6-7 Hours Beijing Summer Palace and Forbidden City Layover Tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
This 6–7 hour layover tour is uniquely designed to make the most of your limited time in Beijing by combining two of the city's most iconic UNESCO World Heritage Sites—the majestic Forbidden City and the tranquil Summer Palace—in one seamless experience. With private transport and expert guidance, you'll skip the stress of navigating on your own and dive straight into centuries of imperial history, stunning architecture, and scenic landscapes. Ideal for travelers with a long layover, this tour blends cultural depth with convenience, ensuring you see the best of Beijing before your next flight.
Additional Info
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
As Summer Palace opens from 6:30am to 6pm and Forbidden City opens from 8:30am to 3:30pm, so please make sure your flight arrival time to Beijing is no later than 10am and the flight depart Beijing no earlier than 16:00.
A current valid passport is required for security check to Tiananmen area
It require at least 11 more hours layover between the two flights to make this tour availabe.
If you are not able to go through customs for any reasons, please take your own responsibility. There is no refund for the same day cancellation
Visa Process: 1) Arrive in Beijing and get off the plane. 2) Follow signs to baggage claim, then you will find China immigration inspection. 3) Apply 24-144 hours visa(fill out a long white form beforehand) 4) After get visa, walk back to the regular line for immigration clearance. 5) Walk outside baggage claim to find your driver. 6) Driver will hold your name sign outside baggage claim.
Since it is difficult to book tickets for the Palace Museum after the epidemic, as only 30,000 tickets are sold every day, so we will try our best to help you get tickets. If we really can't get tickets for you, we will take you to Tiananmen Square and Temple of Heaven as an alternative, thank you for your understanding.
What To Expect
Summer Palace
Escape the city's hustle and unwind at the Summer Palace, Beijing’s stunning imperial garden retreat. Wander through serene lakeside paths, ornate pavilions, and the iconic Long Corridor as you explore this UNESCO World Heritage site. Once the summer playground of emperors, the palace offers a perfect blend of natural beauty and classical Chinese architecture—an unforgettable journey into royal leisure and landscape art. (About 1 hour visit.) Note: We know a good Chinese restaurant in Beijing, so you can talk with tour guide for food if you would be hungry during the tour (pay extra.)
Tiananmen Square
Discover the political and cultural heart of China with a tour of Tiananmen Square, one of the largest public squares in the world. Surrounded by iconic landmarks like the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, this historic site offers a powerful glimpse into China's modern journey. It’s the perfect starting point to understand Beijing’s past and present. (about 30-40 mins visit)
Options
6-7 Hours Beijing Summer Palace and Forbidden City Layover Tour
Pickup included
What‘s Included
Private comfortable vehicle(Nice and Clean)
Local tax
Free bottled water in the vehicle
Well-tranined English-speaking guide.
Admission ticket(the first entrance)
Meals
Gratuities
Boat Cruise in Summer Palace-Option
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
4 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great experience to see Forbidden City and Summer Palace
Nikki C T,May 30, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our day tour was awesome! Xia had a wealth of knowledge about the Forbidden City and summer Palace! We did a drive by of Tienamen Square also. Our driver was also excellent getting us to the airport safely and on time! Highly recommend this tour!
Perfect tour for long stop in PEK airport
349giambe349,Jan 16, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fantastic tour, with perfect organization. Jessica (tour guide) was extremely helpful, meet her out of Arrivals gate, car and driver service very precise. All tour and experience was great... after this tour we decided to book a second one for GREAT WALL and PALACE OF HEAVEN. Thanks Jessica and Tony.
Great tours and people
Colin A,Jul 30, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had 2 tours with the first a layover tour to the Mutianyu part of the Great Wall. Tony our host was on time and a very good guide. No trouble to show us where to go and how to do it. Very easy and plenty of time to be take in the wall and back to airport. Because Tony was so good we organised a day trip on our return leg to take in the 4 sites we wanted to do in Beijing. Jessica was fantastic on a very hot day.Driven to all the sites by a very good driver.Loads learnt and very organised through all the entrances. A great authentic peking duck lunch from a local place. Thoroughly recommend this tour as we would not have got to see it all on our own.
Best short tour option!
anamezao,Dec 3, 2018
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a great option! Tony made the process very easy from the start, he even helped explain the process for the visa. Our tour guide was amazing, Jessica was right on time at the agreed place. She was very good with the explanations and she was very knowledgeable about the places we were visiting. She also made everything to make our tour as memorable as possible, even sugesting great photo poses and locations. She also took us to a delicious local place for lunch. I recommend this tour to anyone that has a long layover in Beijing.
Related Experiences
Operated by Beijing Short Tours