Beijing, the Great Wall & the Forbidden City · 6 days
Everyone visits Beijing. The difference is whether you queue at Badaling or walk a quiet stretch at Mutianyu.
Beijing, the Great Wall & the Forbidden City is a private tailor-made route in Beijing, running 6 days, best from Apr–May, Sep–Oct. China Custom Tours (chinacustomtours.hk) arranges a dedicated vehicle and a Cantonese- or Mandarin-speaking guide; the vehicle serves your party only and there are no shopping stops.
- Duration
- 6 days
- Best season
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Region
- Beijing
- Group size
- 4–12, private
- Shopping stops
- None
- Arrival cities
- Any Chinese city with an airport
Beijing, the Great Wall & the Forbidden City private tour
Beijing is the safest first China trip: dense sights, good metro, plentiful hotels. But the crowds are real, so sequencing matters — enter the Forbidden City at opening, choose Mutianyu over Badaling, walk the Temple of Heaven from the south gate. We stagger the timings and include a home-style meal in the hutongs.
| Duration | 6 days |
|---|---|
| Best season | Apr–May, Sep–Oct |
| Region | Beijing |
| Suits | Families, elderly parents, first visits |
| Shopping stops | None |
Last updated 2026-10-13 · maintained by the China Custom Tours editorial desk
How this route runs.
Arrive Beijing
Tiananmen · Forbidden City · Jingshan
Mutianyu Great Wall
Temple of Heaven · hutongs
Summer Palace · Yuanmingyuan
Departure
The full day-by-day detail, including stops, driving times and hotel options, is sent with your personalised itinerary.
What you see along the way.
Real-name booking in advance. We go at opening, before the group tours arrive.
Less crowded and better preserved than Badaling; cable car up and down.
Enter from the south gate and exit north, following the original ritual axis.
Kunming Lake and the Long Corridor, best in the afternoon.
Nanluoguxiang and Shichahai, with a home-style meal in a courtyard.
Itemised, with nothing hidden.
Included
- Private vehicle and driver throughout
- Licensed guide (Cantonese or Mandarin)
- 5 nights hotel accommodation
- Admission and bookings for the Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace
- Fuel, tolls and driver/guide expenses
Not included
- Flights to and from Beijing (bookable on request)
- Meals and personal expenses
- Travel insurance
Questions about Beijing, the Great Wall & the Forbidden City.
How do I get Forbidden City tickets?
The Forbidden City uses real-name booking and tickets are usually released seven days ahead, selling out fast. We book for you on release day. It is closed on Mondays, so the itinerary order adjusts.
Badaling or Mutianyu?
We recommend Mutianyu: fewer people, better preserved, with a cable car and toboggan, and about 2.5 hours each way. Badaling is more famous but extremely crowded — often more than an hour of queuing in peak season.
Is Beijing suitable for elderly parents?
Yes. Distances between sights are short, and we schedule morning starts with an afternoon hotel rest. Wheelchairs can be borrowed at both the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace.
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Rebuild this route around your dates.
Send us your dates and group size — a draft itinerary and a clear price within one working day.