Beijing Insight

Highlights / General details

Blend in with the locals by taking part in their morning exercises in Temple of Heaven Park.

Admire the magnificence of Temple of Heaven and learn the royal ritual sacrifice to heaven.

Explore the iconic Tiananmen Square and understand its local significance.

Tour the Forbidden City and discover its secrets.

Indulge in a tasty, typical local lunch.

Ride the Beijing subway and experience how locals travel around the city.

Climb to the top of Jingshan Park for great views over ancient Beijing.

Inclusion

Local English-speaking guide; Entry to Temple of Heaven Park and historical sites inside; Entry to Forbidden City; Entry to Jingshan Park; Subway fare; Lunch.

Exclusion

Drinks; Items of a personal nature; Tips or gratuities for drivers or guide.

Hours of operation

Available Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 8:00am.

Duration

Approximately 6-7 hours.

Location

Meeting point: Outside East Gate of the Temple of Heaven. You can reach this meeting point either by taking Metro Line 5 and getting off at Tiantandongmen Station, or you can take a taxi here by showing the Chinese script for East Gate of Temple of Heaven to your driver.

Finish point: Jingshan Park.

Itinerary

Looking for the ultimate Beijing city tour? This just might be it. Hit the icons, partake in local activities, ride the subway, and gain insight into life as a local right here on this Beijing city tour.

Meet your local guide at the east gate of Temple of Heaven metro station, and start your Beijing tour with a bit of morning exercise with locals in one of the city’s most popular parks and historical sites, Temple of Heaven Park. It is full of people of all ages taking part in traditional pastimes such as tai chi, fan dancing, diablo, kite flying, water calligraphy, and more.

Join in some of the activities, soaking up the park’s relaxed atmosphere. Visit the temple and ritual sites inside, where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would offer sacrifices to heaven and pray for good harvests.

From there, jump on Beijing's subway to travel to the very heart of the city for a visit to one of Beijing's icons: Tiananmen Square.

As we wander through this immense square your local guide will enlighten you as to why Tiananmen is so special to the Chinese people. From there, we'll pass through the Gate of Heavenly Peace (adorned with its famous Mao portrait) to enter the famed Forbidden City. Off-limits to most of the world for 500 years, this ‘city’ houses the best preserved cluster of ancient buildings in China, and is a must-see spot in Beijing. Discover some of its secrets and learn about some of the legends while enjoying a tour through its many buildings.

After leaving the Forbidden City, we’ll grab a simple lunch at a local restaurant to devour tasty authentic Chinese food. Then we will continue to gain a new perspective of the immensity of the Forbidden City from the top of the pagoda in Jingshan Park. High on a hill overlooking the city, this is the best place to take in stunning views of not only the Forbidden City, but the ancient heart of Beijing.

Our ultimate Beijing tour will end in Jingshan Park, where you are free to spend more time exploring or head back into the heart of Beijing to take in more of the city’s sights.

If you would like to continue to experience what real grass root like is like in the hutong areas and sample some of the most popular snacks in Beijing, feel free to join us in the afternoon Beijing food tour which starts at 4pm. Your local guide can give you more information if you are interested.

Additional Information

We will be on our feet exploring for most of the day so please make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes.

During national holidays and on weekend sights in Beijing can be extremely crowded. If you wish to avoid the busiest times we recommend visiting Beijing outside of these periods or taking your Urban Adventures tour on a weekday.

On occasion, Tiananmen Square may be closed without notice for official visits, events, or security reasons. Should this occur please note that you may not be able to visit Tiananmen Square on your Urban Adventure and we may need to enter or exit the Forbidden City through an alternative gate.

Participant restrictions

Children below the age of 6 are not permitted on this tour.

Policies

PLEASE NOTE: The Forbidden City has now implemented a "real name" ticketing system that requires us to provide visitors' full names and passport numbers when booking tickets to the Forbidden City. Guests must present passport at time of tour departure.

For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people.

If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. We'll see you at the start point.

Cancellation: 2 days prior 100% penalty. No show 100% penalty.

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**