- catherinelutours@gmail.com
- +86-18612452188 (Whatsapp/Wechat)
This half-day Summer Palace group tour is for you to explore the timeless beauty of the largest royal garden in China. After meeting your expert local guide, you will have 2 hours to marvel at the magnificent imperial architecture and stunning southern-style landscapes that modeled after the West Lake in Hangzhou. Your guide will bring the rich history and culture to life as you explore the spectacular Kunming Lake, Longevity Hill, Seventeen-arch Bridge, Marble Boat, and many other royal relics.
As a bonus, you can choose to visit the Temple of Heaven before the relaxing time in the Summer Palace for a deeper dive into the imperial life and culture in the Qing Dynasty.
Led by a professional local guide who will provide an in-depth explanations on the architecture, history and culture significance of the Summer Palace.
Our meticulously planned itinerary will ensure you enjoy the core and most magnificent sights of this royal garden in a limited time.
Uncover the Summer Palace's seamless blend of delicate Southern Chinese garden charms and magnificent Northern imperial landscaping.
Flexibility to add the Temple of Heaven to your itinerary for a complete and profound Beijing royal culture experience.
Welcome to join this Beijing Summer Palace tour to see the world's top garden art that was included in the UNESCO World Heritage site. Your guide will be ready to welcome you at the east gate of the Summer Palace at 15:30 by holding a sign with “Catherine Lu Tours” logo on it.
It is advised to plan to arrive about 10-20 minutes in advance to allow for any potential delays.
How to Get to the Meeting Point:
By taxi: Please show the driver “请带我去颐和园东宫门” (Please take me to the east gate of the Summer Palace). You can also hail a car with Didi App by confirming your pickup location and entering your destination (颐和园东宫门).
By Subway: Take subway line 4 and get off at Xiyuan Station (西苑地铁站). Exit from exit B, walk west for about 897 meters (around 13 minutes).
After meeting up, follow your guide to discover the comprehensive design philosophy of this largest and best preserved royal garden in China. Get ready to be wowed by a series of natural, architectural, and cultural wonders while your guide introduce you to the classic landmarks, royal relics, and seasonal scenery.
Inspired by the layout of West Lake in Hangzhou, the Summer Palace was built around Kunming Lake (making up 3/4 of the park's area) and Longevity Hill (a 58-meter-tall part of the Yanshan mountains), showing a natural feel of a southern waterscape. For example, its West Causeway was modeled after Hangzhou's Su Causeway, and the Garden of Harmonious Interests (Xiequyuan) was modeled after the Jichang Garden in Wuxi.
Nestled among the beautiful mountain and water scenes are a magnificent collection of ancient Chinese architecture. Some of the most iconic landmarks and relics include:
Tower of Buddhist Incense (佛香阁): The symbol of the garden, offers a great viewpoint for the entire Kunming Lake.
The Long Corridor: A 728-meter-long corridor with intricate and exquisite paintings telling stories from classic novels on it.
Seventeen-Arch Bridge: A stone 17-arched bridge featuring over 500 stone lions of various shapes.
The Marble Boat (Qingyanfang): Carved from a huge stone, the Marble Boat shows a fusion of Chinese and Western, with Chinese-style carvings and colored glass at the upper deck.
Hall of Joyful Longevity (Leshoutang): It was Empress Cixi's private residence.
Garden of Virtue and Harmony (Deheyuan): The place where Empress Cixi watch Beijing opera. As one of the three largest of its kind in China, the Grand Theater building offers visitors a glimpse into the luxury of royal entertainment.
Besides the iconic landmarks, visiting the garden in different seasons will reward you with different stunning scenery, like the peach blossoms in spring, lotus flowers in summer, red leaves in autumn, and ice skating in winter.
After the 2-hour visit in the Summer Palace, enjoy more free time here or ask your guide for more nightlife ideas in Beijing.
If you prefer, it is a good idea to pay a visit to the Temple of Heaven before visiting the Summer Palace. It is where emperors performed rituals to worship Heaven and pray for a good harvest in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Today, all its main buildings, such as Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Circular Mound Altar and the Imperial Vault of Heaven are still well preserved. The surrounding area has became a beautiful park where you can look into locals’ leisure life.
The fee for the Temple of Heaven visit is US$30 per person, including the tour guide, transportation from the Temple of Heaven to the Summer Palace, and entrance fee of Temple of Heaven.
Excellent English/Spanish/German/French/Italian-speaking tour guide according to your options;
A bottle of water per person;
Entrance ticekts to the sight;
Transportation (Private or Urber) according to your options between the Summer Palace and the optional sight.
Hotel pick-up and drop-off service;
Meals;
Gratuities to the tour guide if you think we did a great job;
Any item or servie not mentioned in the itinerary.
Please bring your passport, as you may be denied entry to the Summer Palace without it.
Smoking, pets (except for assistance dogs), alcohol, drugs, feeding animals, and fireworks are not allowed in the garden.
Please wear comfortable shoes.
The tour operates in all weather conditions, please dress according to the weather.
If you'd like a tour guide in a different language than English, please book at least three days ahead.
Tel: +86-18612452188 ,
WhatsApp: 86 18612452188
Email:catherinelutours@gmail.com
