Summer Palace: Private Walking Tour with Professional Guide
5.0
22 Ratings
Haidian District
Discover the beauty and history of the Summer Palace on a private walking tour. Explore the major buildings, learn about garden design, and hear fascinating stories of Empress Dowager Cixi's reign.
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) - Meet your guide at the east gate , in front of the ticket office at the time you choose to start your wonderful tour. (If you choose the option including the transfer, then your driver will hold your name sign waiting in the lobby of your Beijing hotel)

In front of the east gate your professional tour guide will give a detailed history lesson to the Summer Palace. Then you will enter the Palace from the east gate. In front of the Map, your guide will explain how to built an idea garden in old days, their believe and fengshui influence etc.

  • Hall of Benevolence and Longevity - Then followed by your guide you will visit these buildings : the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity where they received officials and foreign envoys;
  • Hall of Happiness and Longevity - the Hall of Jade Ripples where the emperor was under housing arrested for 10 years; Hall of Fragrant Herbs where the emperor used to store his books; the Hall of Happiness and longevity ,empress dowager Cixi’s bedroom;
  • Long Corridor at the Summer Palace - Walk along the longest corridor in the world which listed on the Guinness book of world record;
  • Tower of Buddhist Incense(Summer Palace) - See the Hall of Dispelling Clouds, tower of Buddhist Incense from distance;
  • Kunming Lake - then continue to the Marble Boat–a foreign style superstructure which was supposed to be a symbol of stability of the Qing Dynasty. 

During the tour you will not feel been rushed, you will stop to listen to the stories, have your own time to look into the buildings and take photos, and continue. Once the tour finished near the Marble boat, you can continue to explore more of the Summer Palace gardens or your guide will give suggestions on how to get to your next destinations and how. (if you choose the tour with transfer, your driver will take you back to your hotel or next place)

During the tour feel free to ask your guide any questions if you have.

What's Included
  • Professional guide
  • Entrance fee
What's Not Included
  • Additional entrance fees inside the Summer Palace to the museums
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Embark on a 2-hour private stroll through the Summer Palace, guided by a trained English-speaking professional. This tour will take you through the prominent structures within the palace, providing insights on ancient garden design principles. You will steep yourself in the history of this exquisite garden, while learning about the influential Empress Dowager Cixi and her rule spanning 48 years. Following the 2-hour accompanied visit, you will have the opportunity to delve further into this garden at your own pace. Additionally, your guide will offer advice on your subsequent destinations and the best way to get there. Upon booking, you can opt to either meet in person at the Summer Palace or make use of our provided transport services.

Location
The Summer Palace Ticket Office
In front of the ticket office of the East gate of the Summer Palace if you choose to travel to there on your own
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(22 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Rodrigoa5635
Mar 10, 2024
ungorgettable experience - Really nice tour, and the tourguide, Amazing, many thanks Sophie, If I can back later with the family, gor sure I will contact you.!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alexandramclendon
Oct 22, 2023
Definitely a must - Enjoyed my tour of the summer palace. Lili was a wonderful guide worn so much knowledge of the history and buildings. Also really enjoyed the chance to ride the subway with a guide to help me navigate. Definitely recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Hanna_s
Aug 7, 2023
Vivian was an incredible... - Vivian was an incredible tour guide, so kind and informative! The tour was a lot of fun and tailored to our specific tastes and interests. A relaxing and comfortable afternoon!
Review provided by Viator
Curiosity797427
Jul 23, 2023
Thanks Qinq! - Qing is wonderful to work with! She is very kind and empathetic, truly listening to our needs and willing to go the extra mile to even advise on other attractions that we wanted to go to beyond the Summer Palace. In addition, she was very responsive in all of the coordinating (returning messages <5 minutes) despite what I imagine was an extremely busy travel season in Beijing. Had I found Qing earlier in my trip, I would have booked directly with her for my entire itinerary. Next time! Thanks again Qing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yeonjool15
Jun 24, 2023
Just loved it - It was a great tour. The team cares about Customer Experience. Cynthia was a great tour guide with passion and kindness. I could learn a lot from her about China and the Summer Palace. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D4099ichannahs
Jun 12, 2023
Summer Palace tour guide - Jay was an amazing guide. Not only did he provide us with the historical information but he helped us out with arranging taxis and in translation of the language. He was absolutely amazing!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shauna_m
May 8, 2023
A must see! - The summer palace is a must see!!! The history and lengends behind every structure, rock and statue are remarkable. Anson was a fantastic guide. He is very knowledgeable and fun! Our driver was also very friendly.
Review provided by Viator
Yvette_a
May 7, 2023
Summer Palace Tour with Qing - Our guide, Qing, was excellent. First, she was able to obtain tickets to the Summer Palace on one of the busiest days of the year, no easy feat. Her communication with us in the days leading up to the tour was tremendous. She made sure she would be able to find us on a very crowded day. Once on tour, she had great knowledge of the Palace and its history. Lots of great stories. After the tour she made sure we reached our next appointment on time and even offered a dinner suggestion. We highly recommend any tour offered by Qing.
Review provided by Viator
Timothy_l
Apr 19, 2023
Masterpiece of Chinese landscape and Garden design - This tour is a must-see during your stay in Beijing. I especially appreciated it after touring the forbidden city the day before. The monuments are both linked to the historic royal family and give extensive insights into the life and as a member of the royal family. The scale of the palace grounds and imperious buildings are astonishing. My guide was Anse, who proactively reached out the day before to confirm and organised my pick-up. On the tour itself, Anse was very knowledgeable about the Summer Palace and shared ancient stories and anecdotes to bring the sights to life. Overall I was very happy with the value for money for a private tour and transport.
Review provided by Viator
Flyer638667
Jan 24, 2020
Great tour for a short trip to Beijing - Lucy took me on the tour of the Summer Palace, she was very knowledgeable and a great companion for the day (she takes great pictures too!). Out of all the places I’ve visited in Beijing the Summer Palace was by far the most beautiful. The lake was frozen when I went which was magical to see all the ice skaters! Will definitely book with Lucy again when I next visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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