4 Days Best Private Beijing Tour

Upon your arrival in Beijing today, your private expert guide and driver will welcome you at the Arrival Hall of the airport after you reclaim your luggage and clear Customs. Then a comfortable private drive will take you to downtown Beijing to check in at a select hotel. Just relax the rest of this day and prepare for your inspiring trips on next days

Today, your guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel at 09:00 and transfer you to the heart of Beijing to visit the Tiananmen Square, the world's largest urban square where a million people can gather here for the nation’s grandest ceremonies. Founded during Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD), this place is a witness to more than 600 years of China’s history. Stand before the centrally-erected Monument to the People's Heroes, ready to be awestruck by this magnificent obelisk built to commemorate those martyrs who fought for the country’s freedom and justice.

30 minutes after strolling on the square, you will walk for a few minutes across the Chang'an Avenue and come to the world-famous Forbidden City, or the Palace Museum, the world’s largest and best-preserved wooden architectural complex, once home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 – 1911 AD). People were denied entry in ancient times, hence the name “Forbidden City”. Follow your guide and try to immerse yourself in this 13.8-times-bigger-than-White-House imperial palace complex. Set foot on broad courtyards, climb steps to visit a myriad of sublime palaces with sunlit golden tiles and red walls, feel the “forbidden” air enclosed by 10-meters-high walls and 52-meters-wide moat, breathe the air that once belonged only to supreme powers of ancient China, and appreciate countless precious historical relics that survived the vicissitudes of history… Definitely, this 2-to-3-hour visit will get you a glimpse into the luxury of China’s ancient imperial culture.

In the afternoon, we will head to visit the Yonghe Temple, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Beijing that has been preserved intact for 300 years. Built to show the Qing emperor’s respect for Tibetan Buddhism, you’ll be amazed how Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan architecture combined into one unique design. Amid fragrance of sandalwood and the solemnity felt everywhere from Buddhist statues to prayer flags, you can still find your inner peace in the temple despite the huge number of tourists every day.

Next, you will be taken to visit the Temple of Heaven, the holy altar where ancient emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties offered sacrifice to the God of Heaven for bumper harvests. The world’s largest sacrificial architectural complex of its kind, the altar is designed by a Ming emperor to symbolize China’s ancient cosmological belief: heaven is round and earth square, and it’s the very harmony between the two that gives birth to everything in the world. Stepping into this mystic compound, you’ll notice distinct circular shapes and buildings and square walls from other buildings anywhere else, which represent Heaven and Earth respectively. Some buildings also reflect the ancient Chinese wisdom in practicing physics, like acoustics for the Echo Wall of Imperial Vault of Heaven, through which even a murmur can spread over a fairly long distance. Follow our experienced local guide, you're to learn some interesting facts about history. In the Temple of Heaven, there is Seven-star Stones, caved with mountain-like stripes, to simulate the Big Dipper stars. However, you can find eight rocks there in total now. What’s the matter? When Emperor Jiajing (1507 – 1567 AD) was on the throne in the Ming Dynasty, the rocks were transported to Beijing and set in the open space in Temple of Heaven. To Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong (1711 – 1799 AD) ordered to add one more stone in the northeast, the direction where the Qing Dynasty rose. He gave the stones a meaning that all the ethnic groups were a family in the unified country. Although it’s still called Seven-star Stones, there are eight stones actually.

► Dinner Suggestion:
From our experience, we recommend you to dine at Tian Tan Fu Yan (means Temple of Heaven Auspicious Banquet), just several minutes’ walk from the West Gate of the Temple of Heaven. It offers an authentic Beijing-flavored dining experience, featuring local specialties like Peking Duck and Grilled Lamb, as well as traditional enjoyed-in-imperial-court snacks such as Pea Cake and Fried Chop Rice Cake (Lv Da Gun). Don’t miss their signature dessert, Red Plum Concubine's Smile (Hong Mei Fei Zi Xiao), which combines waxberry and lychee for a lovely sweet and sour flavor. To save time, consider having your guide help you get a number before your visit to the Temple of Heaven, so you can avoid waiting in a line for seat later. Average cost per person: CNY 120 / USD 16.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

This morning, we will travel to Mutianyu Great Wall to visit one of the greatest man-made projects on earth, which is definitely a highlight of your 4 days Beijing tour. On the dragon-like winding path, you will not only get to appreciate the defensive beacon towers lying at advantageous strategic forts, but also enjoy the pristine spectacle of its surrounding lush greens that varies in different seasons, which is what makes it “the most beautiful part of the Great Wall”. To climb the wall, a round-way cable car ride will be arranged for you to save energy and time to hike on the wall. 

In the afternoon, we will drive back to downtown Beijing and make a photo stop for you before the Bird's Nest, namely the Olympic National Stadium, once the place holding both the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Next, you will have a Hutong tour by rickshaw to travel through narrow alleys and relive the past Beijing. Different from the Forbidden City, Hutong represents and shows ordinary and regular local lives. A Hutong family visit will be arranged for you to get close to local lifestyles. You’ll be taken to a local courtyard house, to learn how its structure embodies China’s traditional family values.

► Dinner Suggestion:
Out from the Hutong area, perhaps visit the restaurant Na Jian’er Mian Guan (Drum Tower branch) for some noodles. There are many to praise about this restaurant, like its Old Beijing-style interior that oozes an antique charm, the cleanness, the compact but cozy atmosphere, and above all, a great dining experience. The signature dish, Noodles with Soybean Paste (Zha Jiang Mian), features hand-pulled making process to create a perfect chewy texture. It is generously topped with fresh ingredients like shredded cucumber and carrot, mixed with a well-balanced savory sauce that complements the noodles without overpowering other flavors. As a traditional local specialty, Zha Jiang Mian embodies the nostalgic taste of home for many locals. Sampling this iconic dish during your Beijing visit will undoubtedly leave you with a memorable culinary experience. Average cost per person: CNY 50 / USD 6.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Panda time! Today we will have a lovely time in the Panda Hall of Beijing Zoo. Built in 1990, the Panda Hall is one of the biggest bases in China to exhibit, breed, and research panda. Native to China, those cuddly, adorkable fur balls of course are a must-visit. What makes the Panda Hall in Beijing special is its philosophy behind the whole design. Going inside, in the outdoor hall, you may be impressed by how the natural scenery co-exists with man-made constructs, the idea of which was borrowed from Chinese classical gardens to simulate a wild habitat. You’ll feel as if you are right in the wilderness, and before you are naughty pandas climbing up and down living in the moment. To see more pandas, go to the indoor hall, where you will find a different lifestyle of pandas.

After visiting pandas, we will continue the visit to the Summer Palace. As a birthday gift from a Qing emperor to his mother, the summer retreat is the largest and best-preserved imperial garden worldwide. The garden features a peach-shaped Kunming Lake, symbolizing longevity and taking up three-quarters of the total area. Inside the garden, you’ll get to visit the Long Corridor, the longest gallery of its kind with more than 14 thousand paintings to feast your eyes upon. Take your time to enjoy the stunning views here. The classical elegancy will definitely make you want to return.

Your sightseeing trip will come to the end here. Your guide and driver will transfer you to the airport for your onward flight. Short as your stay in Beijing is, we believe the highlight attractions as well as our dedicated service will deeply impress you. Hope we still have a chance to serve you next time.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Travel Tip: In Beijing, you have a wide range of food choices from street food to fine dining, all with fair prices. We leave the lunch and dinner on your own for you to explore by yourself. Feel lost? Your guide will be always glad to offer any assistance!