2 Days Beijing World Heritage Tour with Forbidden City & Mutianyu Great Wall

Nihao! Welcome to Beijing, the capital city of China! Toady, your tour guide and driver will meet you at your hotel in downtown Beijing. Then, you will spend the whole day exploring the ancient citadel Beijing through China’s famous landmarks, epic imperial grandeur and royal gardens.

You will head to Tian’anmen Square first, which is the world’s largest public square and also the symbol of China. It has witnessed many big events in China over the past decades and from here you can take good pictures of Tiananmen Gate showing on CCTV News every day.

Walk across the square and you will visit the might and splendor of the awe-inspiring Forbidden City (World Heritage), the world’s largest palace complex and one-time home to 24 emperors of China. With about 500 years’ history, Forbidden City served as the political and ritual center of China during the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. With over 8,728 rooms, the Forbidden City is not only China’s largest and best-preserved collection of ancient buildings, but also a city within the city, like the Vatican in Rome. Enter through Meridian Gate and visit along the central axis to ensure you won’t miss any highlighted palaces. You can admire its brilliant architecture and numerous ancient art treasures while listening to your guide and learning more about the emperors’ stories hidden inside the Imperial Palace. Later, take another 15-minute walk up to Jingshan Park, where you can have a magnificent panorama of modern Beijing and princely views over the russet roofs of the Forbidden City.

In this afternoon, drive to the “Museum of Royal Garden” - Summer Palace (World Heritage), which used to be the resort for royal families to flee summer heat. The grounds, temples, gardens, pavilions, lakes, bridges, gate-towers, and corridors are a marvel of landscaping. Enjoy the leisure walk and take your time to appreciate the imperial architectures, hilltop views, and beautiful lakes, which offer a pastoral escape into the landscapes of traditional Chinese painting.

This morning you will head to Temple of Heaven (World Heritage). The Temple of Heaven is much bigger than the Forbidden City and smaller than the Summer Palace. As a Taoist temple, it is also known for its rigorous symbolic layout, peculiar structure, and magnificent decoration. It used to be a place to offer sacrifice to Heaven by 22 Chinese emperors twice a year for good harvests. You can learn more about the grand praying ceremony there, as well as observe the amazing designs such as the Echo Wall and the Triple Sound Stones. Nowadays, it is also a park for local people to do morning exercise and you are welcome to join them.

Then, you will head to the Mutianyu Great Wall (World Heritage), about 1.5-2 hours’ drive, 73km. The Great Wall boasts a history over 2,000 years and stretches more than 3,000 miles across several provinces of northern China, making it one of the most impressive ancient masterpieces on the planet. The Great Wall at Mutianyu is connected with the Jiankou Great Wall in the west and the Gubeikou Great Wall in the east. Mutianyu is the longest and best fully-restored Great Wall with fewer tourists and is also famed for its 23 Ming-era watchtowers and stunning views. Take the cable car up to the 14th watchtower and then enjoy the memorable hiking time on the wall while visiting its western route. With the green pines and cypresses covering the surrounding area, and the winding wall standing majestically on the vast land, you will capture the most stunning natural scenery in this section. Challenge yourselves while climbing up to the 20th watchtower where you could fulfill your Great Wall dream. Cherish the chance and take photos as many as you like!

After the once-in-lifetime experience, head back to downtown Beijing and have the chance to take photos with the exterior of the Bird's Nest (Beijing National Stadium) and Water Cube (Beijing National Aquatics Center). They were both designed for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and used for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

After that, it is time to end your 2-Day Beijing tour. Your guide will escorts you to your hotel and have a good rest tonight. Thank you for choosing Asia Odyssey Travel for your China tour, and we are always here working for you and hope to see you again for your next trip to China/Asia!