Imperial Life Exploration, No Shopping

We’re very glad to have you on this private Beijing day tour to explore the ancient Chinese imperial culture hundreds of years ago! In the morning, your private guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel at around 9:00, and then accompany you on a comfortable drive to the iconic Tiananmen Square sitting in the center of the city. 

Once on this super large square, the venue for grand national celebrations, military parades, and welcoming ceremonies for foreign leaders, enjoy a relaxing stroll with your guide for around 30 minutes to admire and pose for photographs with those splendid buildings, including the towering Monument to People’s Heroes, the solemn Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, and the Tiananmen Tower of great antiquity.

Proceed northward for a few minutes, and we’ll come to a marvelous World Heritage site, the Forbidden City. Served as the imperial palace for 24 emperors for nearly 500 years since 1420 AD, it boasts the largest and best-preserved old wooden complex in the world. Now, let’s uncover the mystery of the past imperial life by visiting those main halls and palaces here.

● We’ve especially arranged the Forbidden City visit in the morning because more tourists crowd in the afternoon and it closes early, at 17:00 in the peak season (Apr. - Oct.) while 16:30 in the slack season (Nov. - Mar.). It’s interesting to know that the reason for its early closure is that in 1959, a man hid in the Forbidden City until midnight and stole a few valuable cultural relics. After that, it began to clear up the site early to allow the staff to check the entire palace to prevent theft. Besides, it is rumored that unexplained paranormal events may happen at night in this 600-year-old palace.

Upon entering, the first to greet you will be the Outer Court, used for emperors and their ministers to handle national affairs, with the grandest Hall of Supreme Harmony being the representative. Built on a three-story white marble base that is higher than all other structures, and with the most ten ridge beasts on the roof, which are unique in ancient Chinese architecture, as well as being the place where the highest-level national ceremonies such as the emperor’s enthronement and wedding are held, the Hall of Supreme Harmony is undoubtedly best exemplifies the supremacy of imperial power. Following that, we’ll reach the Inner Court, the living space of the imperial families. Here, marvel at the main Palace of Heavenly Purity, which is far more complex than merely being "the emperor’s bedroom”. With your guide’s explanation, you’ll discover its multifaceted role as the empire’s true power center: it’s where the secret edict for selecting a successor was hidden, the sacred spot where the emperors’ coffins were temporarily placed after their death, and the banquet hall for important festivals. Being here, you can almost hear the most intricate symphony of the empire’s heart.

► Notes:
1. Entrance tickets of the Forbidden City are available for purchase online with your real passport information 7 days in advance and will be snapped up quickly once released, so we kindly advise you to book this tour at least 8 days before.
2. Be sure not to schedule the tour on Monday if you don’t want to fail the visit to the Forbidden City.Lunch is on your own. You can try some famous local specialties at your own expense, such as the Noodles with Soybean Paste. If needed, your guide would like to recommend some fine dining options according to your taste. 

In the afternoon, continue our visit to the Temple of Heaven, where emperors held national sacrificial ceremonies for nearly 5 centuries since 1420 AD. Between the visits to the landmark Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a super symmetrical circular wooden structure with a pyramidal three-eaved roof covered with blue glazed tiles, and the open-air Circular Mound Altar used for sacrificing to heaven, you’ll walk along the long Red Stairs Bridge, which is composed of three stone paths: the eastern for the emperor, the western for his officials, and the elevated central path reserved solely for the God of Heaven. Why a bridge exists where there is no water? That might be Beijing’s earliest overpass, as there is a hidden passage beneath the central path, from which the sacrificial animals are driven to the slaughterhouse without disrupting the sacred rituals above.Afterward, let’s make our way to the Summer Palace, a 300-plus-year-old royal resort, to enjoy gorgeous landscapes interwoven in classic garden architecture. When strolling along the iconic Long Corridor, which holds a Guinness World Record for its length, feast your eyes on over 14,000 colorful paintings created by ancient imperial painters, folk artists, and even European missionaries. The realistic techniques of Western drawing, as well as the artistic conception of traditional Chinese painting, encompassing the elegance of the mountains and water, the liveliness of the flowers and birds, and the legendary elements of historical stories, will all be vividly presented to you in this ‘art exhibition hall’.

As your private one-day Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven tour draws to a close, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel. Hope you enjoyed the day with us! Still have extra days to visit other classic attractions in Beijing? You are welcome to enquire about our customizable tours to the scenic Mutianyu Great Wall, traditional Hutong alleys, or the holy Lama Temple.

► Recommended Nighttime Activities (at your own expense):
For an extra slice of Beijing culture, head to Liyuan Theater for a 70-minute Peking Opera feast that starts at 19:30. With elaborate headdresses, exaggerated makeup, and traditional costumes, the professional actors will perform the classic historical scenes for you through special singing styles and feigned duels. Notice the long sleeves on some actresses’ costumes, which are important for expressing the emotions of their characters, such as waving sleeves away to indicate displeasure or disapproval. Don't worry that you won’t understand, as the theater thoughtfully provides bilingual subtitles in both Chinese and English. The ticket booking service is also available from us if needed.