trip will explore the other side of the Longevity hill, you will stop at the Suzhou market street. Built after the market street in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, the street gave the imperial family an illusion to take part in the daily life of ordinary people which was forbidden to them. When imperial nobles came to visit the street, eunuchs, aiming to please their masters, would act as tradesmen and customers to produce a prosperous scene in the street. Your wonderful tour will ends here, after the tour you will be transferred back to your hotel in Beijing City.
60 minutes here · Admission included
Where it starts and ends
Hotel pickup
Pickup is included for all travelers.
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
- Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Group size
- Up to 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Unique Beijing Tours
Know before you go
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Photos
Traveler reviews
1 verified traveler reviews for Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Top quality tour and guide
We really loved our tour. Lucy was a great guide who made the Summer Palace come alive for us - full of history and interesting facts. She also speaks superb English. We had visited before but she took us to see lots of new t parts of this vast site and we had a two stage boat trip. Very punctual pick up from the hotel in a super smart comfortable car. Really enjoyed the whole thing.
via Tripadvisor
Good to know
- Duration
- 4 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Price range
- $118 to $208
- Hotel pickup
- Included for all travelers
- Booked in 30 days
- 0
- Verdict
- Worth a Look
Who runs this experience
Operated by Unique Beijing Tours, who run 279 experiences we rank across 13 cities, with an average Outty Ranking of 48.6.
See everything Unique Beijing Tours runsWhy this scores 51
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Beijing.
How much does Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride cost?
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Prices start at $118 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 Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride take?
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Plan for about 4 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 Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 51 out of 100, which we label "Worth a Look". That score blends traveler sentiment (5/5 across 1 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 Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride?
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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 Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 4-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride?
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Around 0 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 4-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride 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 Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride?
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Included: English speaking guide; Boat ride in the Summer Palace(Summer time); Bottled water; Private Tour; and Transport by private vehicle. Not included: Gratuities. Always check the voucher for the final list before you travel.
Does Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride include hotel pickup?
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Yes, pickup is offered for every traveler from 1930 listed pickup locations in and around Beijing. You can also enter a custom pickup address when booking.
What languages is Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride 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 Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride?
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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 Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride wheelchair or stroller accessible?
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The operator notes: Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller; and Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap. If accessibility is critical, contact the operator after booking to confirm arrangements for your date.
What happens to Private 5-Hour Summer Palace In-depth Tour including Boat Ride 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.
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