Beijing: Panda House, Summer Palace, Old Hutong &Temple of Heaven
Description
Let your experienced local private guide take you to explore Beijing’s most iconic landmarks on one unforgettable full-day tour. Get up close to adorable giant pandas, discover the magnificent charm of the Summer Palace, wander through time-honored ancient Hutongs, and visit the revered Temple of Heaven. Important Note: The Temple of Heaven is closed every Monday. Should this fall on your tour date, the itinerary will be adjusted accordingly, with a visit arranged to Yonghe Temple (Lama Temple) as an alternative attraction.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your friendly private guide at your hotel or the designated meeting point at the scheduled departure time. Then head to the Panda House in Xicheng District, where you can observe the adorable giant pandas up close. In the morning, you’ll have the chance to watch them enjoying their breakfast.
Next, your knowledgeable guide will lead you on a fascinating tour of the Summer Palace, once the magnificent imperial garden of the Chinese royal family. With over 3,000 rooms, this vast complex is brimming with exquisite pavilions, graceful bridges, iconic long corridors, and ancient temples. As you stroll through, your guide will share vivid stories and historical insights, bringing this royal retreat to life.
Your guide will take you on a delightful walking tour through Beijing’s ancient Hutongs. Stroll along narrow, winding lanes lined with traditional courtyard residences, immerse yourself in the genuine lifestyle of old Beijing, and listen as your guide tells fascinating stories and shares local traditions behind these century-old alleys. You will get an intimate glimpse of local daily life, creating an authentic, immersive and unforgettable Beijing experience. Lunch will be arranged within the Hutong area, featuring a wide selection of local delicacies and traditional snacks for you to choose at your leisure. Ample free time will be provided for you to sample authentic local cuisine. Lunch is at your own expense for the standard tour. For guests booking the all-inclusive package, lunch is fully included and covered in the tour price.
Continue your visit to the Temple of Heaven, once a sacred site where ancient emperors held grand ceremonies to worship Heaven and pray for good harvests. Besides its magnificent ancient architecture, you’ll also witness lively daily scenes in the surrounding park, with locals practicing tai chi, singing, dancing and enjoying leisure activities. In case the Temple of Heaven is closed on Mondays, we will visit Yonghegong (Lama Temple) instead. As a famous Tibetan Buddhist temple with a long history, it features splendid halls, exquisite Buddha statues and a strong religious atmosphere, offering a unique glimpse into Beijing’s Buddhist culture.
At the end of the tour, your driver will transfer you back to your original departure point or any downtown hotel you specify.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
This tour only provides hotel pick-up and drop-off services in the downtown city. This service does not apply to the "Meet at Regent Hotel" option. If your hotel is not listed, please specify it in special requirements.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- In case the Temple of Heaven is closed on Mondays, we will visit Yonghegong (Lama Temple) instead
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- For the Meet at Grand Hotel group tour option. Kindly note that your itinerary may be cancelled with a full refund if the group size is less than 3 people.
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
Reviews(110)
We had an amazing day on the Beijing: Panda House, Summer Palace, Old Hutong & Temple of Heaven tour, and our guide, Lucy, made all the difference. Lucy’s English is outstanding, making everything easy to understand and enjoyable to follow. She is kind, punctual, thoughtful, and genuinely cares about her guests. She also took incredible family photos for us, which was such a nice bonus. The private driver was absolutely worth it. Being dropped off at one entrance and picked up at another made the day incredibly efficient, especially since we were traveling with a child. Lucy also gave us a great lunch recommendation and even helped us fit in an early breakfast near the zoo, even though it wasn’t part of the itinerary. The pandas were unbelievably cute, and Lucy knew exactly how to navigate the Panda House to make sure we saw all three. The Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven are iconic attractions that need no introduction, but having Lucy explain their history before we explored and point out fascinating details along the way made us appreciate them so much more. The biggest surprise of the day was the Old Hutong. We absolutely loved it, and it ended up being one of our favorite parts of the tour. Lucy continued to go above and beyond even after the tour. She shared helpful tips for the rest of our time in Beijing and even helped us arrange tickets for an amazing Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatic show. Overall, this was one of the best guided tours we’ve taken. The itinerary is excellent, the private transportation makes the day seamless, and Lucy’s knowledge, professionalism, and warmth elevated the entire experience. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Beijing, and if you have the chance, ask for Lucy. She is fantastic.
Dear Guest Thank you for sharing such a detailed and wonderful review! We are overjoyed that you had an incredible day exploring the Panda House, Summer Palace, ancient Hutongs and the Temple of Heaven, and that Lucy made your tour truly exceptional. It is lovely to hear how impressed you were by her excellent English, thoughtful personality, punctuality and sincere care for every member of your family. We really appreciate that she captured beautiful family photos for you as a lovely extra touch. We are glad the private vehicle brought you great convenience. Drop-off and pick-up at different entrances saved plenty of time, which was especially ideal for your trip with a child. We’re thankful Lucy offered fantastic lunch suggestions and even helped you arrange an early breakfast near the zoo beyond the planned itinerary. We are happy you got to see all three pandas thanks to Lucy’s familiarity with the Panda House. Her insightful historical introductions and tips on hidden highlights at the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven allowed you to gain a deeper understanding of these famous landmarks. It was wonderful to know the Old Hutong visit became an unexpected favourite part of your day. We are deeply touched that Lucy kept going the extra mile once the tour finished. She shared valuable travel advice for your remaining stay in Beijing and assisted you with tickets for the spectacular acrobatic performance. Your recognition means a great deal to our whole team. We will forward every warm compliment directly to Lucy. We highly recommend this tour to all visitors to Beijing, and we hope to welcome your family back soon for another memorable adventure with Lucy! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
This tour was amazing. Our guide Bruce was talking about history and płacącej that we visited with passion. We would go again! I recommend Bruce and this tour.
Dear magda, Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled you had such an amazing tour experience. Bruce shared vivid historical stories about every attraction with great passion, which made your sightseeing much more meaningful. We’re glad you would love to join us again and sincerely appreciate your recommendation of Bruce and our tour. We will pass all your warm praise to Bruce immediately. Wish you wonderful travels ahead! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
We had a wonderful day with our guide Wendy today. She was very professional, with engaging and interesting explanations. The itinerary she arranged was very reasonable. She was as friendly as a friend. The driver drove smoothly and the service was excellent. I highly recommend Lily's tour and also specifically recommend that Wendy be our guide again next time.
Dear Guest Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so glad you had a fantastic day with guide Wendy. She delivers professional and vivid historical explanations, crafted a well-balanced itinerary, and treated you warmly like a friend. The driver offered smooth rides and thoughtful service all day long. We will pass all your kind compliments to Wendy at once. You are more than welcome to request Wendy for your next Beijing trip, and we look forward to seeing you again soon! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
I did this tour with my tour guide Sunny !she is a very good guide ,very knowledgeable and funny ,we got to see everything on the itenary,highly recommended Sunny and this company
Dear Guest Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so glad you had a fantastic tour with Sunny. She’s full of rich knowledge and great sense of humor, and made sure you covered all spots on the itinerary. We will pass your warm compliments to Sunny immediately. Hope to welcome you back soon! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
Sunny and our driver Mr. Yang did a great job taking us around to the Pandas, Summer Palace, and Temple of Heaven and explaining the history and meaning behind everything we saw. All of the itinerary was amazing. Sunny also offered an option to attend an acrobatic show at additional cost that ended up being a highlight of the day. Don't miss it.
Dear Guest Thank you for your fantastic review! We’re delighted Sunny and Driver Mr. Yang delivered a wonderful tour covering the Panda Base, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven with detailed cultural explanations. We’re glad the optional acrobatic show recommended by Sunny turned out to be your favorite highlight. We’ll pass all your kind compliments to Sunny and Mr. Yang. Hope to welcome you back soon! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
I had a good time today with Sunny !Sunny is so helpful and knowledgeable .reall recommend this company ,make sure ask sunny as your tour guide
Dear Guest Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so glad you had a wonderful day with thoughtful and knowledgeable Sunny. We will send your warm compliments to her right away. Feel free to request Sunny for your next Beijing trip! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
We saw the sights and Jerry was informative and willing to go the extra mile to make sure all was good.
Dear Michael, Thank you for your review! Glad Jerry offered thoughtful, detailed guidance and took great care of you. We’ll share your nice words with Jerry. Regards Lily's Beijing Team
Sunny was a fabulous tour guide! She was very accommodating and speaks great English. I’d highly recommend her and this tour!
Dear Guest Thank you for your fantastic review! We are delighted Sunny accommodated all your needs and communicated smoothly with her great‑level English. We will share your warm feedback with Sunny right away. Hope to welcome you back on your next trip to Beijing! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
What a day, thank you Rita (my guide). First stop was visiting the Panda House, beautiful beings that we need to protect, saw 4 pandas on this day which is very good. Next stop was the Summer Place. The lake and the mountains in the background are beautiful. Boat ride to the Palace, the buildings and architecture are something to see. Rita’s historical knowledge satisfied my historical appetite. From there Rita took me to the Hutong district, again excellent history and the shops and restaurants are quaint. Rita then took me lunch at a local noodle house, best meal I had in Beijing. Our last stop was the Temple of Heaven. Beautiful grounds and Rita’s historical knowledge is amazing. The temple is beautiful. Thank you Rita for an unforgettable day, that I will not forget for a while.
Dear John Thank you so much for your lovely and detailed review! We’re absolutely delighted you had such a fulfilling day exploring Beijing with Rita. It’s wonderful that you got to see four lovely pandas at the Panda House and gained a deeper understanding of wildlife protection. The breathtaking scenery of the Summer Palace, including its lake, mountains and stunning ancient architecture, paired with the relaxing boat trip, must have been incredible. We’re glad Rita’s rich historical stories fully satisfied your interest in history. It warms our hearts to hear you loved the charming Hutong lanes with unique local shops and eateries, plus the authentic noodles at the local restaurant which you rated as your best meal in Beijing. At the Temple of Heaven, Rita’s insightful commentary helped you fully appreciate the grand, elegant grounds of this sacred site. We will pass all your sincere thanks and praise to Rita right away. It makes us so happy this full-day tour left you with precious, unforgettable memories. We hope you can come back to Beijing and discover more wonderful sights with us someday! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
My experience with Jeffery was incredible; I had some complications with WeChat, and he helped me at all times, adapting the tour based on my time needs. He was very understanding and made this tour a great anecdote.
Dear Guest Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so glad you had an incredible experience with Jeffrey. It’s great to hear he patiently helped you resolve all your WeChat issues and flexibly adjusted the tour schedule to fit your time needs. His thoughtful and considerate service made your trip memorable. Thank you for your kind feedback, hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in China! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
