Beijing Private Tours in English

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A Beijing private tour has to cover the iconic attractions only seen in Beijing.

1. The Forbidden City - the largest royal palace in the world;
2. The Temple of Heaven - Royal temple to pray for the harvest; 
3. The Summer Palace - the largest city park in China;
4. The tours are with English-speaking Bejing expert private tour guides.

Tour Itinerary

MORNING

 At 8:00 am we will pick you up from your hotel and drive directly to Tian'anmen Square. The largest open public place globally at 440,000 square meters, Tian'anmen, has long been seen as China's political center. It was from the Gate of Heavenly Peace overlooking the Square wherein 1949 Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China's founding.   
 

After strolling the Square, we will visit the Forbidden City (known in Chinese as Gu Gong), the most famous and popular attraction in China, and probably in all of Asia. It was the principal imperial palace used by the Ming and Qing dynasties. Originally built between 1406 and 1422 by the third Ming emperor Yongle, the palace complex houses 980 buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms. After the last emperor, Puyi, was finally evicted in 1924, and the Palace Museum was established to watch over the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is the most remarkable example of classical Chinese architecture in China.  

After touring the Forbidden City, we will drive to the Temple of Heaven Park, where Ming and Qing emperors worshipped and prayed for a fair and bountiful harvest. The Temple of Heaven is best known for its iconic building, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, with its blue triple-gabled circular roof. According to UNESCO, the temple is "a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design which simply and graphically illustrates a cosmogony of great importance for the evolution of one of the world's great civilizations." 

NOON

We will have a break for a brief lunch by tasting Beijing's local specialties - dumplings, Chinese quesadilla, noodles with stir-fried sources, or Qingfeng baozi (meat buns), a roadside restaurant chain in old Beijing famed for its succulent steamed buns. Chinese President Xi ordered six pork buns and other dishes in this restaurant before. It has dramatically improved the reputation of Qingfeng. Qingfeng, in Chinese, means "celebrating the harvest."

AFTERNOON

After lunch, we will drive to the Summer Palace, which starts as the Garden of Clear Ripples in 1750 (under emperor Qianlong). The Summer Palace has suffered from two significant attacks during the Anglo-French invasion of 1860 and the Bower Rebellion. The Summer Palace is dominated in the center by Lake Kunming, built to imitate Hangzhou's West Lake. The famous spots in the park are Longevity Hill, the Tower of Buddhist Incense, Suzhou Street, an alley of river recreated in imitation of the beautiful Chinese city, and the Marble Boat. The Palace was a present to Dowager Empress Cixi, built with the Chinese navy's funds.  
 

After exploring the Summer Palace, we will drive you back to your hotel.