Private Tour
Private City Tour By Public Transportation: Temple Of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Beijing features a remarkably comprehensive and efficient public-transportation system. So to truly experience China's capital the way that locals do, there is no better way than getting around the city by bus and metro. During this 6-hour tour, participants will have the opportunity to visit the famous Temple of heaven,Tian'anmen square and Forbidden city by utilizing Beijing public transportation system. This guided tour of the city allows you to experience it like a local and get to know Beijing and its dwellers as they live their everyday life. Traveling by public transportation gives more flexibility and it's value for money.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Passport name and number is required at time of booking for all participants (for getting your Forbidden City entrance ticket in advance)
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Please wear comfortable walking shoes
Chinese citizens (including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) need to book this tour 7 days in advance. By regulation, please submit Chinese name & ID number when reserving and present the ID on the tour day to join the group
Security checks at Tiananmen Square are strict. If waiting exceeds 1 hour, consider an alternative: taking a bus past the square. Tiananmen Square may close unannounced due to government activities, in which case it will be skipped. No refunds as the square is free
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Entrance fee
Private tour
English speaking guide
Hotel pickup
Public transportation costs
Additional entrance fee inside the Forbidden City (inner sites of major attractions)
Food and drinks
Hotel drop-off
Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Temple of Heaven
After meeting your guide at your hotel lobby, your will first visit the Temple of heaven by taking the metro or bus (subject to your hotel location). Temple of Heaven, one of the holiest Imperial temples in Beijing. Follow your tour guide to stroll around the courtyards and halls, learn history and culture from your tour guide. Check out how the emperors in the Ming and Qing Dynasties to worship the god. It is so much fun in the Temple of heaven in the morning as you can see many local retired folks doing morning exercises here. You can join any kinds of activities if you like. Meanwhile, you will get to know all the detailed stories and histories about this temple from your tour guide.
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
Inside the temple, you will visit important buildings such as the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, Hall of Imperial Zenith, and also the Circular Mound Altar—each holding unique historical and cultural significance, telling stories of ancient imperial rituals. Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest The most iconic building of the Temple of Heaven, this magnificent circular structure with a triple-eaved blue-tiled roof was once where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties prayed for abundant grain harvests every spring. Its wooden frame, built without a single nail, is a masterpiece of ancient Chinese architecture, and the inner pillars are arranged to symbolize the seasons, months, and directions—blending functionality with cosmic symbolism.
Options
Private Tour
Your guide will meet you in your hotel's lobby,subway or bus to the Temple of heaven, then bus to the Tian'anmen square.
Pickup included
Reviews
17 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Thank you Lucy
clarao135,
Nov 17, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fun day out with Lucy, she had loads of information and knew all the right places to take photos. Definitely recommend Lucy if your going visit to Beijing.
A Great Way to See the Classics!
Azure G,
Nov 10, 2019
- Review from Viator
4.00My husband and I very much enjoyed our private tour of the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City. We recently moved to Beijing, so learning how to work the public transportation was exceptionally valuable to us. Our tour guide was very helpful with making sure we knew the ropes, and even went out of his way to help us procure permanent subway passes! We were very grateful. My one complaint was that our tour guide was on his phone far too much. I would not expect any tour guide while working to be on their phone, but the amount of texting and phone calls that went on was very unprofessional. We would of course been understanding had their been a family emergency or something of the sort, but nothing was really explained to us. We felt as if it detracted from the tour and took away from us learning things about the sites we were visiting.
Best day out with our guide Lucy
Cazza L,
Aug 20, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The day was wet but not our enthusiasm. Lucy was very knowledgeable and friendly. We enjoyed the sites we visited. We had seen the forbidden city 12 years ago but now it has been opened up further. Lucy was very good at showing the best vantage points and things to see, we coyld not have gained as much insight on our own. Highly recommend and ask for Lucy
Half day tour
novaray1,
Apr 15, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Miko gave us an unforgettable tour. He is very knowledgeable & polite. We recommend hin again. Thank you!
Miko
Abram A,
Apr 15, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Miko was a great tour guide! Very considerate and knowledgeable - wasn’t pushy at all. During the tour someone got an upset stomach, and the whole time Miko always checked in to make sure they were ok. Highly recommend!
Lucy is the best guide.
dmnodtvedt,
Mar 25, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We spent our first full day in China with Lucy in March 2019 as she guided us competently through Beijing and taught us how to use the subway system to get around. We've taken a lot of tours and Lucy is the best of the best! Friendly and professional, she communicates clearly and concisely, has a good sense of humor, and has the ability to tie together the history of China, its people, and the sites of Beijing in a coherent, interesting, and fun way. She met us at our hotel and went out of her way to make sure the tour ended in an area with which we were familiar. My husband and I were very impressed with her and realized by the end of the tour, just how little most Americans really know about China. We were so glad we made the trip to celebrate our 41st wedding anniversary. Thank you, Lucy, for making our day special!
Beijing Tour Excellence!
wh161,
Jan 8, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Lucy was a wonderful guide. (16th-Dec-2018). I was looking forward to a tour of Beijing and Lucy did not disappoint! She arrived on time and was very happy to greet us! The city is full of amazing sights and Lucy was able to point them out to us and share the story and significance of each place. The Temple of Heaven and Forbidden City are a must for all first timers to Beijing. By the end of the tour, Lucy helped us feel almost like we where locals.
Highly recommend!
Jennifer T,
Oct 9, 2018
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Jason was great. He met us in our hotel lobby in the morning. We had some time to get a quick breakfast so he took us to get an authentic Beijing breakfast. Afterwards, we took the subway to Temple of Heaven and then the bus to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Jason was very helpful with providing history of the sites we were seeing, as well as Chinese history and culture in general. He also provided great recommendations for places to go where the locals frequent for a more authentic glimpse into what it’s like to live in Beijing. Highly recommend Jason to anyone thinking of visiting Beijing!
Best way to see Beijing!
Taher H,
May 5, 2018
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Lucy was our guide and she is incredible!! So knowledgeable and very funny. Her English is excellent and she answered everyone of the plethora of questions we asked throughout the day. We were able to travel around like locals, which was very fun. Going through public transportation built our confidence in getting around for the rest of the trip. The sites we visited were breathtaking, and what made them better was the rich history that Lucy shared with us! It's one thing to see a 600 year old city, it's something entirely different to understand why it was built and the story behind the rise and fall of the rulers that lived there. I would highly recommend this tour. We had a great time and saw so much of Beijing in such a short time! Thank you Lucy!
What better way to become fully...
Ginene L,
Mar 30, 2018
- Review from Viator
5.00What better way to become fully immersed in Beijing culture?! This tour was incredible and our tour advisor Roy added the perfect touch! Roy is extremely knowledgeable and engaging. There wasn’t a single answer he couldn’t answer, and our kids asked a lot! Also, public transport was very easy to do
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Operated by Unique Beijing Tours