Summer Palace & Badaling Great Wall Bus Tour

Summer Palace & Badaling Great Wall Bus Tour

Departure: Daily
Duration: Approx 8 hours
Pick-up point and time: Your Hotel between 7:30am – 8:00am
Finishing point and time: Your Hotel around 5:00pm – 5:30pm
Language: English

Itinerary:

Pick-up travelers from hotel on departure time between 7:30am and 8:00am, and then driving one hour to get to Summer Palace. It is the best-preserved imperial garden in the world that boasts centralized architectural masterpieces. After the visit of Summer Palace. Before having lunch, you will have 45 minutes to have a short visit of Jade Carving Factory. The jade carving is a famous special Chinese product, a blend of the excellent skill on carving and Chinese traditional cultures. Have traditional Chinese lunch at restaurant. After lunch, driving 30 minutes and get to the Badaling Great Wall. Badaling section is the most famous and best-preserved wall. It’s highest point at Badaling is some 800 meters above sea level. Cable car is available and it is optiona. On the back way to hotels, you will have a chance to enjoy the Chinese Traditional Medicine Culture. Then transferred back to hotel around 5:30pm.

Badaling Great Wall Travel Tips:

Now Badaling Great Wall is divided into two sections – north and south, which both start at the Badaling Pass and Gate. Most tourists prefer to climb the north section where the highest watch tower (Tower No.08) is located. Also the cableway is available on the north section. Many people choose to climb up the north section of the Great Wall, then take the cable car down or vice versa. The cable car goes up to somewhere below between Tower No.08 and No.09.

To hike up the north section of the Badaling Great Wall, you have two starting points – either from the Badaling Pass or the Badaling Bear Park. Why two starting points? Actually there are totally 12 towers on the northern Badaling Great Wall. So you ether start at Tower No.08 and Tower No.01 starting from Badaling Pass or Tower No.12 from Badaling Bear Park.

Most passengers prefer to hike the northern slope of Badaling Great Wall simple because the north part is more scenic and convenient with cable car and slide services in between. But still some people like to hike the southern slope to avoid the crowds for better photo opportunities. If you hike the southern slope, you have to backtrack.

Price Information:
Cable Car: 100 yuan (single way); 140 yuan (return)

Opening Hours:
06:30-19:00 (in summer); 07:00-18:00 (in winter)

After lunch, move on to Summer Palace (2 hours). The Summer Palace is the largest former royal garden, a temporary dwelling palace for emperors of Qing Dynasty and Its predecessor was the Garden of Clear Ripples (Qingyiyuan) started in 1750 and burned down by the British and French allied troops in 1860. In 1886, Empress Dowager Cixi used navy outlays and other funds in the reconstruction and renamed the park as Summer Palace in 1888.

Summer Palace Travel Tips:

Normally it takes 2 hours to walk around Summer Palace. Visiting Summer Palace needs a bit b legs with a lot walking since Summer Palace is huge.

Dress for the hot or cold weather. The summer in Beijing could be humid and close, sometimes extremely hot. Also winter could be very cold. So well prepared for the uncomfortable weather both in winter and summer. You are advised to wear your most comfortable shoes.

Summer Palace presents itself with different views for different seasons. Winter sees people skiing on the Kunming Lake; Spring time finds people breathe under fresh trees and flowers; Summer time often sees Summer Palace in a foggy day like a beautiful “water and mountain” Chinese scroll painting. Autumn is the best time walking around Summer Palace, clear and blue sky with comfortable weather.

Summer Palace even at different times of a day allows you to see the different views under sunrise in the morning and sunset in the later afternoon.

Additional Price Information:
1. Children under 1.2m high are free of charge.
2. Taking a boat ride starting from the Marble Boat across the lake to the beautiful 17-Arch Bridge is a fun way to have more stunning views. Boat Ride: 20 yuan.

Summer Palace Opening Hours:
High Season (From April 1 to Oct. 31)
Open: 6:30
Tickets stop selling at 18:00
Close: 20:00

Low Season (From Nov. 1 to Mar. 31 next year)
Open: 7:00
Tickets stop selling at 17:00
Close: 19:00

Lunch: Typical Chinese lunch

Drive back to downtown Beijing and pass by the Olympic Green, having a distant view of both the National Stadium – the “bird Nest” and National Aquatics Center – the Water Cube. Then you are arranged to rewind yourself by tasting the famous Chinese tea and enjoying Chinese tea ceremony in a big Chinese tea market. After the whole day tour, you are returned to your different hotels around 5:30pm.

Travel Tips:

Wear casually and pay attention to the climate in Beijing.

Special Features:

Only english-speaking travelers in the coach;
Well-trained english speaking tour guide;
Keep proper quantity travelers in suitable type air-conditioned coach.

Add-ons:

If you have some free time in the evening, you are kindly advised to join some of the Beijing night shows or night tours below to supplement your daytime activity.