A comfortable Beijing 5-day itinerary covers the Forbidden City, the Great Wall at Mutianyu, the Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace, and the Lama Temple with the Ming Tombs or 798, then ends with a fifth day at Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town. It suits families and couples who want a second, steeper Great Wall section.
From US$955 per person, based on 2 travellers. Larger groups pay less per person.
| Option | 1 traveller | 2 travellers | 3 travellers | 4 travellers | 5-6 travellers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simatai by day | US$1,800 | US$955 | US$670 | US$530 | US$515 |
| Simatai at night | US$2,030 | US$1,080 | US$765 | US$605 | US$580 |
Prices are in US dollars per person for a private tour (only your group). Groups of 7 or more: ask for a quote. Swap 798 Art District for the Ming Tombs on day 4: add about US$27 per person.
- Duration: 5 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 in the city; Simatai is steep by day and easy by night with the cable car
- Best for: travelers who want two Great Wall sections, a water town evening and time to slow down
Itinerary
Days 1 to 4 follow our 4-day tour, so they are described briefly here. The Forbidden City day never falls on a Monday, when the palace is closed except on public holidays. The main halls at the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace may close on Mondays outside summer, and travelers report Mutianyu is busiest then, so Monday becomes Day 4: the Lama Temple and the Ming Tombs. Times are approximate.
Day 1 — Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Jingshan
Your guide meets you at the hotel after breakfast. Bring your passport for the security checks on Tiananmen Square, then follow the one-way route north from the Golden Water Bridges to the Meridian Gate. Inside, the central route leads past the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the Palace of Heavenly Purity to the Imperial Garden, about three hours in all. Leave by the Gate of Divine Prowess, cross the street into Jingshan Park, and walk about 15 minutes up to Wanchun Pavilion for the view over the palace roofs.
Day 2 — The Great Wall at Mutianyu
About an hour and a half to two hours by car to Mutianyu. After the real-name gate and the shuttle bus, the enclosed cable car lifts you to Tower 14, and you walk as far as you like on the gentler, restored wall you’ll compare with Simatai on Day 5. As of November 2026, the stretch near Tower 20 has reopened after restoration, and work between Towers 16 and 17 may still close a short section.
Day 3 — Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and the hutongs
The Temple of Heaven opens around 6 am, and early on you’ll often see retirees practicing tai chi under the cypresses. See the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the Echo Wall, then drive 40 minutes to an hour to the Summer Palace, where you walk past the Bronze Ox to the Seventeen-Arch Bridge on Kunming Lake. Finish with a stroll through the Shichahai hutongs.
Day 4 — The Lama Temple, then the Ming Tombs or 798
Morning at the Lama Temple, where three sticks of incense are lit in the courtyards and the halls inside stay hushed, with no incense or photography. In the afternoon, choose the Ming Tombs, about an hour’s drive away, for the stone figures of the Sacred Way and Dingling’s cool underground palace, or Wudaoying Hutong and the 798 Art District, a 1950s factory complex turned art district. Many 798 galleries close on Mondays, so that option goes on another day.
Day 5 — Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town
The drive to Gubei Water Town in Miyun District takes about two to two and a half hours. Simatai Great Wall is entered through the water town; the two are scenic areas of one resort. Spend part of the day on the canals and stone lanes of the town, perhaps on a shared boat (CNY 60, about US$9, for the full route), then choose your wall:
- By day: the open stretch runs from East Tower 1 to East Tower 10, along ridges the resort describes as cut by knife and axe, with towers sometimes only a few dozen meters apart. It is the steepest wall on our tours, and day visits end by late afternoon. The day cable car is optional, at CNY 200 (about US$30) return as of November 2026; tell us and we add it to your quote.
- By night: the night ticket comes with the cable car up and down, and you walk the lit stretch between East Towers 5 and 6. From November to April, evening entry runs from 5:30 pm to 8:10 pm Sunday to Thursday, and to 8:40 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, as of November 2026.
After a night visit, the two- to two-and-a-half-hour drive gets you back to your Beijing hotel at roughly 11 pm or later. Or stay over: the hotel night is at your own cost, and we can book a Gubei hotel on request, then plan the drive back with you.
Simatai is free for visitors 60 and over with valid ID, and Gubei Water Town is free from 70, with a reduced price for ages 60 to 69. The rules don’t say whether a foreign passport counts, so we confirm when booking.
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
Two Great Wall sections in one trip
Five days lets you see two very different faces of the Great Wall: restored, gentle Mutianyu and the sharp ridges of Simatai, which the resort describes as preserving its original Ming appearance. On Day 5 your driver waits at Gubei while you walk the wall after dark, then takes you straight back to your hotel. There are no shopping stops, and if Day 5 starts to feel long, you can skip the boat or cut the water town short.
Simatai and Gubei need your ID number at booking, but the timing that matters most is the Forbidden City’s. As of November 2026, Forbidden City tickets go on sale at 8 pm Beijing time seven days before the visit, with no tickets sold on the day, and Tiananmen Square slots open one to seven days ahead, with new dates released daily at noon. We book both with your passport details; our Forbidden City tickets guide explains the system.
The season shapes Day 5. Night entry at Simatai starts at 5:30 pm from November to April and at 6 pm from May to October, and clear, mild autumn is the most comfortable time for the day walk. For more on the fifth day, read our Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town guide, and for trip length, see 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 and choosing Simatai by day or night
- Message us with your dates, the number of travelers and their ages, and whether you’d like Simatai by day or by night.
- 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 your Mutianyu day
Read our Mutianyu Great Wall guide, or compare all private Beijing tours.
Frequently asked questions
Should we see Simatai by day or by night?
By day you can walk the open stretch from East Tower 1 to East Tower 10, which is steep and best for confident walkers. By night the ticket comes with the cable car up and down, and you walk the lit stretch between East Towers 5 and 6, which is far easier and pairs well with an evening in the water town.
Is a hotel at Gubei Water Town included?
No. You can ride back to your Beijing hotel the same night, arriving in the late evening, roughly 11 pm or later, after a night visit. If you would rather stay over, the hotel night is at your own cost. We can book a Gubei hotel on request and plan the drive back with you.
How long is the drive to Gubei Water Town?
About two to two and a half hours each way from central Beijing in normal traffic. That is why Day 5 starts later if you choose the night wall, and earlier if you want to walk Simatai in daylight, since day visits end by late afternoon.
Are there senior discounts at Simatai and Gubei?
Simatai is free for visitors 60 and over with valid ID, and Gubei Water Town is free from 70, with a reduced price for ages 60 to 69. The rules do not say whether foreign passports qualify, so we confirm when booking.
Why can't the Forbidden City be on a Monday?
Because the Palace Museum closes on Mondays except national public holidays, and the main halls at the Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace may close too outside summer. With five days there is room to move things. Travelers report Mutianyu is busiest on Mondays, so a Monday usually goes to the Lama Temple and the Ming Tombs instead.
Do we need to send passport details in advance?
Yes. The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Mutianyu and Gubei all need ID for booking or entry. As of November 2026, Forbidden City tickets open at 8 pm Beijing time seven days before the visit, so we need your details once you confirm.
Is the Simatai cable car included?
The night ticket comes with the return cable car. For a daytime visit the cable car is optional, at CNY 200 (about US$30) return as of November 2026. Tell us if you want it and we add it to your quote.
Facts checked: 5 November 2026. Ticket prices, opening hours and entry rules can change; we re-check before every booking.