Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City & Temple of Heaven Group Tour

Meet at the Grand Hotel Beijing（北京贵宾楼饭店) at 8:00 AM

Welcome to join our Beijing day tour to Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven.

Your guide will meet you at the archway in front of the Grand Hotel Beijing (北京贵宾楼饭店拱门处) at 8:00 AM this morning.  

Good to know:

• Please arrivat at the point 10 minutes in advance to find the tour guide holding a sign with “ Catherine Lu Tours” logo on it.

How to Get to the Meeting Point:

• By taxi: If you take a taxi, please show the driver “请带我去北京贵宾楼饭店”. You can also hail a car with Didi App by confirming your pickup location and entering your destination (北京贵宾楼饭店入口).

• By subway: Take subway line 1 and get off at Wangfujing Station. Use Exit C1 walk east along East Chang'an Avenue for approximately 400 meters.

Guided Tour at Tiananmen Square (about 1 hour)

After meeting up, your guide will accompany you to walk to the Tiananmen Square to start your Beijing cultural exploration tour today. Once a courtyard in front of the Forbidden City's main gate in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the square now boasts the largest public urban square in the world, serving as an important venue for major celebrations and ceremonies.

Here, your knowledgeable guide will share with you stories and history of many iconic landmarks.

Surrounding the square, you will see the National Museum to the east, the Great Hall of the People to the west, the Monument to the People's Heroes in the center, and the Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall to the south.

Standing to the north of Tiananmen Square is the monumental Tiananmen (aka the Gate of Heavenly Peace), which is recognized as a national symbol of China.

Note:

• Please bring your original passport for the security check at Tiananmen Square. You'll need to account for some waiting time during this process.

• You will use the Travel Agency Pass to enter the square quickly.

Cultural Exploration at the Forbidden City (about 2-2.5 hours)

From the Tiananmen Gate, you can walk north, passing over the Golden Water Bridge, untile you arrive at the Meridian Gate (aka Wu Men) which searves as the main entrance of Forbidden City (aka the Palace Museum).

As the living place for emperors in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Forbidden City is largest and best-preserved imperial palace in the world, boasting over 70 palaces and 8,707 rooms. It is an unmissable place to look into emperors' life and royal culture in ancient China.

For an efficient visit, we will focus on the most iconic places and buliding complexes in both Outer Court and Inner Court.

The Outer Court is centered on the "three great halls", namely Taihe Dian (Hall of Supreme Harmony), Zhonghe Dian (Hall of Central Harmony), Baohe Dian (Hall of Preserving Harmony), which mainly served as venues and stages for majjor state ceremonies.

The Inner Court was the living quarters for the emperors and his family. The three main back palaces in the Inner Court include Qianqing Gong (Palace of Heavenly Purity), Jiaotai Dian (Hall of Union and Peace), and Kunning Gong (Palace of Earthly Tranquility).

Beyond that, other key sights worth your visit include Imperial Garden (御花园), the unique watchtowers (角楼), etc.

Your guide's in-depth introduction to the architecture features and stories about the royal family will further enrich your understanding about this cultural window of China's emperor culture and history.

Temple of Heaven (about 1 hour' guided tour)

After about 30 minutes of driving time, you will reach the Temple of Heaven. In the Ming and Wing Dynasty, emperors performed rituals to worship Heaven and pray for a good harvest here. Now, it is not only a beautiful park rich in local life but also a unique place to experience the deep connection between imperial power and religion in ancient times.

Main buildings in the Temple of Heaven, such as Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Circular Mound Altar and the Imperial Vault of Heaven, are dominated by circular and square shapes. This is a tribute to the ancient belief that "Heaven is round and Earth is square."

To appreciate these buildings up close, you will can't help to be attracted by their exquisite wood carvings, vibrant paintings, and unique structural designs. These are testaments to the charm of ancient Chinese architecture.

After your leisure visit at the Temple of Heaven, your one-day Beijing tour comes to the end. The rest of the day is free for you to get back to your hotel or visit more highlights of Beijing yourself. Feel free to ask your guide for some insider's advise.