Private Tour
Beijing Private Tour of Temple of Heaven, Tian'anmen Square, Forbidden City
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Explore Beijing’s architectural wonders and cultural heritage with three tailored packages. The Budget Option (subway transport without lunch) covers Tiananmen Square, the UNESCO-listed Forbidden City (with private guide), and Temple of Heaven (where you can watch locals’ morning activities). The Comfort Option offers the same route as the Budget Option but upgrades to private car transfers for hassle-free travel, plus a local lunch. The In-depth Option adds the UNESCO-listed Summer Palace to the above sites (Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven). It includes private car and guide, letting you fully experience four cultural landmarks, from the Forbidden City’s imperial history to the Summer Palace’s garden beauty, along with local dining.
All packages feature personalized guidance to avoid rushed visits, ensuring an immersive Beijing experience.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Your passport name and number are required at time of booking (for all participants)
Please don't forget to bring your passport, you may be refused entry without it.
Infant (1-3 years old) are free providing they do not occupy a seat
Tian'anmen Square might close without advance notice due to government activity, if this happens you will skip the Square
Chinese citizens, including customers from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, need to reserve the tickets for the Palace Museum 7 days in advance. Once the tickets for the Palace Museum are sold out, it will be impossible to participate in this itinerary. In addition, according to the regulations of the Palace Museum, Chinese citizens can only choose to reserve tickets with their ID cards. Therefore, when making a reservation, it is necessary to submit the Chinese name and ID card number, and on the day of the tour, the submitted ID document must be presented to join the tour group.
In case of peak travel seasons and when all the tickets for Forbidden City reserved online for the scenic area are sold out, tourists are required to go to the ticket office of the scenic area by themselves under the guidance of the tour guide to handle the purchase of paper tickets on-site. Please be informed.
In Peak season, the security checks at Tiananmen Square are particularly stringent. If the waiting time exceeds one hour, we recommend considering skip the square. Given the sweltering heat, waiting in line for an extended period increases the risk of heat - related illnesses. Additionally, spending too much time at the square could detract from your experience at the iconic Forbidden City, which is a highlight of our tour. Please keep this in mind as we plan our visit.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
The entrance fee to the Summer Palace is included only if you select Option 3
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Professional guide
Bottled water
If you choose option 2 or 3: private tour with lunch
Subway/bus fee during the tour (If you choose the option 1 without lunch and use subway)
Transport by private vehicle(For option 2 and 3 with lunch)
Entrance Fee to the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven
Food and drinks, unless specified
Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Beijing
Beijing One-Day Private Tour Brief Discover two of Beijing’s key historical and cultural heritages – the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven – through our three tailored one-day tour packages. Option 1 (Budget )subway transport with metro fares included, without lunch. Covers Tiananmen Square, the UNESCO-listed Forbidden City (accompanied by a private guide), and Temple of Heaven (where you can observe locals’ morning activities). Option 2 (Comfort ): follows the same route as the Budget Option, but upgrades to private car transfers for hassle-free travel and includes a local lunch, plus a dedicated guide. Option 3: The In-depth option, adds the UNESCO-listed Summer Palace to the above sites (Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven). It comes with private car and a guide, allowing you to fully experience four cultural landmarks – from the imperial history of the Forbidden City to the garden charm of the Summer Palace – alongside authentic local dining.
Temple of Heaven
After being picked up from your accommodation in the central area of Beijing in the morning, you will meet your private guide and start your day's journey. The first stop of your itinerary is the Temple of Heaven — a sacred imperial site where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held annual ceremonies to pray to Heaven for blessings. Accompanied by your guide, you will wander through the courtyard surrounded by ancient, towering trees. Here, you will not only encounter local residents doing morning exercises (including tai chi, sword dancing, and group singing) and are welcome to join in to experience the vitality of daily life; you will also explore the core essence areas of the Temple of Heaven in depth: whether it is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Circular Mound Altar, or the Danbi Bridge connecting the two, each spot embodies the ancient people's reverence for Heaven and Earth as well as their exquisite architectural wisdom.
Options
Option 2: Food and Transfer
Duration: 6 hours
Option 2: Lunch and Transfer : Choose Option 2 to visit the sites by private car, which includes downtown hotel pick-up and drop-off, as well as lunch.
Pickup included
Option 1:Subway No Lunch
Option 1:Subway No Lunch: Option 1: Visit the sites by subway, which includes downtown hotel pick-up, entry tickets and subway fee, but no lunch.
Duration: 6 hours
Pickup included
Option 3: Plus Summer Palace
Duration: 8 hours
Option 3: Plus Summer Palace: Option 3: Visit the sites plus the Summer Palace by private car, which includes downtown hotel pick-up, drop-off, and lunch.
Pickup included
Reviews
174 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Efficient way to see 3 key attractions
Zener T,
Nov 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00The forbidden city is amazing, couple that with temple of heaven and tian an men, you get a very efficient way of seeing key attractions in 1 tour. Our guide John was experienced and able to facilitate the tour well. If there was one thing i found missing in John is passion. Perhaps bringing tourist there for 20 years can shave some of that off.
Exploring Forbidden City and much more
aanans2025,
Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Had a great day seeing Tian’anmen square and exploring forbidden city and Temple of Heaven . John was a very knowledgeable guide for our tour with many interesting historic anecdotes. He was also good at getting us great photo scene opportunities.
A beautiful experience
ChnoongKheng L,
Oct 26, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a very good guide Leona. She was knowledgeable, friendly and very helpful. We enjoyed the visits tremendously.
Outstanding experience …...
Partha C,
Oct 23, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Outstanding experience … made even more so by Cindy who curated this experience for us by sharing us stories of the history, helping us smartly navigate crowds etc . We were very lucky to have her as our operator
Outstanding Tour of the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven with Aurora
A2513XJvictord,
Oct 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an incredible day exploring the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven with our guide, Aurora. She was absolutely amazing — extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about sharing the history and culture of China. Her English was excellent, clear, and easy to understand, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Aurora brought every monument to life with fascinating stories and historical insights that we would have never known otherwise. She perfectly balanced the tour with detailed explanations and time to explore at our own pace. We highly recommend this tour and especially Aurora to anyone visiting Beijing — she made the day unforgettable!
Great day in Beijing
370bhavishyas,
Oct 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had a great day with Sherry. She showed me around the forbidden city and temple of heaven giving me lots of interesting information about the history. She also helped me to navigate through the crowd and streamlined the process at a vary busy tourist location. Would recommend to anyone visiting Beijing and wanting to see these famous sites.
Fantastic
Stacey Z,
Oct 18, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Maria was amazing! Highly recommend. She is very knowledgeable and friendly. Her English is great! I made a mistake of booking a Great Wall sunrise tour earlier in the morning, and she was flexible and was able to accommodate. You won’t regret booking this tour ☺️
Excellent Private Tour
Kim G,
Oct 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a fantastic day with Aurora. We saw the major sights on the tour and she shared the history and interesting facts about each location. She was patient with the crowds and navigated us through the line ups. She gave us choices for lunch and guided us to ensure we would fully enjoy the meal. The tour was well organized and would recommend this company and Aurora for a great experience.
Forbidden city tour
josiahcox23,
Oct 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour was incredibly well organized and truly the perfect way to spend a day in Beijing. Our driver and tour guide, Aurora, were both fantastic — friendly, accommodating, and always ready to help with anything we needed. Aurora was especially impressive: knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate about the city’s rich history. Hearing her explain the stories behind each landmark made the experience so much more meaningful. I highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to explore Beijing in a fun, comfortable, and informative way.
We had a great experience
Kancheepuram G,
Oct 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The guide Cindy was very patient and good. She explained in detail. Took pictures and took us through short lines
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Operated by Discover Beijing Tours