6 Day Trips in Beijing Worth Losing a Morning To

1.Mutianyu Great Wall and Summer Palace Private Day Trip with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 209 reviews · from $185Our pick

Spend 8 to 9 hours with a private guide and driver visiting Mutianyu Great Wall and the Summer Palace from Beijing. Walk restored wall ramparts, ride the cable car or chair lift, return by toboggan, enjoy a Chinese lunch, and explore imperial pavilions beside Kunming Lake. Guides such as Kelly, Violet, and Pietro have received especially warm praise.

“Great! In addition to the wall and summer palace, the lunch spot was the best food I had the entire trip.”

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2.Private Custom Tour or Private Tour: Beijing in One Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 119 reviews · from $75

Build your own Beijing day with an English-speaking guide for about eight hours. Choose the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, temples, hutongs, the Summer Palace, pandas, or the Great Wall. Guides such as William and Cora Lin have been praised for clear history, practical help, and flexible planning. Public transport is available, while private-car options cost extra unless specifically included.

“William was great. I am confident that he saved us more money than he cost. He negotiated deals for us on whatever we wanted to do and steered us clear of any problems. He was knowledgeable and easy going. His English was excellent and he got us off the beaten path. Highly recommend it.”

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3.Private Beijing Day Trip: Mutianyu Great Wall and Ming Tombs

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 114 reviews · from $176

Spend about nine hours with a private guide and vehicle visiting Mutianyu Great Wall and one Ming Tombs site. Guides such as Coco, Kelly, Jily, Rita, and Lina have helped visitors manage steep steps, photo stops, local lunch, and changing schedules. Hotel pickup, entrance fees, and lunch are included, but cable car and toboggan tickets cost extra.

“Another great day in Beijing!!! Jily met us at our hotel and off we went on our adventure to The Great Wall! It was a dream of ours to visit this historic site and we were not disappointed! The drive was pleasant with Jily giving us some background info and when we arrived at The Wall she accompanied us up the hill on the ski lifts walked with us to the first part of the Wall and then left us to explore on our own the remainder of the time. We then ascended the hill by taboggen Such a blast!!! It was the perfect combo of guiding us and then…”

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4.Full Day Trip Mutianyu Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Sq.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 110 reviews · from $99

Spend 9 to 10 hours with a private English-speaking guide, chauffeur, and air-conditioned car. Visit Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Mutianyu Great Wall, with admission, buffet lunch, soft drinks, and round-trip cable car or chairlift and toboggan included. If Jerry is your guide, expect lively historical explanations and help with photos.

“We were met in our hotel lobby by our guide for the day then taken to all the sights in a comfortable car with a safe driver. We never felt rushed and had lots of time to ask questions and see the sights. We only had one day (a Monday) in Read more”

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5.Water-Great Wall Odyssey: Hike & Cruise One Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 94 reviews · 9 hours · from $52Best value

Spend five hours at Huanghuacheng, the Great Wall section that meets a mountain lake. Your English-speaking guide, often Cici, Shannon, or another team member, handles the route and timing while you hike, take the included boat ride, and enjoy free time. Optional rafting costs 140 RMB.

“Amazing Experience at the Great Wall with an Exceptional Guide! We had an unforgettable tour to the Great Wall, and our guide CiCi truly made the day special. She went above and beyond to make sure everyone was comfortable and informed. CiCi is not only incredibly knowledgeable, sharing important details and fascinating historical facts, but she’s also genuinely warm, sweet, and attentive. What really stood out was how she paid attention to everyone’s individual needs — she made sure that each person felt seen and supported throughout the tour. Communication with her was smooth and friendly the entire time. The section of the Wall we visited was stunning — less…”

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6.Small Group-Jinshanling Great Wall 1-day tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 58 reviews · from $61

Travel from central Beijing to Jinshanling Great Wall in a small group of no more than 15 people. After a 2 to 2.5-hour coach ride, you get three hours to hike independently from Brick Crenel to East Five Window Tower, about 6 kilometers. Entrance fees, shuttle buses, and bottled water are included. Cable cars and the toboggan ride cost extra.

“Amazing and very professional service, the agency let us know straight away after booking we would have had to leave earlier than planned due to holiday weekend to avoid roadblocks and traffic, which we appreciated as it really enabled us Read more”

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