A good Beijing 4-day itinerary gives one day each to the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the imperial parks, then a fourth day for the Lama Temple plus either the Ming Tombs or an afternoon in the hutongs and the 798 Art District. Our private version runs it at an easy pace, with your own guide and car.
From US$725 per person, based on 2 travellers. Larger groups pay less per person.
| Option | 1 traveller | 2 travellers | 3 travellers | 4 travellers | 5-6 travellers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 4: 798 Art District | US$1,370 | US$725 | US$510 | US$400 | US$385 |
| Day 4: Ming Tombs | US$1,395 | US$750 | US$535 | US$430 | US$415 |
Prices are in US dollars per person for a private tour (only your group). Groups of 7 or more: ask for a quote.
- Duration: 4 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; plenty of walking on flat stone, with a cable car at the Great Wall
- Best for: first-time visitors who want breathing room, families, couples who like history and art
Itinerary
Days 1 to 3 are the same as on our 3-day tour, ordered so the Forbidden City, which closes on Mondays except public holidays, never lands on a Monday. The main halls at the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace may close on Mondays outside summer too, and travelers report Mutianyu is at its busiest on Mondays. So a Monday in your trip becomes Day 4: the Lama Temple, which opens on Mondays, then the Ming Tombs. Times are approximate.
Day 1 — Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Jingshan
After breakfast your guide meets you at the hotel and your driver drops you near the square’s security points. Have your passport ready for the checks, and leave lighters behind. You cross Tiananmen Square, then follow the one-way route north from the Golden Water Bridges, under Tiananmen Gate, to the Meridian Gate. Inside the Forbidden City your guide takes the central route through the Hall of Supreme Harmony and its two sister halls, on to the Palace of Heavenly Purity and out through the Imperial Garden. Built between 1406 and 1420, it was home to 24 emperors. Plan on about three hours. You leave by the north gate, the Gate of Divine Prowess, and after lunch climb Jingshan, about 15 minutes up to Wanchun Pavilion, for the classic view back over the palace roofs.
Day 2 — The Great Wall at Mutianyu
About an hour and a half to two hours by car to Mutianyu, with your passport for the real-name gate. A shuttle bus takes you up to the lifts, and the enclosed cable car lands at Tower 14. Walk as far as you like along the battlements; look for Zhengguantai, where three watchtowers share one platform. As of November 2026 the stretch near Tower 20 at the top has reopened after restoration, work between Towers 16 and 17 may still divert you, and we plan your walk around it. You have lunch near the wall and are back in the city by late afternoon.
Day 3 — Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and the hutongs
Early at the Temple of Heaven, which opens around 6 am; in the first hours you’ll often see local retirees under the cypresses practicing tai chi, kicking shuttlecocks and singing. See the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, walk the Danbi Bridge, and try whispering along the Echo Wall. Then about 40 minutes to an hour by car to the Summer Palace for the Long Corridor, the Marble Boat and Kunming Lake; boats run from spring into early November, and as of November 2026 the season has ended. End the day strolling the Shichahai hutongs around Houhai Lake.
Day 4 — The Lama Temple, then the Ming Tombs or 798
Begin at the Lama Temple (Yonghegong) when it opens at 9 am. The custom is three sticks of incense, lit in the courtyards; inside the halls there is no incense and no photography, so they stay hushed. Then choose your afternoon:
- The Ming Tombs: about an hour’s drive to Changping District. Walk the Sacred Way between 18 pairs of stone lions, camels, elephants, horses and officials carved in 1435. Go down into Dingling’s underground palace, the only Ming tomb ever formally excavated, in 1956; bring a jacket, as it’s cool and damp below. At Changling, the Ling’en Hall is built on the scale of the Forbidden City’s Hall of Supreme Harmony, its roof held up by single-trunk nanmu columns more than a meter across.
- Hutong and 798: walk out of the temple into Wudaoying Hutong, a 632 m lane named after a Ming garrison and now a creative street. Then drive to the 798 Art District, a 1950s factory complex built with Soviet aid and East German design, now home to galleries, a graffiti street and the red “798” logo wall. Entry to the district is free, and some venues charge. Many galleries close on Mondays, so this option goes on another day of the week.
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
What the fourth day adds
Days 1 to 3 are the standard highlights; Day 4 is your choice between the Ming emperors’ burial valley and Beijing’s galleries. With your own car, the Ming Tombs are a simple half-day, and your driver takes you straight from the Lama Temple to 798. Your guide sets the pace to the slowest walker. There are no shopping stops, and on Day 4 you can stay longer at the Lama Temple and cut the afternoon short if you’d rather.
Day 4 needs little advance booking: the Lama Temple sells tickets on site, and as of November 2026 Ming Tombs tickets are bought online in advance under your real name, which we do for you once you confirm. Day 1 takes the most planning. As of November 2026, Forbidden City tickets go on sale at 8 pm Beijing time seven days before your visit, and the museum sells none on the day. Tiananmen Square slots open one to seven days ahead, with new dates released daily at noon. Send us your passport details as soon as you confirm and we book both; our Forbidden City tickets guide has the details.
In autumn the hills at Mutianyu turn red and the ginkgo avenues in parks such as Ditan go gold; spring is bright and sometimes windy, and July and August are the hot, wet months. Winter is dry and cold, and Dingling’s underground palace is cool even in summer. For where to base yourself, see where to stay in Beijing, and for more on choosing a trip length, read how many days to spend in Beijing.
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.
Booking: tell us which Day 4 you want
- Message us with your dates, the number of travelers and their ages, and which Day 4 afternoon appeals to you.
- 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.
Our how to book page explains each step in more detail.
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 ways to see Beijing
Read our Mutianyu Great Wall guide, or compare all private Beijing tours.
Frequently asked questions
What does the fourth day add?
Day 4 starts at the Lama Temple, then you choose the afternoon: the Ming Tombs, with the Sacred Way and Dingling's underground palace, or Wudaoying Hutong and the 798 Art District. Days 1 to 3 follow our classic plan of the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the imperial parks.
Ming Tombs or 798: which should we choose?
Choose the Ming Tombs if you enjoy imperial history and stone carving; the Sacred Way and the underground palace pair well with the Forbidden City. Choose 798 if you like contemporary art, design and photography in a 1950s factory setting. Many 798 galleries close on Mondays, so we plan that option for another day.
How do Monday closures affect the plan?
The Forbidden City closes on Mondays except on public holidays, and the main halls at the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace may close on Mondays outside summer. Travelers also report Mutianyu is busiest on Mondays. So a Monday becomes your Lama Temple and Ming Tombs day, and you lose no sightseeing.
When are Forbidden City tickets booked?
As of November 2026, Forbidden City 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, so we book both with your passport details once you confirm. The Lama Temple sells tickets on site, and we book the Ming Tombs' online tickets for you.
Is the Ming Tombs visit hard on the legs?
Not especially. The Sacred Way is a level stroll, and Dingling has stairs down into the underground palace and back up. Bring a jacket, because it is cool and damp below ground. Your guide can shorten the visit to the key tombs if you prefer.
Can you book our hotel too?
Hotels are not included in the tour, but we can book them for you on request. Staying in central Beijing, within the 4th Ring Road, means hotel pick-up and drop-off are included every touring day.
Can we do the Lama Temple on a different day?
Yes. The Lama Temple has no weekly closing day listed, so it can move to fit your plan. We arrange the order around reservations, closures and your pace, and you can always ask for a slower morning or a longer lunch.
Facts checked: 5 November 2026. Ticket prices, opening hours and entry rules can change; we re-check before every booking.