The Summer Palace is Beijing’s great imperial garden: Longevity Hill, the painted Long Corridor and Kunming Lake, in the city’s northwest. As of November 2026 the off-peak entrance ticket is CNY 20 (about US$3) and the through ticket CNY 50 (about US$7), booked 1 to 7 days ahead with your passport. Plan on half a day.
- Tickets: off-peak (1 November–31 March) entrance CNY 20 (about US$3), through ticket CNY 50 (about US$7), as of November 2026
- Reservation: 1–7 days ahead on the park’s WeChat account, with your passport; also sold at the gate window
- Park hours (off-peak): 6:30–19:00, last entry 18:00
- Mondays: the park and lake are open; four ticketed sites inside close
- Time needed: half a day
- Getting there: Metro Line 4, Beigongmen station (North Palace Gate)
From the East Palace Gate to the lakeshore
Walk in from the East Palace Gate, pass through the palace courtyards, and the view suddenly opens onto Kunming Lake: a wide sheet of water, the Seventeen-Arch Bridge reaching out to South Lake Island, and Longevity Hill rising behind you, with the Tower of Buddhist Incense on its slope.
The garden began in 1750 as the Qingyi Garden. After it was destroyed in 1860 it was rebuilt in the 1880s and renamed the Summer Palace, and it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. It falls into three parts: the palace area by the East Palace Gate, the Longevity Hill area, and the Kunming Lake area.
What you’ll see
- The Long Corridor: a covered walkway along the north shore, billed as the world’s longest painted gallery. Visitors like to hunt for scenes from Journey to the West among the paintings, which keeps children busy the whole way.
- Tower of Buddhist Incense: the tower on the slope of Longevity Hill, with views over the lake. It is a climb, so take it slowly or enjoy it from the shore.
- Marble Boat: the imperial stone boat on the lakeshore, and one end of the boat route to South Lake Island.
- Seventeen-Arch Bridge and the Bronze Ox: the long bridge out to South Lake Island, and the bronze ox that watches over the water.
- Garden of Virtue and Harmony and the Summer Palace Museum: two of the ticketed “gardens within the garden” near the palace area.
- Suzhou Street and the Garden of Harmonious Interests: near the North Palace Gate, a good place to finish your walk.
Tickets (as of November 2026)
| Ticket | Off-peak (Nov–Mar) | Peak (Apr–Oct) |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance | CNY 20 (about US$3) | CNY 30 (about US$4.50) |
| Concession entrance | CNY 10 | CNY 15 |
| Through ticket | CNY 50 (about US$7) | CNY 60 (about US$9) |
The through ticket covers the entrance plus the four “gardens within the garden”. Sold separately, Beijing’s tourism portal lists them as the Tower of Buddhist Incense CNY 10, the Garden of Virtue and Harmony CNY 5, the Summer Palace Museum CNY 20 and Suzhou Street CNY 10, with concessions at half price. If you plan to climb to the tower and see at least two of the others, the through ticket is the simpler choice.
Seniors 60 and over: visitors 60 and over often get free or reduced entry to Beijing’s city parks with their passport. Beijing media reported in late 2025 that this applies to the Summer Palace main entrance ticket, but the official listing does not confirm it for foreign visitors, and it may not cover the gardens within the garden. Bring your passport anyway and ask at the gate.
How to book
- Book 1 to 7 days ahead on the Summer Palace’s WeChat official account, in each visitor’s name with their passport.
- Arrive at your selected time with the same passport.
- Tickets are also sold at the comprehensive service window at the gate, and same-day tickets are possible if capacity remains.
On our private tours we book the through tickets listed as included, using your passport details, and plan your route around them.
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.
Opening hours and Mondays
| What | Off-peak (Nov–Mar) | Peak (Apr–Oct) |
|---|---|---|
| Park gates | 6:30–19:00, last entry 18:00 | 6:00–20:00, last entry 19:00 |
| Ticketed sites | entry 8:30–16:30, close 17:00 | entry 8:00–17:30, close 18:00 |
The Summer Palace does not close on Mondays. The park and the lake are open every day. What changes on Mondays is that four ticketed sites close: the Tower of Buddhist Incense, the Garden of Virtue and Harmony, the Summer Palace Museum and Suzhou Street, except on major holidays. In summer 2026 they opened on Mondays until 31 August. A Monday visit still gives you the Long Corridor, the Marble Boat, the Seventeen-Arch Bridge and the whole lakeshore.
The boat ride on Kunming Lake
Painted replica boats run between the Marble Boat and South Lake Island, and other routes pass the Bronze Ox and the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, with Longevity Hill reflected in the water behind you. In 2026 the boats started on 14 March, after the ice melted, with 19 piers, 11 routes and 286 electric and painted boats. In season they run daily from 8:30 to 17:30, and ticket sales for the small boats stop at 16:30.
- Season: boats run from spring into early November, weather permitting. As of November 2026 they have stopped for the winter; they usually return around mid-March once the ice melts, and the park announces the exact date each spring.
- Tickets: buy at the pier with cash, WeChat or UnionPay. Fares are not included in the through ticket.
- Self-drive boats: some travelers hire a small self-drive electric boat for their family, which goes back to the pier where it started.
Routes, easy walking and getting there
Two good routes
Palace and hill: enter at the East Palace Gate, see the palace courtyards and the Garden of Virtue and Harmony, walk the Long Corridor to the Marble Boat, climb to the Tower of Buddhist Incense, then cross over to Suzhou Street and the Garden of Harmonious Interests and leave by the North Palace Gate. With a private car, your driver drops you at one gate and waits at the other, so you never walk back the way you came.
Lake first: Beijing’s tourism portal suggests starting at the New Palace Gate, walking past the Bronze Ox to the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, taking a boat from South Lake Island to the Marble Boat, then following the Long Corridor to the Tower of Buddhist Incense, the Garden of Harmonious Interests and Suzhou Street, and leaving by the North Palace Gate. While the boats are stopped for winter, walk back over the Seventeen-Arch Bridge and along the east shore to the start of the Long Corridor instead.
For easy walking
The climb up Longevity Hill to the Tower of Buddhist Incense is optional, and it is fine to skip it and enjoy the view of it from the water. Travelers with grandparents often start at the North Ruyi Gate (北如意门), not to be confused with the North Palace Gate, where the visit begins with a climb over Longevity Hill. From the North Ruyi Gate a gentle route follows the Long Corridor and the lakeshore to the Seventeen-Arch Bridge and leaves by the New Palace Gate, in about three to four hours without doubling back. The two gates are far apart, so on a private tour your driver meets you at the far end. Beijing Daily reported in October 2026 that free wheelchairs can be borrowed at the East Palace Gate visitor service center, each with a hand-drawn card of step-free paths. Our Beijing for seniors and families guide has more ideas.
Getting there
Metro Line 4 to Beigongmen station brings you to the North Palace Gate, and travelers use Xiyuan station, on Lines 4 and 16, for the East Palace Gate; the Xijiao tram line also serves the area. By car it is about 40 minutes to an hour from central Beijing in normal traffic. The Old Summer Palace ruins are also on Line 4, at Yuanmingyuan Park station, if you want to pair the two.
The Summer Palace on our tours
The Summer Palace is the afternoon half of our Beijing classic day tour, after the Temple of Heaven in the morning, and it fits into the 3-day private Beijing tour too. You travel in a private car or van with a driver, just your group, with an English-speaking guide who can tell the stories behind the corridor paintings. There are no shopping stops, and you can change the pace, take a break by the water or skip the climb whenever you like. For more ideas across the city, see our list of things to do 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.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Summer Palace ticket?
As of November 2026, in the off-peak season (1 November to 31 March), the entrance ticket costs CNY 20 (about US$3) and the through ticket CNY 50 (about US$7). From April to October they cost CNY 30 and CNY 60. The through ticket adds the four gardens within the garden.
Is the Summer Palace closed on Mondays?
No. The park and Kunming Lake are open every day. On Mondays four ticketed sites close, except on major holidays: the Tower of Buddhist Incense, the Garden of Virtue and Harmony, the Summer Palace Museum and Suzhou Street. In summer 2026 they opened on Mondays until 31 August.
How do I book Summer Palace tickets as a foreigner?
Book 1 to 7 days ahead on the Summer Palace's WeChat official account, using your passport, and arrive at your selected time with the same passport. Tickets are also sold at the comprehensive service window at the gate, and same-day tickets are possible if capacity remains.
Do seniors get free entry to the Summer Palace?
Visitors 60 and over often get free or reduced entry to Beijing's city parks with their passport, and Beijing media reported in late 2025 that this includes the Summer Palace main entrance. The official listing does not confirm it for foreign visitors, so bring your passport and ask at the gate whether any concession applies.
When can you take a boat on Kunming Lake?
Boats run from spring into early November, weather permitting. In 2026 they started on 14 March and had stopped for the winter by early November; they usually return around mid-March. In season they operate daily from 8:30 to 17:30, and small-boat ticket sales stop at 16:30. Buy at the pier with cash, WeChat or UnionPay.
How long do you need at the Summer Palace?
Plan on half a day. That gives you time for the palace courtyards, the Long Corridor, the Marble Boat and either the climb to the Tower of Buddhist Incense or, from spring to early November, a boat across Kunming Lake to South Lake Island and the Seventeen-Arch Bridge.
How do I get to the Summer Palace?
Take Metro Line 4 to Beigongmen station for the North Palace Gate; Line 16 and the Xijiao tram line also serve the area. By car it is about 40 minutes to an hour from central Beijing in normal traffic. The Old Summer Palace is also on Line 4.
Facts checked: 5 November 2026. Ticket prices, opening hours and entry rules can change; we re-check before every booking.