Private Beijing Tours from Tianjin Cruise Port

This morning, after you disembark from your cruise ship at Tianjin cruise port, you’ll find your private guide and driver waiting for you at the Cruise Terminal. After a warm greeting, your guide will accompany you in our comfy private vehicle for a 3-hour transfer to Beijing.   
● To gain more time for sightseeing, you’re suggested to get prepared in advance and disembark the ship as early as possible. 

By the time we arrive in downtown Beijing, it will be noon, and we’ll leave you some time to enjoy a lunch break on your own. If needed, the guide will be glad to give you some advice on food options. In the afternoon, your 2 days private Beijing tours from Tianjin cruise port will officially begin.

Let’s start with a simple stroll northward through Tiananmen Square, the very symbol of China, to comprehend its magnitude with a space able to hold up to a million people for grand national celebrations and many national-level edifices, like the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, National Museum, Great Hall of the People, and Tiananmen Tower, which your guide will introduce to you one by one. Also, take your chance to get some pictures with those iconic buildings.

Walk to the north end of the square, and we’ll then reach the Forbidden City. Covering an area about 14 times that of the White House, this imperial home and office of emperors from 1421 to 1924 AD houses the world’s largest collection of ancient wooden structures, with more than 70 palaces and 9,000 rooms. During the following 2 to 3 hours, with your guide, go through the iconic Meridian Gate with ingeniously designed doornails and get a comprehensive knowledge of the past imperial life from the main palaces like the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the luxurious living quarters on both wings, as well as the treasures on display and sculptures of mythical creatures. For the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the largest and grandest building in the Forbidden City, you’ll be surprised to learn that it was actually closed and unused for most of ancient times. It was only ‘activated’ to hold the highest national ceremony when the emperor ascended the throne, got married, or sent generals to war. 24 emperors once lived here, which means the hall was used only once every 20 years for an enthronement ceremony. The frequency of the reigning emperors’ weddings and the country’s warfare is even less often. During your visit, you’ll also spot many wearing ancient Chinese-style costumes for photos and fun, and join them if you like! At last, we’ll exit from the North Gate, the Gate of Divine Prowess.

► Notes: 
1. The tickets for the Forbidden City can be purchased online 7 days in advance with your accurate passport information; therefore, we suggest that you book this trip at least 8 days before to avoid queuing up for tickets at the on-site counter and maximize your visit time on the tour day.
2. Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City are Beijing’s top attractions with incredible popularity. Please anticipate long entry lines, especially during peak season. Pack your patience – they’re definitely worth the wait.
 
Continue our visit to Jingshan Park, the back garden for ancient emperors. It takes about 15 minutes to hike up to the summit of the core sight Jingshan Hill, where you can command the Forbidden City below. It is now at sundown, when the imperial palace is at its most splendid, with aspects of the golden roofs and red walls washed with orange hues. On its eastern and western wings, the modern high-rises and the old grey-tiled Hutong alleys complement each other, adding to the panoramic charm, too. Moreover, if you come during the Peony Festival between April and May, you can enjoy some time to appreciate these auspicious flowers in the park.

After that, your guide and driver will escort you to the hotel we handpicked for you for check-in.

► Recommendation for Dinner (at your own expense):
For some culinary delights unique to Beijing, you can try the iconic Noodles with Soybean Paste tonight. A bowl of homemade noodles, a small dish of special sauce, along with a plate of vegetable garnish like bean sprouts, shredded cucumber, and Chinese cabbage, will be served to you together. Then customize the flavor as you like, but remember not to put too much sauce to avoid being too salty. The top-ranked restaurant, No. 60 Brick Factory Soybean Paste Noodles, which is within a 20-minute taxi ride from your hotel, can be an option for you. The average cost per person there is around CNY 50 (USD 7).

Accommodation: Howard Johnson Paragon Hotel (4 stars)

Today, meet your guide and driver at your hotel, and then set off for a 1.5-hour drive to Mutianyu Great Wall, one of the famous sections of the greatest engineering feat in human history. It was completed during the period from the 14th to the 17th century on the basis of the ruins left from multiple former Chinese dynasties spanning some 2,000 years. The Mutianyu segment we’ve specially selected for you is the best-preserved and most photogenic in Beijing, with fewer visitors and gentler slopes, just like a serene dragon meandering among forests whose colors change with the seasons.

★ Special Inclusion: Cable Car, Chairlift & Toboggan

A round-way cable car to and from the No. 14 Watchtower has been included to save your energy and leave you more time for sightseeing on Mutianyu Great Wall. The exciting ride of climbing up to the No.6 Watchtower by chairlift and then tobogganing down is an alternative for many young people, and we’re glad to make a replacement for you if you like. Notice that the toboggan is not permitted for people aged 60 and above, those with acrophobia, hypertension, or heart disease, and children under 10 without an adult’s company. 

Once on the Great Wall, immerse yourself in a pleasant hike and climb each of those densely spaced towers for different vistas, with your guide telling the involved history of an era of unending battles and giving you insights into its structure. The one that catches your attention most would be the No. 4 Watchtower, also known as Zhengguan Terrace, which is the most iconic tower of Mutianyu. Take a close look at those windows on it, which are wide inward and narrow outward, shaped like a trumpet. They are not just ordinary ventilation openings, but also a military design that allows ancient soldiers to observe the enemy situation on the sides and enables them to throw barbed rolling logs and stones to defend against the enemy. At night, soldiers could also secretly lift supplies through the windows with ropes. With a massive height difference between the lowest and highest points, your hike would alternate between easy flat paths and demanding steep ramps. Especially from the No.19 Watchtower, you’ll sweat profusely and struggle to climb the nearly vertical ‘Hero Slope’ to the highest No.20 Watchtower, where you’ll have a visceral understanding of why the Wall is called ‘Great’ when gazing over the whole landscape.

Descending to the foot of the Great Wall, you’ll enjoy a simple lunch we’ve arranged for you in a buffet restaurant, where there are various Chinese stir-fried dishes, pasta, pizza, as well as carbonated drinks and fruits available.

Finally, your guide and driver will escort you back to a place you designate in downtown Beijing or directly back to the Tianjin cruise port for your onward journey. This is the end of your 2 days Beijing tour package from Tianjin cruise port, and thank you for traveling with us! For a more in-depth experience of Beijing, check out our other 3 to 6 days’ private tours covering more attractions like the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Beijing Zoo, and Hutong alleys, or feel free to contact us for a customized trip.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Buffet lunch