8 Hours Ultimate Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall Layover Tour

5.0 (26 reviews) 8–10 hours Free cancellation Private tour

out of 5

26 reviews

5.0

Beijing Layover Tour — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Tiannamen Square — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Don’t stuck your Beijing layover inside the airport; make the best use of your travel time in China and tailor-made a flexible sightseeing tour instead. This private layover tour is customized to your needs and allows you to see the Mutianyu Great Wall, Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square if time permit based on your layover time. Hotel/Airport pick-up and drop-off services are included.

Note: Making such trips possible,your layover time has to be at least 13 hours or longer (between two flights); alternative plan of visit at Tiananmen Square, Jingshan park to let you get bird's eye view to the whole Forbidden City in case that the Forbidden City would be fully booked.

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At a glance

Duration: 8–10 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Written guide: German, Italian, French, Spanish
Guide: Chinese, English
Operated by: Beijing Short Tours

Ages: Children (2–11 years) · Adults (12–70 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Hotel/Airport pickup and drop-off
Included: Admission ticket(Tiananmen square, Forbidden city and Mutianyu Great Wall)
Included: Local tax
Included: Free bottled water in the vehicle
Included: Well-tranined English-speaking guide.
Included: Private Comfortable Car with Driver (Tolls/Fuel/Parking fee)

Not included

Not included: Cable fee or toboggan at Great Wall
Not included: Gratuities
Not included: Meal

Itinerary

Beijing

5 min

Beijing capital airport pick up or from a hotel in Beijing. Your guide will hold your name paper and pick you up from the selected time.
Tiananmen Square

40 min Admission included

About 1 hour drive to the city center to visit Tiananmen Square which is the largest public square in the world. Standing in the middle of the square with taking a 360 panoramic photo to have all the major buildings into your great photo. This is the best certificate for this trip. You will walk around and visit the Tiananmen Square for 30-40 mins.

Important: All visitors must pass through security screening before entering Tiananmen Square. Waiting times in queue are usually 30–40 minutes on regular days, but can exceed 1–2 hours during public holidays and peak seasons. Please allow extra time for your visit.
The Palace Museum

1 h 30 min Admission included

Followed by a visit at the Forbidden City, it used to be the residence for the Emperors (24 emperors in total) in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. It occupies 72 hectares (180 acres) and takes about 1.5 hours to see the major palaces. You will walk with your guide and visit all the must see places in the huge Forbidden City.
Meridian Gate (Wu Men)

10 min Admission included

The Meridian Gate is the grand southern entrance to the Forbidden City. Built in 1420, it was once reserved for the emperor and served as the main ceremonial gateway to China's imperial palace.
Hall of Great Harmony (Taihe Dian)

10 min Admission included

The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest and most magnificent building in the Forbidden City. It was the venue for major imperial ceremonies, including coronations, weddings, and celebrations of the emperor's birthday.
Hall of Middle Harmony (Zhonghe Dian)

10 min Admission included

The Hall of Central Harmony is a smaller hall where emperors rested and prepared before important ceremonies. It symbolizes balance, harmony, and thoughtful leadership.
Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohedian)

10 min Admission included

The Hall of Preserving Harmony was used for imperial banquets and later became the venue for the highest-level imperial examinations, where scholars competed for top honors in ancient China.
Palace of Heavenly Purity

10 min Admission included

The Palace of Heavenly Purity was the emperor's residence during the early Ming Dynasty and later became the place where emperors handled daily state affairs and received important officials.
Hall of Union

10 min Admission included

The Hall of Union stands between the emperor's and empress's palaces, symbolizing harmony between heaven and earth, as well as the balance of imperial power. It also housed the imperial seals of the Qing Dynasty.
Palace of Earthly Tranquility

10 min Admission included

The Palace of Earthly Tranquility was originally the empress's residence. During the Qing Dynasty, it became a sacred place for imperial wedding ceremonies and important religious rituals.
The Imperial Garden of The Palace Museum

20 min Admission included

The Imperial Garden is the peaceful retreat at the northern end of the Forbidden City. Filled with ancient cypress trees, elegant pavilions, rockeries, and colorful flowers, it provided a relaxing escape for the emperor and the imperial family after official duties.
Mutianyu Great Wall

1 h 30 min Admission included

After that, about 1.5 hours drive to Mutianyu Great Wall and you will visit the most popular & prettiest Great Wall section in Beijing. Your lovely tour guide will provide some history background of Beijing & Great Wall to make the ride to Great Wall not boring. Upon arrival, you only enjoy the time for visiting and taking photos as tour guide will manage time & sightseeing for you. You will visit Great Wall for 1.5-2 hours. Cable car & toboggan is an option (pay extra). Later on, you will be transferred back to your hotel/ PEK airport.

Tips: We can stop at a good local Chinese restaurant on the way to the Great Wall for an authentic meal. (Optional if any need)

Meeting point and pickup

The operator picks every participant up from their accommodation or the points below.

Pickup points

Youbo Member Selected Hotel
Yuanchang Hotel
Yuhui Hotel
Wancheng Huafu International Hotel
Xiudong Hostel
Yijia Hotel Apartment
Wuyulong Hotel (Beijing Tiantan South Gate)
Winners Classic Hotel Beijing
Xiyanhe Sixth Hotel
Xin An International Hotel
Tianyou Hotel
Yahua Hotel

and 3,419 more pickup points

You will be picked up by private guide and vehicle at your location with your name paper.

Cancellation

Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

Good to know

Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
As Great Wall opens from 8am to 5pm and Forbidden City opens from 8:30am to 3:30pm, so please make sure your flight arrival time to Beijing is no later than 7am and the flight depart Beijing no earlier than 19:00.
A current valid passport is required for security check at Tiananmen Square.
It require at least 12 more hours layover between the two flights to make this tour available.
You will be picked up from your hotel lobby(inside the fifth ring road, or pay a little more for a pick up outside this area) at your selected pick up time, or you will be picked up from airport(outside luggage picking area) if you would come with a layover.
Tickets for Forbidden city are crazy busy during public holidays, however our team will ensure you will get ticket and visit the Forbidden city.