Our Beijing 3-day tour is a private trip with your own guide and car. Day one is Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Jingshan; day two, the Great Wall at Mutianyu by cable car; day three, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and a hutong walk. It suits first-time visitors, couples and families with grandparents.
From US$565 per person, based on 2 travellers. Larger groups pay less per person.
| 1 traveller | 2 travellers | 3 travellers | 4 travellers | 5-6 travellers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US$1,055 | US$565 | US$400 | US$320 | US$310 |
Prices are in US dollars per person for a private tour (only your group). Groups of 7 or more: ask for a quote.
- Duration: 3 full touring days, hotel to hotel
- Group: private, just your group with your own guide and driver
- Pick-up: your hotel in central Beijing (within the 4th Ring Road)
- Walking level: easy to moderate; long walks on flat stone, and the cable car does the climbing at the Great Wall
- Best for: first visits to Beijing, families, travelers in their 60s and 70s
Itinerary
The Forbidden City closes on Mondays except on public holidays, so we arrange the days so it doesn’t fall on a Monday. The main halls at the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace may also close on Mondays outside summer. Travelers report that Mutianyu is at its busiest on Mondays, when the city museums are shut, so we keep the Great Wall off Mondays. If a Monday falls in your three days, it becomes the park-and-hutong day: the grounds of both parks stay open, and your guide plans the walk around any hall that is closed. Times are approximate.
Day 1 — Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Jingshan
Your guide meets you in the hotel lobby after breakfast. Bring your passport for the checks, and leave lighters at the hotel, since they aren’t allowed on the square. Tiananmen Square is 880 m long, with the National Museum on its east side and the Great Hall of the People on its west. From the Golden Water Bridges, a one-way route leads north under Tiananmen Gate to the Meridian Gate, the only visitor entrance to the Forbidden City.
Inside, your guide follows the palace’s central route: the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony, then the Palace of Heavenly Purity and the inner courtyards, ending in the Imperial Garden. Fourteen Ming and ten Qing emperors lived here over five centuries. Allow about three hours, more if you add the Treasure Gallery. You leave by the Gate of Divine Prowess, and after a late lunch you cross the street into Jingshan Park. A walk of about 15 minutes brings you to Wanchun Pavilion, the highest point on Beijing’s central axis, with the golden roofs you just walked through spread out below you to the south. You’re back at your hotel by late afternoon.
Day 2 — The Great Wall at Mutianyu
An early start, then about an hour and a half to two hours north by car to Mutianyu in Huairou District. Mutianyu uses real-name entry, so you show the passport we booked with at the gate. A shuttle bus runs up the valley to the lifts, and the enclosed cable car carries you to Tower 14, at about 640 m. From there you walk as far as you like on one of the best-preserved Ming sections near Beijing, with battlements on both sides of the wall and, at Zhengguantai, three watchtowers standing together on one platform. Restoration work affected two short stretches in 2026: the one from just above Tower 19 up to Tower 20 reopened on 25 October 2026, and the work between Towers 16 and 17 had no completion notice as of November 2026, so your guide plans the walk around whatever is open. Lunch is near the wall; you’re back by late afternoon.
Day 3 — Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and the hutongs
Start early at the Temple of Heaven. The park opens around 6 am, and in the first hours you’ll often see retired Beijingers practicing tai chi, kicking shuttlecocks and singing in small choirs under the old cypresses. Your guide walks you from the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, whose 28 great columns stand for the seasons, the months, the hours of the day and the 24 solar terms, along the raised Danbi Bridge to the Echo Wall and the Circular Mound Altar.
Next comes the Summer Palace, about 40 minutes to an hour across the city by car. Walk the Long Corridor and look for painted scenes from Journey to the West, and look across Kunming Lake to the Seventeen-Arch Bridge. Boats cross the lake from spring into early November, and as of November 2026 the season has ended; in winter the lake freezes over.
Late in the afternoon you finish in the hutongs around Shichahai. The lanes are free to walk: stroll Yandai Xiejie toward Houhai Lake and listen for the drums from the square below the Drum Tower. Your driver then takes you back to your hotel, or drops you at a dinner spot nearby.
What’s included
- Private car or van with driver for your group on all touring days
- English-speaking guide on all touring days
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off in central Beijing
- Entrance tickets and reservations for the sights in the itinerary
- Mutianyu shuttle bus and cable car or chairlift
Not included
- Hotels (we can book them for you on request)
- Lunches and dinners
- International and domestic flights
- Personal expenses and tips
Why three days works, and what to book early
The car matters most on Day 3, when the drive from the Temple of Heaven to the Summer Palace alone is 40 minutes to an hour, and Shichahai still comes after that, with no subway changes in between. The Forbidden City has no car park of its own, so your driver plans drop-off and pick-up points around your route. There are no shopping stops, and if the Forbidden City morning runs long, you can drop Jingshan or take a longer lunch instead.
Real-name reservations are the one thing to sort out early. As of November 2026, Forbidden City tickets go on sale at 8 pm Beijing time seven days before the visit date, and the museum sells no tickets on the day itself. Tiananmen Square slots open one to seven days ahead, with new dates added daily at noon. We book both with each traveler’s passport details, so please send them as soon as you confirm. Our Forbidden City tickets guide explains how the system works.
Autumn brings clear, mild days and red leaves on the hills around Mutianyu. Spring is bright and can be windy. July and August are hot and the wettest months, and winter is dry and cold, with snow on the ramparts some days. If you can spare a fourth day, our Beijing 4-day private tour adds the Lama Temple and either the Ming Tombs or the 798 Art District, and how many days to spend in Beijing compares the options.
Tell us your dates, group size and what you would like to see. We reply with a day-by-day plan and a written quote.
What to send us for a 3-day plan
- Message us with your dates, the number of travelers and their ages, and your hotel or preferred area.
- We send a written day-by-day plan and a quote.
- You confirm in writing; payment details are in your booking agreement. We then book your reservations with your passport details.
The full process is on our how to book page.
Tell us your dates, group size and what you would like to see. We reply with a day-by-day plan and a written quote.
More on Mutianyu, and other tour lengths
Read our Mutianyu Great Wall guide for more on the wall and its seasons, or compare all private Beijing tours.
Frequently asked questions
Is three days enough for Beijing?
Three days covers the essentials: the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, a full day on the Great Wall, and the Temple of Heaven with the Summer Palace. With a fourth day you can add the Lama Temple and the Ming Tombs or the 798 Art District at a gentler pace.
Why can't the Forbidden City be on a Monday?
The Palace Museum closes on Mondays except on national public holidays, and the main halls at the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace may also close on Mondays outside summer. Travelers report Mutianyu is busiest on Mondays, so if a Monday falls in your trip we make it the park-and-hutong day, with the grounds open and the walk planned around any closed hall.
When do you book the Forbidden City tickets?
As of November 2026, tickets go on sale at 8 pm Beijing time seven days before the visit date, and none are sold on the day. Tiananmen Square slots open one to seven days ahead. We book both with your passport details, so send them as soon as you confirm.
Do we need our passports on the tour?
You do. The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and Mutianyu all check real-name bookings, and the passport you show has to be the same original one we booked with, so keep it on you every touring day rather than in the hotel safe.
Is this tour suitable for seniors?
The cable car at Mutianyu does the climbing, and the city days are long but mostly on flat stone, with breaks whenever you want them. Mutianyu advises against the cable car for people with heart disease or high blood pressure, so tell us about any health concerns. If someone feels unwell, your guide can contact a clinic or hospital for you and translate.
Can we change the order or swap a sight?
Yes. We plan the order around reservation slots, Monday closures and your pace, and you can skip a sight or take a longer break on the day. Tell us your interests when you message us and we will adjust the written plan before you confirm.
Are hotels and meals included?
Neither is included, but we can book hotels for you on request. Your guide suggests places to eat near each sight, and your driver can drop you at a restaurant at the end of the day.
Facts checked: 5 November 2026. Ticket prices, opening hours and entry rules can change; we re-check before every booking.