Emperor's Outing Experience
This tour is designed for travelers who want to have a comprehensive understanding of the life of the imperial family in the Qing Dynasty and more about the history of China's last feudal dynasty.
After exploring the historical sites in Beijing City. You will follow an emperor's outing route. Appreciate the magnificent landscape of the Great Wall. Enjoy a short break in the royal mountain resort. And travel incognito to a small town to get close to local life as it was centuries ago.
It is possible to customize the itinerary according to your schedule and interests.
Tour 'Wow' Points
Witness the Grandeur of Beijing along its Central Axis
Visit Tian'anmen, the Forbidden City, and the Bell & Drum Tower, linked by Beijing's central axis—one of UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage Sites. Explore the symmetrical layout of the ancient capital.
Explore the Mountain Resort where Emperors Spent Their Holidays
Visit one of China's top four classical gardens. Enjoy China's splendid scenery. Appreciate the literary achievements of two famous Qing emperors.
Taste a Tibetan Flavor in the 'Little Potala Palace'
Admire great religious architecture combining traditional Chinese and Tibetan styles. Discover a history of multi-ethnic harmony and unity during the Qing Dynasty.
Witness the Most Picturesque Section of the Great Wall
Walk on the spectacular Great Wall at Jinshanling. See both a restored section and a wild section of the Wall.
Time Travel back to the China of Old
Take pictures of an authentically recreated resort in the style of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Experience the traditional folk cultures in Gubei Water Town.
Dress in Traditional Han Clothing for a Memorable Photo Shoot
Travel back in time to the Qing Dynasty when touring the historical sites with a traditional dress.
Walk into the Underground Palace of the 'Dragon Lady'
Visit the less-touristy Eastern Mausoleums of the Qing Dynasty. Admire the great "palaces" and halls and explore the exquisite underground "palaces" where the coffins of Emperor Qianlong and the 'Dragon Lady' Cixi reside.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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Amazing and Effortless Experience Overall!
China Highlights is totally legit and they planned our visit in Beijing perfectly, they were also great with being flexible to meet our unique needs and timelines, with multiple changes on the fly. Our guide in Beijing, William, was amazing as well! William was friendly, kind, thoughtful, funny, and also was great at keeping us on track timing-wise (as we didn’t make this particularly easy for him lol). Cannot recommend both China Highlights and William to anyone else looking to visit China for the first time! more
Jun 2025, jamesrkable
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A culture of hospitality and smiles
Beijing was prettier and far less crowded than anticipated. Colin aka Po Po, our guide, enhanced the experience with his knowledge and wicked sense of humour. He made every moment special for us.We spent about three days in Beijing and surrounds. China highlights offerings were high quality, including accomodation, car, driver, guide and selection of real local restaurants. Being vegetarian wasn’t an issue at all. Visiting historical quarter of Beijing along with Hutong walk and Confucius Beijing temple were unique experiences- which became more special with Colin’s interest in philosophy and wonderful global perspective. Despite language barriers- we were greeted by scores of locals with genuine smile and curiosity. We shall be back (hopefully with Colin) to explore this wonderful culture. more
Jun 2025, Inderjeet
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Beijing group tour
We had a group tour for our clients and William was our guide. He was knowledgeable, kind and flexible throughout the tour. Our clients loved the way he explained diverse topics. We would recommend him for our future groups too.Thank you William and God bless! more
Jun 2025, Prima Rodrigues
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Itinerary Quick Look
Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour according to your interests.
Your private guide will be ready to meet and greet you at the arrival hall. A comfortable private car with an experienced driver will transfer you directly to your hotel. The rest of the day is your own to explore Beijing.
After breakfast, Starting with Tian'anmen Square You will visit the famous sites on Beijing's central axis, including the Forbidden City.
In the Forbidden City. Your guide will help you explore carefully-selected places in the Forbidden City. In addition to giving a background introduction on architecture, history, and art of the city, your guide will explain to you stories of the famous figures in the 2 dynasties and help you to trace elements of their lives here.
Capture some photos of the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower, which told time in ancient days. Then head to the Qianmen Avenue to imagine the area's past prosperity and feel its renewed vitality. And enjoy a magnificent view of Beijing's central axis from Zhengyangmen Arrow Tower.
Attend a recreated Chinese court banquet in the evening. Experience the profound depth of China's ancient civilization, creating unforgettable memories of Beijing.
Today, you'll enjoy an immersive tour of the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace, a royal garden. Before visiting these sites, you'll change into traditional Hanfu attire, dressing up as an ancient Chinese person. This fun experience allows you to engage with China's history and culture while capturing unique photos that will hold beautiful memories.
In the morning, your guide and driver will take you to the Temple of Heaven – a place where emperors used to pray for a good harvest. The Park is full of life. Immerse yourself in the lives of local people – now and centuries ago – through joining in local elderly people's morning activities.
Visit the Summer Palace in the afternoon. It is where the emperors used to retreat from the summer heat.
Your guide will show you the palace area and the lake area. The best way to do sightseeing at the Palace is by taking a dragon boat on the lake. On the way, you will have a chance to view all the beautiful palaces around the lake.
Starting from Beijing, you will drive about 2 hours to get to the Jinshanling Great Wall section. It snakes along a mountain ridge and enjoys the reputation of being the most picturesque section of the Great Wall. You will take a cable car up and down and enjoy a well-restored section and a wild section of the Wall.
Visit Chengde Mountain Retreat in the morning. Enjoy its palaces, gardens, pavilions, bridges, lakes, and calligraphy left by the two greatest emperors of the Qing Dynasty.
Taste some typical local snacks of Chengde, such as almond tea, almond tofu, and stir-fried doughballs.
Explore the 'Little Potala Palace' — Putuo Zongcheng Temple and Puning Temple in the afternoon. Admire magnificent architectural complexes that combine traditional Chinese and Tibetan styles, and witness the marks of unity between Han, Manchu, Mongolian, and Tibetan peoples. .
Drive back to Beijing and stay overnight in Gubei Water Town. Walking around this town will make feel that you are have traveled back in time to imperial China. But it is different from the royal gardens of Chengde Mountain Retreat. It is more about the life of the ordinary people of old China.
Learn about traditional folk culture activities such as kite-making, tie-dying, and wine-making.
Enjoy a relaxing night at Guibei Water Town. The night view of the Simatai Great Wall from the village will impress you a lot.
Other options:
1. If you are interested in the history of the Qing Dynasty and prefer an off-the-beaten-path experience, the Eastern Mausoleums of the Qing Dynasty are recommended on the way back from Chengde back to Beijing. Compared with the 13 Ming Tombs, they are less touristy and much quieter. See magnificent "palaces" and halls above ground and palatial underground catacombs where the coffins of Emperor Qianlong and 'the Dragon Lady' Cixi lie.
2. If you prefer more landscape sightseeing and have two more days, you can choose to go farther north to the beautiful forest and grassland where the emperors hunted in the old time. It is on the border between Hebei Province and Inner Mongolia.
Your guide and driver will transfer you to the airport or train station for your next destination.
Hotel Selection
—the Icing on the Cake
Boutique hotels are recommended to enrich your travel experience.
Price Includes:
- Private air-conditioned business car with big windows and ample space
- English speaking local guide
- Activities, hotels, and meals listed in the itinerary
- 24/7 helpline for while you are traveling
Tour code: bj-13