Day 1 Arrival in Beijing
Your private guide will be ready to meet and greet you at the arrival hall of the airport or at the train station's exit. A comfortable private car (non-smoking) with an experienced driver will transfer you directly to your hotel where your guide will help you to check-in.
After breakfast, visit the historic Tian'anmen Square. Then enjoy the highlight of the day – the Forbidden City – which was home to 24 emperors in the Ming and Qing dynasties from 1420 to 1912.
In addition to giving you a background introduction on the Forbidden City's architecture, history, and art, your guide will take you to 12 selected places in the complex to discover the deep secrets of the royal families, while other group tours only visit six spots briefly.
Listen to the stories about eight famous royal figures in the two dynasties. Your guide will present a "living" Forbidden City to you.
After lunch, your guide and driver will take you to the Temple of Heaven - a place where emperors used to pray for a good harvest. The Circular Mound Altar, Echo Wall, and the Imperial Vault of Heaven are rated as key sights there, and you will see them all.
After breakfast, travel to the Great Wall at Jinshanling. It takes about 2½ hours to get there from central Beijing.
At the Jinshanling section, you can see both restored and wild parts of the Great Wall. A cable car ride will be arranged for you to get to the middle point of this section. Then you can choose whether to turn right for the restored section or left for the wild section. Both parts are great although the wild section is a bit more challenging.
You will have a late lunch at the foot of the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall and then drive for about 20 minutes to reach Gubei Water Town where you will stay overnight.
Have a rest or walk around the pretty town to enjoy the sunset's glow shining on the Chinese roofs and the Great Wall at Simatai.Take the cable car up to the wall and see the stunning night views. Simatai is the most recommended section of the wall which is lit up and open to tourists at night.
Enjoy your time at Gubei Water Town, which is in a traditional courtyard style. If you are an early bird, it is nice to walk around the water town when there are fewer people in the morning. Your guide will be happy to show you some selected places in Gubei Water Town that highlight the authentic Chinese style. Take the most pictures there, if you'd like to.
Afterward, we can arrange for you to have a "one out of three" experience in Gubei Water Town (lasting for about 45 minutes): tie-dyeing, kite making, or Buddhist text tracing. Try one of these Chinese cultural experiences to make your own unique souvenir.
The tour will end after lunch and it is better to choose a flight that departs after 5 pm as it will take about 2 hours to get to Beijing Capital International Airport.
Your guide will handle your luggage and transfer, and will accompany you to the correct check-in desk at the airport or to the train station for your departure.
—the Icing on the Cake
Boutique hotels are recommended to enrich your travel experience.
From US$769 p/p
Based on a private tour for 2 people.
Price varies depending on program, travel date, number of people and chosen hotel
Price Includes:
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