Imperial Life Exploration, No Shopping

Today’s private Beijing day tour boasts exploring the ancient Chinese imperial life hundreds of years ago by visiting once royal palace, the sacrificial site of emperors, and a summer resort.

In the morning, your private guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel at around 09:00. By a comfortable drive, our first stop will be Tiananmen Square, an iconic attraction of Beijing, just sitting in the center of the city. The super large square occupies an area of 440,000 square meters (109 acres) and has witnessed numerous important historical events and assemblies, including the announcement of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. Nowadays, it becomes the venue for grand celebrations, military parades, and welcoming ceremonies for foreign leaders. Accompanied by your guide, you will also admire the towering Monument to People's Heroes, the solemn Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao, the well-known Tiananmen Tower, Zhengyang Gate and Qianmen Arrow Tower on the square.

After photographing in the vast square, we will walk northward for a few minutes to enter the Forbidden City, where 24 emperors in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911 AD) had lived and worked on national affairs. Served as the imperial palace for more than 500 hundred years, the Forbidden City boasts the largest and best-preserved old wooden complex in the world. The whole palace is divided into the outer court and the inner court by the Palace of Heavenly Purity, with the outer one for emperors and ministers to work and the inner one for imperial families to live. In addition to the splendid architecture, the complex is also a giant museum with more than one million national treasures exhibited. You will spend several hours to be dazzled by the gorgeous architecture and exhibits.We have especially arranged the Forbidden City tour in the morning because more tourists crowd in the afternoon and the attraction closes very early, at 17:00 in the peak season while 16:30 in the slack season. Do you know why does it close so early? Back in 1959, a man hid in the Forbidden City until midnight and stole a few valuable cultural relics. After that, the Forbidden City decided to close earlier to clear up the site and check the entire palace to prevent theft. Besides, someone believe that unexplained paranormal events may happen at night in this ancient palace over 600 years old.

Important note: Entrance tickets of the Forbidden City are usually released online 7 days in advance and could be easily sold out in one hour. Kindly advise you to book the tour at least 8 days before since the ticket purchase is based on the real name policy.

Today’s itinerary doesn’t include lunch but your guide would like to recommend you some fine dining options nearby according to your tastes.

In the afternoon, we will continue to visit the Temple of Heaven, where emperors held national sacrificial ceremonies to pray for a rich harvest during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The ancient architecture features a super symmetrical structure with three lays of round tops. Your professional guide will show you around the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the Circular Mound Altar inside. You can also visit some exhibition rooms displaying various vessels, chimes, paintings and documents, which introduce the evolution of ancient worshipping rituals and sacrificial dances. Surrounding the temple is a large park where you can see the real life scenes of the local people.

Afterward, we will go to visit the Summer Palace - a royal resort during the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911 AD) with gorgeous landscapes. Covered mostly with water, this is a great place to hang around to breathe fresh air and enjoy beautiful lake scenery. You will be amazed by its magnificent architecture including the world’s longest corridor about 730 meters (2,395 ft.) long and a giant cruise boat on the water carved out of stone.

Finally, this one day Beijing tour will draw to a close, and your guide and driver will transfer you back to your hotel. Hope you can enjoy your day!

► Recommendation for Dinner (at your own expense):
The Palace Gate Steamed Bun Shop Shop is a nearly 30-year-old vendor that sold merely Steamed Buns and with time it has evolved to offer 21 varieties. Appreciate some of their artful creations! Dubbed Chinese versions of “European bread”, they are more affordable and just as delightful in both appearance and taste but in a different way. The chef is using bread-making techniques dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) and passed down through generations. Now the shop has become a must-visit spot in Beijing.
Average cost per person: CNY 20 (USD 3)