Beijing

Culture & History

In the evening, your guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel from 18:30 to 19:00 and transfer you to the amazing Peking Opera at Liyuan Theater.  Peking Opera is the most world-known, representative and influential Chinese opera with a long history of more than 200 years. As a national cultural treasure in China, Peking Opera is also one of the three main theatrical systems in the world. It is a combination of singing, dancing, dialogue, mime, acrobatics and presenter's feelings, which can vividly express the special traits of a character. As the best place to appreciate Peking Opera, Liyuan Theater will give you an amazing night. You will really enjoy yourself and have a better understanding of Peking Opera after the show. When the show starts, your tour guide and driver will leave. After the show, you will need to get back to your hotel on your own.

Save time and money taking this dedicated bus direct to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, one of the most famous sites in the world. Climb aboard the bus departing from downtown Beijing City and arrive at Mutianyu. Follow your guide from the parking lot to take a shuttle to the admission gate. Have the option to buy the ticket combination for the wall and cable car and save time when you arrive. Enjoy 4–5 hours of free time to climb up to the 20th Watchtower to take in the scenic view. Marvel at this amazing structure you have seen in so many pictures. If you choose, take the scenic cable car and see one for the most famous attractions in the world from another point of view. Upon exiting the Great Wall, take the shuttle back to the parking lot. From there a bus will take you back to Beijing City.

Depart from your hotel in downtown Beijing at approximately 6:00 am. Enjoy a simple breakfast before starting the trip to the Jinshanling Great Wall. Start your 3-hour hike on the eastern section of the wall at 10 am with plenty of photo opportunities of the surrounding foliage, architecture, and towers along the way. Be surrounded by ancient architecture to marvel at the along this 6 km hike. Take time to enjoy the breathtaking sights along the parapets on this relatively less crowded section of the wall with room to stop and admire the views. This section of the Great Wall offers a look at each unique tower along the way, ensuring there is always something new to discover. After the included lunch, your adventure will conclude and you will be transferred back to the city. Hotel pick up is only available from select hotels located within the second ring road in central Beijing.

For this coach tour, your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel at between 7:30 AM and 8:00 AM. Drive to Hutong and take a rickshaw to visit the ancient Beijing hutong alleyway area including Drum tower, a local family and Shicha Lake. The real culture of Beijing is the culture of the hutong and courtyards, which attract more tourists from home and abroad than the high-rise buildings and large mansions. Continue to visit the Lama Temple, Yonghe Lamasery which is considered the largest and most perfectly preserved lamasery in present day China before heading out to see the lovely giant pandas in Beijing Zoo. The site is comprised of 16 different exhibition areas and halls, but one of the most popular of these is the Panda Hall. Then go to the Olympic Green and take pictures outside the Water Cube and Bird's Nest. During the trip, you have the chance to visit the Silk Arts and Pearl Shop. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped off at your hotel.

Explore the most well-known and preserved section of the Great Wall in Mutianyu. This section is a UNESCO heritage site has appeared in some Hollywood movies and has been climbed by former US President Barack Obama. Depart from Beijing at your hotel at around 7 AM with a shared pick-up or meet at the downtown station at around 8 AM. Head to Mutianyu with a convenient air-conditioned transfer. Arrive in Mutianyu at around 9-9:30 AM. Take amazing photos of the Mutianyu Wall from multiple angles - either down from the hill or up from the wall if you purchase the admission ticket option. Then, challenge yourself with a 5-6km hike from the bottom to the top of the highest station which was once a beacon. Or take an easier route with the cable car option so that you can ascend the later half directly. Enjoy around 3-3.5 hours to explore by yourself. Include a 10-dish authentic Chinese lunch at checkout and enjoy the lunch at around 12:30 PM just next to the parking lot. After finishing lunch, the bus will take you back to the famous shopping street in Wangfujing or the National Stadium (know as the "Bird's Nest") in the heart of Beijing city. If you are interested in the Chinese acrobatic show, remember to add the Acrobatic show add-on before checkout, stay on the bus and the bus will take you there to enjoy the 5:30 PM show.

Discover the history of the Great Wall on this guided day trip from Berlin. Travel aboard an airconditioned van. Visit Tiananmen Square and have an authentic Chinese lunch. Choose between a tour with or without a roundtrip cable car ride that allows you to get to the wall faster with stunning views. You'll be picked up from your hotel in Bejing in the morning and drive to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. Your guide will provide you with lots of interesting information. At the Great Wall, you can either hike on your own or take a cable car to the highest point. Enjoy a traditional Chinese lunch at a restaurant near the Ming Tombs. After lunch, marvel at Tiananmen Square before continuing to the Forbidden City, the largest royal palace in the world and the last stop on this tour. Spend some time exploring this vast complex before being transferred back to your hotel. During the day, you'll have the opportunity to visit jade factor stores and get a foot massage in a Chinese medicine shop.

Benefit from pickup at your hotel in Beijing, and then travel in comfort to the Great Wall of China at Jiankou. Embark on a 10-kilometer hike along one of the wildest sections of the Great Wall of China, and get stunning views of the surrounding mountains and untouched scenery. Climb the steps to the Zhengbei Watch Tower to start your walk along the untouched ramparts as far as Mutianyu. Constructed in 1368 during the Ming Dynasty, the Jiankou Great Wall is made of large light colored rocks and has never been restored, with some sections falling into disrepair. Face the challenge of an approximate 5-hour hike with spectacular views of jagged cliffs and scenic lookouts. Arrive at the reconstructed Mutianyu Great Wall and re-energize with a delicious lunch at a local restaurant before the return drive to Beijing. 

Benefit from early morning pickup at your hotel in Beijing city center, and then relax in air-conditioned comfort on the 2.5-hour journey to the Jinshanling Great Wall.  Located 140 kilometers (87 miles) northeast of the imperial capital, the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall of China connects to the Simatai and Gubeikou sections to the east and west, and is acclaimed for its brick-built watchtowers and dragon-like form as it snakes across the mountains. Get 3.5 hours to explore the wall and go for a peaceful walk without the usual tourist crowds to enjoy the amazing views. Break for a typical lunch at a local restaurant before the drive back to Beijing, where you will get dropped off at a subway station for your convenience. 

Day 1: Tianjin International Cruise Port to Beijing - Tiananmen - Forbidden City (L) Once the cruise ship docks in Tianjin International Cruise Port, your private guide will welcome you at the exit of the arrival hall, assist you with your luggage, then begin the 2.5-hour journey to Beijing. On the way, your guide will keep you entertained with fun facts and trivia about the city and its countless sights. Once arrival in Beijing, your tour will start from the Temple of Heaven. The magnificent and colorful Temple of Heaven was where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would make offerings to heaven and pray for full harvests.  Then, you will stop at a local restaurant for a traditional Chinese lunch. Afterwards, you will explore the Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City area. Spend about 2 to 3-hours to explore the palace and learn the detailed history and stories with your knowledgeable tour guide. After that, your will be transferred back to your hotel in Beijing.  Day 2: Summer Palace - Great Wall - Tianjin International Cruise Port (L) Check out of your hotel in the morning to begin your tour. Your first stop will be the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace is the best-kept existing royal garden in Beijing. With a concentration of the best of ancient buildings as well as styles of gardening, it is a virtual museum of traditional Chinese gardening. Then after about a 1-hour drive to the Great Wall at the Mutianyu section, stop at the local village for a delicous Chinese lunch. Then, set off on a 30 minute journey along the scenic mountains and villages to the Great Wall as your guide explains the stories and histories of the the Great Wall. Have plenty of time to enjoy the surrounding mountains and ride in a cable car or ski lift with toboggan at your discretion. Your shore excursion will then conclude back at Tianjin International Port in time for your cruise departure. The journey back will take approximately 3.5-hours. Your tour guide and driver will ensure your timely return back to the ship at Tianjin International Cruise Port.

Escape the hustle and bustle of Beijing city center and travel in the comfort of an air-conditioned van to the northeast Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China. Benefit from the services of a local guide and enjoy a tasty lunch before you decide whether to take the chairlift or brave the long hike of around 4,000 steps to reach the ramparts. Get stunning views of the surrounding forest from the top. Take a closer look at the restored brickwork and watchtowers that helped protect the imperial city and tombs from invasion. Enjoy 3 hours to explore at your own pace. Then, brave the single-rider toboggan ride back down to the foothills and experience this legendary attraction from a different perspective.