Mutianyu Great Wall Day Tour, No Shopping

Welcome to take our 1-day private Mutianyu tour with Forbidden City to see the most iconic attractions in Beijing! At the appointed time in the morning, your private guide and driver will wait for you at your hotel lobby, and then accompany you in our private car to reach Tiananmen Square, located in the heart of Beijing. 

► Notes:
1. To ensure a smooth trip for you, please book the tour with us at least 8 days before, as the tickets to the Forbidden City are released online 7 days in advance, at which time we need to compete with around 40,000 people for your tickets with your passport information. Also, schedule your travel not on Mondays when the Forbidden City is closed.
2. It’s better to prepare a pair of lightweight sports shoes to cope with the amount of walking required today.

Upon arrival at Tiananmen Square, a super vast open space that can accommodate around one million people for grand rallies at a time, take a 30-minute guided walk here to witness and take photos of a lot of imposing national buildings around, like the Monument to People's Heroes, the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, the Great Hall of the People, and the 600-year-old Tiananmen Tower.

Next, let’s walk through the Tiananmen Tower to visit the majestic Forbidden City, which used to be the imperial palace of 24 emperors for about 500 years since 1420 AD. With 70 palaces and more than 9,000 rooms, some of which remain in their original states, and some have become exhibition halls to store the precious historical relics, it is hailed as the world’s largest wooden palace complex. With your guide, discover the royal life from the luxury and splendid Chinese architectural gems here. 

Marvel at the grandest Hall of Supreme Harmony, located first on the meridian line. It is said that in ancient times, officials would gather in sedan chairs from all directions towards the Forbidden City in the wee hours when the entire imperial city was still in slumber, to attend the morning court on the square before the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Why so early? It was to ensure that the first ray of sunlight could precisely illuminate the emperor on the dragon throne in the hall, thereby emphasizing the supremacy of imperial power. Also interestingly, most officials would leave the capital and go back to their hometowns after retirement. One reason was that the houses given by the government would be reclaimed, leaving them with nowhere to live, while the other was that staying on would arouse the suspicion of the emperor, and they would better return and enjoy a peaceful life.

Afterward, let’s continue with a 1.5-hour private car ride to Mutianyu Great Wall, the longest section in Beijing, stretching 5.4 kilometers (3.4 miles) along the mountain ridges. Even so, it only accounts for one four-thousandth of the astonishing total length of the Great Wall of China, which is more than the length traveled along the Earth's surface from the North Pole to the South Pole. Once there, have a buffet lunch we've included for you to refresh yourself.

★ Guest Privilege: Cable Car, Chairlift & Toboggan Included

To save you more energy for an exciting hike on the magnificent Great Wall, we have arranged a round-trip cable car ride for you to get up and down. If you prefer a thrill, you may ascend by chairlift and descend via an exhilarating toboggan ride. Simply let your guide know your preference on the spot. Please note that children under 10 need to be accompanied by an adult on the toboggan; while the toboggan is not permitted for guests aged 60+, or those with acrophobia, high blood pressure, or heart conditions.

Once on the Mutianyu Great Wall, take your time to explore all its 20 watchtowers, set at intervals of around 100 meters (328 feet), whose density is really rare among all the Great Wall sections. Get ready to be awed by the unique Zhengguan Terrace, a strategic position composed of three watchtowers standing side by side, featuring the most ideal multi-functional three-story design: the ground floor for garrisons, the second floor for combat, and the top floor for lookout. From here, you can overlook the whole Mutianyu and take in the surrounding lush mountain scenery.

Here, your Mutianyu Great Wall day tour from Beijing comes to a happy end. Your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel in downtown. Thank you for travelling with us! Want to see more celebrated sights in Beijing? Check out our other private tours to the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, and Hutong alleys. Welcome to contact us anytime for an itinerary tailored to your preferences. 

► Recommended Free-time Activities (at your own expense):
If you’re still in Beijing tonight, you can head to the bustling Shichahai area for some fun. There, stroll along Tobacco Pipe Lane, one of Beijing’s oldest Hutong alleys, admire the characteristic courtyards of old Beijingers, kick around the studios featuring Chinese intangible cultural heritage, and find a vintage eatery to have a bowl of authentic Noodles with Soybean Paste. As the sky gradually changes from romantic orange to a serene dark blue, walk to the Silver Ingot Bridge, a classic camera position, and capture your beautiful moments with the shimmering lake boasting reflections and swaying boats as the backdrop. When reaching Back Lake Bar Street, where there are both Western-style bars filled with melodies and neo-Chinese tea houses, immerse yourself in the colorful nightlife.