Beijing · CITY TOURS
89 reviewed
One well-planned city tour can string the Forbidden City, a hutong and a duck dinner into a single day without the wasted taxi hours. Below are the best Beijing city tours, ranked: what each covers, whether tickets and lunch are included, private versus small-group, and the price for a full day out.
Guided Forbidden City and Tian’anmen Square visit with Palace Museum tickets included, live English commentary, and optional Coal Hill views.
“Miko was a very good guide, precise and interesting info; showing us also hidden gems of the site :)”
Guided Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City tour with reserved entry, multilingual guides, and smooth crowd navigation for as low as $17.
“It was a great experience.The guide Michael explained the history very well.Value for money.”
Private day trip in Beijing covering Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Mutianyu Great Wall with hotel pickup, lunch, and ride access.
“This tour was incredible. With convinient pickup, comfortable ride, walking on the great wall, tobaggan ride down the mountain and finishing the day with some tea tasting, it was a day to remember. Our tour guide Lucy was amazing.”
A small-group Forbidden City walk with prebooked entry and guided Ming and Qing stories, plus optional Tiananmen or Jingshan views.
“It was a fun tour with John as my guide. It was informative. It was a bit confusing finding the starting location and maybe it should have a link for didi to get there and instructions that you have to go through a security checkpoint before the meeting place.”
Small-group Beijing day tour with pickup. Tiananmen Square, skip-line Forbidden City, and Mutianyu Great Wall. Lunch and tickets included.
“We had a great day on this tour with our guide Helen. She was very knowledgeable about Tienanmen Square, the Forbidden City and of course, the Great Wall. It is a long day but well worth it. Pick up was on time and the coach was coRead more”
English or Spanish guided tour pairing Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, with ticket help and a Royal Treasures Museum visit.
“The meeting point could be closer to the entrance, because it's a lot of walking inside the palace anyway.”
Skip the lines with passport entry to the Forbidden City. $9.98 ticket, 3–4 hours, optional guide or Treasure Gallery.
“Entrance ticket is not that easy (almost impossible) to get by our own. Fortunately this agency, cheapest found, does it for us... of course with some fees. And they apply senior>60y fare ! Let's see, official fare for senior is abt 3€. I have paid them 6,8€... costing some 3€ to avoid headache ? Bookable months in advance ? It deserves !”
Guided Tian’anmen Square and Forbidden City waking tour with reserved entry, English-speaking guide, and Temple of Heaven history stops.
“Huang was fantastic. Great stories and very knowledgeable. He looked after us very well!”
Guided Tiananmen Square plus Forbidden City highlights with tickets, audio headset, and a small group pace. Stress less, see more.
“Ivy manage to get us through the big queues quickly and had a lot of interest insights. I recommend the 8 am tour”
Use your passport to enter Beijing’s Forbidden City, with flexible morning/afternoon slots and optional Tiananmen Square and Mutianyu add-ons.
“Whenever I travel to China, I am always amazed by its glorious history and countless treasures. However, I believe the greatest treasure of all is the deep love and patriotism that the Chinese people have for their country. During this trip, what impressed me most were the many Chinese people who carried their national flag with pride, and the Chinese families I encountered along the way. With such strong patriotism, China is destined to become the greatest nation in the world.”
See Beijing’s must-dos in 2 days: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Great Wall at Mutianyu, Temple of Heaven, Hutong rickshaw, Lama Temple, Summer Palace.
“Our 2-day mini trip in Beijing was absolutely unforgettable! From the majestic Great Wall to the Forbidden City and other iconic highlights, every moment was perfectly organized and full of insight. Both Helen and Rocky were truly exceptional Read more”
A private, customizable half-day walk through Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, with hotel pickup, guide help, and timed admissions.
“Cindy was an excellent guide. She was prompt and gave us lots of info and stories through out the day. She even stayed longer to help us find both the treasury and clock museum as she was concerned about us getting lost. She told us best way to exit after so we could get a taxi back to our hotel.”
See Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven in one day with hotel pickup, lunch, and tickets.
“It was alright. We booked in because we were anxious we wouldn't be able to see everything since our trip was during the golden week. We managed to see everything efficiently. And in the plus side, our guide helped us skip lots of lines. We were very stressed the day before because we were sending them messages and trying to call them in fear that the excursion would be cancelled but they didn't reply. When we saw that they actually came the next day we were so relieved. For the tour guide, if you're reading this: Please try to sum up the information you want to say. It's very tiring…”
Beijing essentials in one day: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, and Badaling Great Wall with pickup, lunch, and jade shopping for $99.
“Lots of sales pitches for jade, tea and Chinese medicine. Also cash needed for cable car and tips . Otherwise it was a very good trip”
Express entry Forbidden City tour with hotel pickup and all fees included. Small group, 4 hours, Treasures Museum stop.
“We very much enjoyed the tour Jeffrey took us of the Forbidden City. He was very knowledgeable, kind, patient and informed us of various very interesting details we otherwise would not have known. My 14 year old daughter was very engaged and interested. Highly recommend!”
