Beijing Three-day Private Tour

TOUR ITINERARY Tour code: GWA-BJ-301 Day 1: After picking you up from your hotel in the morning, we will drive directly to Tian’anmen Square. The largest public square in the world at 440,000 square meters, Tian’anmen Square has been the site of the most important developments in China’s modern political and cultural history. It was the stage for the May 4th movement (where in 1919 Chinese students protested the transfer of Shandong province from Germany to Japan), the protests following the death of premier Zhou Enlai in 1976, and of course the political turmoil of 1989. The Monument to the People’s Heroes marks the center of the square, a ten-story obelisk built in dedication to those who died fighting for Chinese Revolution. The square is flanked on the east by the National Museum of China (set to reopen in late 2010), on the west by the Great Hall of People (home of china’s legislative bodies), to the south by the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall (where his body lies in a crystal coffin), and of course to the north by the Gate of Heavenly Peace, with its distinctive portrait of Mao Zedong. The Gate of Heavenly Peace is the official symbol of the People’s Republic of China. After walking across the square we will enter the Forbidden City, the world’s largest surviving palace complex and the former home of the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. The Forbidden City is one of the greatest attractions in the world, and once you enter its confines it is easy to see why. Built by the third Ming emperor between 1406-1422, the Forbidden City served as the official residence to the Emperor of China until the last emperor, Puyi, was forced to evacuate in 1924. Afterwards, the Forbidden City was officially known as the Palace Museum. The Forbidden City is divided into two parts. The southern section, or the Outer Court, was where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation. The northern section, or the Inner Court was where he lived with his royal family. Consisting of 980 buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms, the Forbidden City is the best example of classical Chinese architecture in the world, and is one of the greatest wonders of the world. After exploring the Forbidden City we will conclude the first day of your tour with a visit to the Summer Palace. Having the largest royal park and being well preserved, the Summer Palace is ranked amongst the most noted and classical gardens of the world. In 1998, UNESCO listed it as one of the World Heritage Sites. Like most of the gardens of Beijing, it could not elude the rampages of the Anglo-French allied force of 1860 and was destroyed by fire. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled navy funds to reconstruct it for her own benefit, changing its name to Summer Palace (Yiheyuan). She spent most of her later years there, dealing with state affairs and entertaining. Highlights not to be missed are climbing Longevity Hill, viewing the Empress Dowager Cixi’s extravagant Marble Boat, and talking a walk down Suzhou jie, a canal meant to resemble the beautiful river city of Suzhou. Afterward we will drive you back to your hotel, and be sure to get a good rest, for tomorrow you will do a lot of walking!

Day 2: After picking you up at your hotel that morning, we will drive directly to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs. Compared with other sections of Great Wall, the Mutianyu Great Wall possesses unique characteristics in its construction. Watchtowers are densely placed along this section of the Great Wall - 22 watchtowers on this 2,250-meter-long stretch. The Mutianyu Pass consists of 3 watchtowers, one big in the center and two smaller on both sides. Standing on the same terrace, the three watchtowers are connected to each other inside and compose a rarely seen structure among all sections of Great Wall. Besides its strategically important location and compact layout, the Mutianyu Great Wall is also famous for the breath-takingly beautiful scenery. Woods cover over ninety-six percent of the total scenic area. The wall presents different aspects of beauty in the four seasons. Flowers bloom all over the mountains in spring. Grasses dress the hillside green in summer. Trees are laden with sweet fruits in autumn, and especially in October, leaves are turning red or yellow, touching the mountain tops with gold. In winter, the wall is covered by snow, making it seem more even more magnificent. While Mutianyu does get its fair share of visitors, it does not get as packed as Badaling, allowing you to have a peaceful time exploring the wall. After walking around on Mutianyu, you have the option of coming down via walking, taking a cable car, or taking a toboggan ride (lots of fun and highly recommended!). In order to recharge yourself after your trek on the wall, we will have a scrumptious and filling provincial style lunch at a local farmers restaurant. Past travelers with us have raved about the food, and we’re sure you will too. After meeting our minibus in the parking lot, we will then head back to the city center in the afternoon to the Olympic Green. The Olympic Green was the center of the event that captivated the world for two weeks in August of 2008. The highlights include the Bird’s Nest (officially known as the Beijing National stadium) and the Water Cube (the Beijing National Aquatics Center). The stadium gets its nickname from its outward design, which originated from the study of Chinese ceramics, implementing steel beams in order to hide supports for the retractable roof, thus giving the stadium the appearance of a "Bird's nest". The Bird’s Nest hosted the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, athletic events, and football final of the 2008 Summer Olympics, from 8 August to 24 August 2008. Since the Olympic end, the Bird’s Nest has been used to host events ranging from opera to a ski park. The site of Michael Phelps’ Olympic triumph, the Water Cube design combines modern technologies with Chinese traditional values. In tradition, Chinese conceptualized a square Earth and a round Heaven, and this formed the design’s central theme. Moreover, the cube shape dominates ancient urban buildings. The National Aquatics Center's design is of traditional style to meet all its functional requirements. The National Aquatics Center looks like a huge blue box, from which it takes its nickname: the Water Cube. The Water Cube is blue in order to reflect sunlight. The National Aquatics Center shines in the sunlight like a pearl in water. From the inside of the National Aquatics Center, you may discover that the pneumatic cushions of all sizes are just like sea bubbles. After touring the Olympic Green we will drive you back to your hotel for the night.

Day 3: Today will be another full day of viewing the best of Beijing! After meeting our minibus at your hotel, we will head over to the Temple of Heaven park. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. The Temple of Heaven park is best known for the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, an iconic building famed for its magnificent triple-gabled circular roof. You will also have an opportunity to walk the same imperial walkway that the same emperors walked hundreds of years ago in their holy rites. You will also see Beijing’s senior citizens using the park grounds for everything from tai chi and ballroom dancing to bullwhip practice! After touring the Temple of Heaven we will embark to the Lhama Temple. Other than the temples in Tibet this is the best Buddhist temple in China. Work on the Lhama Temple originally began in 1694 during the Qing dynasty. It served as an official residence for court eunuchs. It was then converted into the home of the Prince Yong, a son of the Kangxi Emperor and himself the future Yongzheng Emperor. It was converted into a lamasery after his ascension to the throne in 1722. Today the Lhama Temple still functions as a monastery and temple of the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism. You will see many active Tibetan monks and Buddhists at the temple today. Walking through the temple your senses will be enveloped by the incenses and the chanting of the visiting monks and other followers. The rear Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses features a 26m tall statue of the Maitreya Buddha cared from a single piece of white sandalwood. It is one of three artworks in the Lhama Temple that were included in the Guiness Book of World Records, and it is not to be missed on your visit. After a filling lunch we will conclude your tour with us by going on a hutong tour of old Beijing. You will go on this tour by rickshaw. Hutongs are courtyard homes grouped together around narrow alleys, and served as the lifeline and center of everyday life in old Beijing. The hutongs were a critical component in the development and evolution of Beijing folklore and culture. While there are still hutong houses in the city, they are quickly disappearing due to the demands of a rapidly modernizing Beijing, so see the hutongs while you still can. On this tour we will also visit the Bell Tower, which with its large copper bell was used to tell the time in old Beijing, and Prince Gong’s Mansion, a large luxurious mansion used by an official of the Qing Dynasty. After your tour of hutong and old Beijing we will return you to your hotel, thus completing your 3 day tour.

Tour Inclusions：

1. Professional local guide & driver;
4. Private air-conditioned car or van for transportation;
5. Admission of the first gate.