Highlights / General details
The tour starts at the northern side of Tiananmen Square, one of the symbols of Beijing. Here you can see two pairs of 600 years old stone lions, the characteristic ornamental columns, an outer golden water bridge and several other decorations that the guide will explain. The square is one of the biggest on the world, so from the distance, you will be able to see the National Flag Pole, the Monument to the People's Hero, the Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, the Great Hall of People, and the National Museum.

Then you will proceed to visit the Forbidden City, the largest and best-preserved ancient imperial palaces group in China, with 500 years of history. Here you will learn about the history of this sprawling World Heritage–listed complex, where Ming and Qing emperors once lived and ruled in opulence. Take in some of the 1,000 rooms and 800 buildings, and marvel at the exquisite luxury of imperial life. The visit along the central axis from south to north will last for about 2 hours.

After exploring the Forbidden City, you will have the opportunity to visit a Jade Carving Factory for 45 minutes. Jade carving is a very popular product in China, not only for the excellent skills artists need to do the carvings, but also because of the cultural background behind it. A traditional Chinese cuisine lunch will follow the visit.

The next activity is the Mutianyu Great Wall, the longest piece of architecture in the world, stretching from China’s east coast to China’s west desert. This section of the Wall is known for its beautiful surroundings like dense woods and rich pastures changing colors with the seasons of a year. At Mutianyu, you can hike up the side of mountain to the wall or take a cable car (at your own expense). Then you can walk over the wall passing several watch towers for different views. On the way down, you can either walk, or take the cable car or toboggan (at your own expense).

After this 2 hour’s visit, you will return to Beijing downtown, where you will have the chance to learn about the Chinese traditional medicine culture at a specialised hospital. Finishing the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel around 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm, depending on the hotel drop-off order.

Exclusion
Fee of cable car to the Mutianyu Great wall; Shuttle bus fee at the Mutianyu Great wall; Personal expenses; Gratuities (Optional).

Hours of operation
Available Tuesday to Sunday; Tour departs at 7:00am to 8:30am.
Hotel pick-up is between 6:30am and 7:30am depending on other customer’s hotel pick-up. The exact time will be informed by your guide a day before the tour starts, normally after 6:00pm, by a phone call to your hotel. If you didn't get any information about the hotel pick-up time after 10:00pm the day before the tour, please call the emergency number and they will inform you.

Duration
Approximately 7 hours; Tour ends at 4:00pm.

Location
Meet your guide at the lobby of your hotel in Beijing city center (within the third ring road).

Participant restrictions
Children under 2 years old are free of charge.
Passport details must be provided when making the reservation to buy the Forbidden City tickets.

Policies
Cancellation: 3 days prior 100% penalty. No show 100% penalty.
This product must be purchased minimum 2 days before the departure time.
Complete information, including local telephone numbers at your destination, will be included on your Confirmation Voucher.

**All information requested must be supplied or booking is subject to automatic cancellation**