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. 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.
Option 3: Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace. This is a tight one-day itinerary with a great deal of walking. Please ensure you are physically prepared for the extensive walking in advance.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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. 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.
What‘s Included
The entrance fee to the Summer Palace is included only if you select Option 3
Professional guide
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
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
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
6th of April-Food+Transfer
6th of April-Food+Transfer: Visit the Temple of Heaven, Tian'anmen Square and Forbidden City with lunch and private transfer
Pickup included
6th of Aprl:Plus Summer Palace
6th of Aprl:Plus Summer Palace: Visit Tian'anmen Square, Forbidden City and Summer Palace.
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
192 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great Beijing Cultural Tour in One Day
anirban4u,Apr 6, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The trip was good. Our tour guide, Andy, was helpful and gave us a detailed overview of Temple or Heaven, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and Summer Palace. He is quite knowledgeable and passionate. We opted for lunch which was traditional food and really amazing. Overall I would definitely recommend this.
Great Tour
Gayle P,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Had a great day with Mike. Really enjoyed the tour and using the public transport. He was very knowledgeable and helpful.
Great private tour with...
GerritFrank R,Mar 15, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great private tour with Mina on a Sunday in Beijing. We started one hour earlier to make most of the day as I had to leave in the afternoon. Mina was always ready to answer questions and has deep knowledge on Chinese history. She explained also very well when I got more interested in Chinese characters (eg. composition and meaning, or simplified and traditional). I saw and learned so much I think my brain still needs some time to fully process. Also clean and comfortable car with Jiang Miao as driver shuttling us professionally around. Overall, it was eight hours perfectly spent. Thanks again, Mina and Jiang Miao!
Deeply Memorable Day in Beijing
Y5376TTbrunog,Mar 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My son and I had an amazing day today on this tour with our guide Sherry and driver Liu. Both were extremely attentive, and Sherry’s knowledge of the sites and their history was impressive. We highly recommend this tour!
Fabulous Tour of Beijing!
Kristine G,Feb 27, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00If you can get Ranee for your tour guide you will be very lucky!! Ranee and the drivers choir have been more accommodating!! We feel we crammed as much as we could in 2 days with her! She was organized, knowledgeable, fluent in English and pleasant to be around. We had many questions and she was able to answer everything!
We had such a wonderful...
Crystal B,Feb 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We had such a wonderful time touring all the historic spots today! We learned so much from our tour guide Sherry and we highly recommend a tour with her! :)
Lovely day in Beijing with a wonderful guide
MariaTeresa H,Jan 22, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00I just spent an amazing day in Beijing. I chose the private option using the subway/bus and Ranee was the best. She arrived on time for pick up and helped me navigate the transport system. Line for Tiananmen Square was terrible but time flew because she shared fascinating information about Chinese history. Pace was perfect and visit to the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven was lovely. I didn’t chose the option with lunch included but Ranee suggested a place with delicious dumplings that I really enjoyed.
Great tour
J7895JUerint,Jan 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The tour was wonderful. Andy, the tour guide was incredibly helpful and Mr. Bai, the driver was great. The information was useful and the tour ran smoothly.
Solo female travelling ancient Beijing sites
jeankK5001JX,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Lucy was a wonderful guide for the day. Her English is very good and she has a lot of knowledge of the history to share. As a solo female traveller I felt very safe with Lucy, she also took some lovely photos of me at the different sites. The private car dropped Lucy and I off at each destination and picked us up where ever we needed, it was a seamless experience. All tickets etc were taken care of, lunch was very good food, and far more food than we could eat. I also visited a tea house and silk factory as had a little bit of extra time at the end of the day, which was great. The Forbidden City was wonderful to see, I went in winter so the crowds were not too bad, although I think spring would be nice, with all the trees in bloom.
Nice private tour
Barbara N,Dec 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00I had a very nice day with Susan who showed me the classics of Beijing - Tiananmen square, Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven. She knew where we can skip the lines and explained me a lot, and her English was great. I would have felt overwhelmed without her so highly recommend!
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Operated by Discover Beijing Tours