Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace
Traveler rating
4.9/5
Based on 325 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace worth booking?
Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace is a 8-hour experience in Beijing, China, from $138 per person. It scores 85 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Exceptional”, based on a 4.9/5 rating across 325 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 85 / 100
- Rating
- 4.9/5 (325)
- Duration
- 8 hours
- From
- $138 per person
This private full-day tour covers four major UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Beijing. It includes a tour of Tiananmen Square, plus visits to the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace. The Forbidden City is closed every Monday. In that case, we will visit Tiananmen Square, Lama Temple, Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven instead. All entrance fees, delicious local lunch, private tour guide and private transfer service are fully included.
What you get
About this experience
This private full-day tour covers four major UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Beijing. It includes a tour of Tiananmen Square, plus visits to the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace. The Forbidden City is closed every Monday. In that case, we will visit Tiananmen Square, Lama Temple, Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven instead. All entrance fees, delicious local lunch, private tour guide and private transfer service are fully included.
What's included
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Private tour
- Professional guide
- Bottled water
- Entrance ticket
- Round trip transfer
- Gasline, Patrol, Parking, Toll fee
Not included
- Gratuities
What you'll see and do
Tiananmen Square
Your friendly guide will meet you at your Beijing hotel in the morning. During peak periods: April spring break, July–August summer vacation, Chinese Labor Day (May 1–7), National Day (October 1–7) and Spring Festival (mid-February), we will enjoy a hassle-free drive-by view of Tiananmen Square to avoid long security lines that often take 1–3 hours to enter. You’ll still get great views of all landmarks: the Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, Monument to the People’s Heroes, Tiananmen Rostrum, Great Hall of the People, and National Museum of China. We provide free reservation codes for the evening session at Tiananmen Square. Simply ask your guide for the code to visit independently after the tour. On all other off-peak dates, we will enter Tiananmen Square for a walking tour.
10 minutes here
The Palace Museum
Then we will proceed to the Imperial Palace (Forbidden City) — the world’s largest and best-preserved ancient imperial complex, with over 500 years of history. Constructed between 1406 and 1420, the palace has been damaged, looted, rebuilt and restored numerous times. As a result, most of the existing architecture dates from the 18th century onward.
120 minutes here · Admission included
Summer Palace
After lunch, we will proceed to the Summer Palace — one of China’s largest imperial gardens. Originally built as a royal retreat and temporary residence for Qing Dynasty emperors, you will stroll through the garden to admire its stunning scenery.
90 minutes here · Admission included
Temple of Heaven
Lastly, we will visit the **Temple of Heaven** — where ancient emperors prayed for national peace and abundant harvests. Located in southern Beijing, it has been one of China’s most sacred sites for over five centuries. This magnificent complex served as the main sacrificial altar for the Ming and Qing emperors.
90 minutes here · Admission included
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
Visit
30 minutes here · Admission included
Hall of Benevolence and Longevity
Visit
20 minutes here · Admission included
Long Corridor at the Summer Palace
Visit
30 minutes here · Admission included
Qingyan Stone Boat
Visit
10 minutes here · Admission included
Hall of Great Harmony (Taihe Dian)
Visit
30 minutes here · Admission included
Gate of Great Harmony (Taihe Men)
Visit
20 minutes here · Admission included
The Imperial Garden of The Palace Museum
Visit
30 minutes here · Admission included
Where it starts and ends
Hotel pickup
Pickup is included for all travelers. Pickup begins about 5 minutes before departure.
Options you can book
Tour by DiDi Taxi & no lunch
DiDi taxi included: You will take DiDi Taxi as the transportation. Your private tour guide will take DiDi taxi for you on the tour. No lunch included: This option does not include lunch, and the cost of lunch needs to be paid by own. Pickup included
Guide+private car+lunch
Private driver with car: Licensed tour guide, local food lunch, private driver with car, entrance tickets are all included. Pickup included
Guide+private car+lunch+show
Local food lunch included Acrobatic show included: Middle back seat around row 17-22 Pickup included
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- zh-TW, cmn, en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Group size
- Up to 30 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Lily's Tour Company
Know before you go
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- The Forbidden City is closed every Monday. In that case, we will visit Tiananmen Square, Lama Temple , Summer Palace and the Templer of Heaven instead.
- Forbidden City tickets require real-name reservation 168 hours (7 days) in advance and often sell out quickly. We highly recommend you book your tour as early as possible. Otherwise, international visitors may need to queue at the entrance to purchase tickets on site.
- Please wear comfortable shoes
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Passport name and number is required at time of booking for all participants for getting your Skip The Line Forbidden City entrance ticket
- This experience is weather-dependent. If canceled due to severe weather conditions, you may choose an alternative travel date or tour, or receive a full refund.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 323 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
5 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
Small groups
4 mentionsThe group size is repeatedly described as intimate rather than packed.
Food and drink
3 mentionsThe tastings and food stops are a highlight for most reviewers.
Pace and timing
3 mentionsSeveral reviewers comment on how the schedule is paced.
Photo opportunities
2 mentionsThe views and photo stops come up again and again.
Traveler reviews
323 verified traveler reviews for Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Great day!
Linda was very knowledgeable about how to navigate the most efficient way around so we did t spend too much time in a line. She was knowledgeable about history and her English was good too.
Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you so much for your lovely review! We are delighted that Linda helped you skip long queues with efficient routes and shared wonderful historical knowledge with you in fluent English. We will pass your kind compliments to Linda. Hope we have the chance to welcome you back to Beijing soon! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
via Viator
Maggie, our tour guide,...
Maggie, our tour guide, was amazing. We crisscrossed the entire city, hitting all of the major cultural sights! A great stop for a private tea ceremony followed by a delicious lunch was perfect! We didn’t need to lift a finger. We were catered to all day!
Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your private tour across Beijing’s cultural landmarks with Maggie. It’s wonderful that the tea ceremony and tasty lunch made your day so relaxing and hassle-free. We will pass all your warm compliments to Maggie. Hope we have the pleasure of welcoming you back for another unforgettable trip in China soon! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
via Viator
Thanks Bruce!
Thanks to my tour guide, Bruce, for guiding me on a 1:1 tour across Beijing’s most important historical monuments. Bruce has over 20 years of experience and this showed through all the wonderful stories and cultural context shared across the day. It We also visited a pearl market and tea tasking, alongside a buffet lunch at the Beijing Winter Olympics athlete’s village. It was cool to have a drive-by of the birds nest stadium as I didn’t expect to see it during my visit. The day as facilitated by easy drop offs and pick ups from a private car, and the early start meant we could avoid the peak crowds.
Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you for your lovely review! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed your private one-on-one tour with Bruce. It’s wonderful that his 20 years of experience brought vivid stories and rich cultural background to your visit. We are glad you loved the pearl market, tea tasting, buffet lunch at the Winter Olympics athlete’s village and the passing view of the Bird's Nest Stadium. The early departure helped you steer clear of big crowds, and seamless private transfers made your day easy. Bruce will be delighted to read your warm recommendation. Hope we have the pleasure of welcoming you back to Beijing! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
via Tripadvisor
An amazing private tour to some unforgettable locations!
Sunny and Sun were our guide and driver, and they provided an excellent experience. This tour was the pefect example of why you spend a bit more for a private tour as opposed to joining a large group tour. Sunny was able to convey so much amazing information about Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and also Beijing and China in general. She had great recommendations on how to avoid large crowds, and those recommendations paid off! If we had tried to visit these sites on our own, not only would it have been very difficult without a private driver, but we would have also spent a large portion of the day waiting in lines. Thank you for the great tour!
Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you so much for this wonderful review! We are delighted to hear you had such a fantastic private tour with Sunny and driver Sun. Sunny will be thrilled to know her tips for avoiding crowds and rich commentary made your day so smooth. It means a lot that you enjoyed the flexibility of your private tour. We hope to welcome you back to Beijing again sometime soon! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
via Viator
A tour worth it's weight in gold.
Had the best day out with Nancy and Mr Xu! Saw an incredible amount of places, learnt a lot about them all and was driven around in absolute comfort. Highly recommend booking this tour and getting a whole day's worth of entertainment and education.
Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you for your lovely review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a fantastic day with Nancy and driver Mr Xu. It makes us happy that you visited many amazing sites comfortably and learned so much along the way. Nancy and Mr Xu will be delighted to read your kind words. Hope we have the pleasure of welcoming you back to Beijing! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
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
- Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Price range
- $138 to $380
- Hotel pickup
- Included for all travelers
- Booked in 30 days
- 114
- Verdict
- Exceptional
Who runs this experience
Operated by Lily's Tour Company, who run 74 experiences we rank across 2 cities, with an average Outty Ranking of 55.3 and 2 in the 90+ Club.
See everything Lily's Tour Company runsWhy this scores 85
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Beijing.
How much does Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace cost?
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Prices start at $138 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 Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace 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 Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 85 out of 100, which we label "Exceptional". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.9/5 across 325 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 Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace?
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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 Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace 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 Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace?
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Around 114 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 Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace 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 Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace?
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Included: Hotel pickup and drop-off; Private tour; Professional guide; Bottled water; and Entrance ticket. Not included: Gratuities. Always check the voucher for the final list before you travel.
Does Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace include hotel pickup?
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Yes, pickup is offered for every traveler from 1337 listed pickup locations in and around Beijing. Be ready about 5 minutes before the start time.
What languages is Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace offered in?
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It is offered in Chinese and 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 Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace?
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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.
What happens to Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace 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 Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace?
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Across 325 reviews averaging 4.9 out of 5, recurring themes include the guide, knowledge and storytelling, small groups. 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 Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace?
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There are 3 options to choose from, including Tour by DiDi Taxi & no lunch, Guide+private car+lunch, Guide+private car+lunch+show. Prices and start times differ by option, so compare them on the booking screen.
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