BJ-T16: One-Day Tour from Yuyuantan Park to Old Summer Palace

This 1-day Beijing tour provides you a chance to commune with nature in Yuyuantan Park, get in touch with lovely animals in Beijing Zoo, and learn the sorrowful history of the city in Old Summer Palace.  

 It is a guided tour by eco-friendly public transport. If you need a private car, feel free to contact our travel consultants to arrange it for you.

Today after picking you up at the appointed time, our guide will lead you to Yuyuantan Park, the first sightseeing stop by the most convenient public transport immediately. 

Yuyuantan Park is a scenic place boasting two big lakes and various flowers. The best time to visit it is during spring from March to May. At that time, plants begin to sprout and flowers are blooming. Green trees and colorful flowers will paint this park beautifully and the air will be full of fragrance. Local people are glad to have an outing in the park to admire joyful spring scenes. The Cherry Garden in the northwest is the highlight of Yuyuantan Park. An eyeful of pink cherry blossoms there are worthy to take pictures of. From the park, you can overlook the CCTV Tower in a distance, which is like a lighthouse standing in a sea of flowers. There are also many other flowers in the park, including peach blossoms and magnolias in March, peonies in April and May, lotus flowers in June and July and Chinese roses flowering most of the year. 

 Admission fee: CNY2; CNY10 during the cherry blossom period
 Open time: June – August: 6:00 – 22:30; January – May & September – December: 6:00 – 21:30

How to Get to Yuyuantan Park by Public Transport

Subway will be the first choice. The guide may escort you to take subway line 1 or line 9 to Military Museum Station; leave from Exit E2 and walk north along West Junbo Road towards the China Century Monument, behind which is the southern entrance of Yuyuantan Park. If city bus is the better choice considering the location of your hotel, then he or she will accompany you to take bus no.32, 65, 78, 85 or 414 to the south gate of the park.

Thousands of animals, including the giant pandas, tigers, bears, and peacocks, are living in Beijing Zoo. Lovely animal stars are ready to give interesting shows for you. 

 Admission fee: CNY19, including Panda Hall
 Open time: April – October: 7:30 – 18:00; November – March: 7:30 – 17:00

Public Transport from Yuyuantan Park to Beijing Zoo

The guide will lead you to get out of Yuyuantan Park from its northern gate, and then walk northwards along the street to the Fucheng Road. After, head eastwards to take subway line 9 at Baiduizi to National Library Station, then change to line 4 to Dongwuyuan subway station, which is right next to the southern gate of the Zoo.

There are several restaurants inside Beijing Zoo providing Chinese dishes and western food. You may fill in your stomach there around noon. But the price is a little higher. You may also have lunch after coming out from the Beijing Zoo. Remember to have a big breakfast because it will be a late lunch in this case. The guide will be glad to give you some recommendations on the restaurants around and dishes as well, according to your personal taste. 

You may have visited the Summer Palace, but never hear about the Old Summer Palace which is even bigger. Its construction lasted for over 150 years from early 18th century to middle 19th century, consisting of dignified imperial palaces, graceful gardens in southern China style, and luxury western style parks. It was also the then world’s largest royal museum. The France litterateur Victor Hugo once wrote: Even if all the treasures of all the cathedrals in our country were put together, they could not compare with this large, grand and luxury oriental museum. However, it was robbed and burnt down in October of 1860 by French and UK armies. It was really a tragedy and great loss for not only Chinese, but also human beings. Nowadays, only the relics and ruins can be seen, reminding visitors of its glorious past. Luckily, some lost treasures have been returned and related exhibitions are going on.

 Admission fee: CNY25 for through ticket
 Open time: January – March 15 & October 16 – December: 7:00 – 19:30; March 16 – April & September – October 15: 7:00 – 18:00; May – August: 7:00 – 19:00

Public Transport from Beijing Zoo to Old Summer Palace

The guide will lead you out of the Beijing Zoo from its southern gate to take subway line 4 to Yuanmingyuan Station directly which is right outside the southern gate of the Old Summer Palace.

Coming out of the Old Summer Palace, the guide will either escort you back to your hotel by subway line 4 or city bus. Nearby its southern gate, buses no. 129, 331, 424, 432, 438, 508, 579, 601, 604 and Sightseeing Line 3 are available; not far from its eastern gate, buses no. 305. 320, 320 inter-zone line, 365, 375, 432, 614, 681, 681 inter-zone line, 982 and 982 express line stop by; next to its western gate, buses no.333, 393, 437, 438, 476, 534, 608, 636, 644, 686 and 688 have a stop.