About this tour
Beijing is China's history book: three imperial dynasties, a wall in the hills, hutong lanes that predate the Forbidden City, and an Olympic skyline bolted onto it all. Five days is enough to see it well — if you don't waste half of it in traffic or queues.
This is a private tour built the way we'd run it for friends. Your own car and driver, an English-speaking guide with you all five days, and one comfortable four-diamond hotel you return to every night — no changing beds, no coach crowds, no factory stops. The big sights are booked at the right hours, and evenings stay free for Peking duck and wandering.
The rhythm is deliberate: the Forbidden City on day two when you are fresh, the Great Wall on day three, two parks on day four, and an easy shared-bike citywalk on the last morning before your flight. Meals are left open on purpose — your guide recommends and books tables, from roast duck institutions to neighbourhood noodle shops.
Five days, six Beijings
The world's largest palace complex, entered at the right hour with every reservation handled before you land.
The beautifully restored stretch in the hills — grand views without Badaling's queues.
Day one, done the classic way: a rickshaw through the old lanes, then a roast duck dinner your guide books at a proper house.
A hands-on hour with a folk artisan — cut your own window flower and take it home framed.
Two UNESCO parks in one day: morning tai chi in the Temple of Heaven, then the lake and hills of the Summer Palace.
The last morning, local style: shared bikes with your guide through the older streets, coffee stop included.
Full itinerary
Pickup, hutong rickshaw & Peking duck
Meet your guide at the airport
Land at Beijing Capital or Daxing airport, or arrive by high-speed rail — your English-speaking guide and private car meet you in the arrivals hall with a name sign.
Transfer to your hotel
Roughly 45–70 minutes into the city centre depending on the airport and traffic. Your guide runs through the week and adjusts it to how you feel.
Check in and drop the bags
Check in early if the room is ready, or just leave the luggage and start exploring straight away.
Hutong lanes by rickshaw
A rickshaw loop through the old hutong districts around Shichahai — courtyard gates, grey brick lanes and everyday street life, with your guide translating as you go.
Peking duck dinner
The classic first night in Beijing. Your guide recommends a house that roasts properly and books the table — you pay the restaurant directly, no tour-group menu.
Back to the hotel
Short drive back. Tomorrow starts at the square, so take it easy tonight.
Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City & paper-cutting
Tiananmen Square
Enter the world's largest city square with your guide — the Monument, the Great Hall and the Gate of Heavenly Peace. Security and the free reservation system are handled before you arrive.
The Forbidden City
Straight through the Meridian Gate into 9,000 rooms of imperial history — the outer courts, the inner palace and the treasury galleries. Tickets are real-name booked with your passport in advance; the palace closes on Mondays.
Lunch near the north gate
A short walk or ride to a quiet restaurant your guide picks — at your own cost.
Old Beijing paper-cutting workshop
A hands-on session with a folk paper-cutting artisan: the craft, the patterns and the meaning behind them, then cut your own piece to take home.
Free evening
Wangfujing snack street, the Qianmen gate area or a quiet hutong bar — your guide points the way. Dinner on your own.
Mutianyu Great Wall & the Olympic Green
Early drive to Mutianyu
Leave the city before the traffic builds — about 90 minutes northeast into the mountains. Breakfast at or from the hotel.
On the Great Wall at Mutianyu
The most beautifully restored stretch of wall, winding along a forested ridge with 23 watchtowers. Walk east or west as your legs prefer; a cable car up and the toboggan down are available on site if you want them.
Lunch below the wall
Simple village restaurants near the entrance — trout, corn cakes and home cooking, at your own cost.
Drive back into the city
Nap in the car — most people do. About 90 minutes back to town.
Olympic Green by night
Exterior walk past the Bird's Nest stadium and the Water Cube aquatics centre, best right after the lights come on. Photos from the plaza — no tickets needed.
Back to the hotel
Dinner on your own — ask your guide for tonight's recommendation.
Temple of Heaven & the Summer Palace
Temple of Heaven in the morning
Beijingers' favourite park: tai chi, kite flyers and calligraphy Grandma writing with water on the stones, then the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests itself. Go early and you see the city at its most relaxed.
Lunch in the south of the city
At your own cost — your guide knows the places locals queue at.
The Summer Palace
The imperial lake retreat: Kunming Lake, the 728-metre Long Corridor, Longevity Hill and the marble boat. An easy afternoon of walking with the wind off the water.
Back to the hotel, evening free
Time to pack, or one more evening out — Sanlitun, a tea house or an optional acrobatics show can all be arranged.
Citywalk on shared bikes & airport drop-off
Check out, luggage stored
Bags stay at the hotel while you spend the morning like a local.
Citywalk by shared bike
Unlock a shared bike with your phone and ride with your guide through the older streets — hutong shortcuts, a canal or park stretch, a market or coffee stop along the way. The route bends to your energy level; prefer to walk instead, that works too.
Farewell lunch & last-minute shopping
One last proper meal — dumplings, zhajiang noodles or duck leftovers done right — plus time for tea and souvenirs, at your own cost.
Airport drop-off
Collect your bags and ride out with your guide — about three hours before your flight. Tell us your flight time when you book and we shape the day around it.
Times are indicative and given in local time, assuming normal traffic. During Chinese public holidays, security checks and car parks around the big sights slow everything down — your guide will re-order the day around reservation slots and conditions on the ground.
Four nights, one hotel, four-diamond standard
A centrally located four-diamond hotel — exact hotel confirmed in your quotation
One hotel for the whole stay, picked for location first: close to a subway station, away from the worst traffic, with proper breakfast before early starts.
- One king room per two travellers as standard; twin rooms on request
- Central location with subway access — the car stays a backup, not a commute
- If the hotel is unavailable on your dates we substitute one of equal standard and tell you before you pay
- Single-room supplement available — ask with your quotation
What's included, and what isn't
✓ What's Included
- Private vehicle and English-speaking guide for all 5 days
- 4 nights in a four-diamond hotel, central Beijing
- Airport pickup and drop-off — Capital or Daxing, day 1 and day 5
- Entrance tickets to the sights in the itinerary: Forbidden City, Mutianyu, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace
- Hutong rickshaw ride (day 1)
- Old Beijing paper-cutting workshop with a folk artisan (day 2)
- Shared-bike citywalk, bike unlock fees included (day 5)
- All sightseeing reservations made for you — including the Forbidden City real-name booking
- Bottled water in the vehicle, all taxes and service fees
— Not Included
- Flights or high-speed rail to and from Beijing
- All meals — including the Peking duck dinner; your guide books the tables, you pay the restaurants
- Mutianyu cable car and toboggan — optional on site, paid there
- Optional evening shows and activities (acrobatics, Peking opera)
- Personal expenses, tips and travel insurance
- Single-room supplement
- Anything not specifically listed as included
Good to know
Reservations, walking & the seasons
- The Forbidden City is closed on Mondays and uses real-name tickets released up to 7 days ahead — we book them with your passport details as soon as your dates are fixed
- Tiananmen Square needs a free advance reservation too; bring your passport every day, it is checked at entrances
- Beijing sights mean walking: the Forbidden City alone is 2–3 km. Bring comfortable shoes and pace the wall day — it has steps and slopes
- Beijing traffic is real. We schedule the Wall early, put sights near each other on the same day, and build slack around your flight on day 5
- Seasons are extreme: hot in July–August, cold and dry in winter, best in April–May and September–November. Pack layers; hotels and cars are heated
- You need a visa or a qualifying visa-free transit to enter mainland China — tell us your nationality when you enquire and we confirm what applies to you
Departure & Pickup
- Start: Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) airport, or a Beijing railway station, day 1 — your guide meets you on arrival
- End: Beijing airport, day 5 afternoon or evening — tell us the flight time and we shape the day around it
- Live guide in English throughout; Mandarin, Cantonese or other languages on request
- Want more than five days? This tour pairs naturally with Xi'an by high-speed rail — ask for a combined quotation
Frequently asked
How private is "private"?
Completely — your own car, driver and English-speaking guide, and nobody else joins. The per-person price assumes a private group of two sharing one room; solo travellers and larger groups get a tailored quotation.
Why are meals not included?
Deliberately. Beijing has too much good food to eat the same set menu every night. Your guide recommends and books — from a serious roast duck house on night one to noodle shops locals queue at — and you pay the restaurant directly, so you eat what you actually like.
What about tickets and reservations?
Handled. The Forbidden City is real-name booked up to 7 days ahead with your passport, Tiananmen Square needs a free reservation, and Mutianyu, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace are all pre-booked too. You never queue for tickets — only for the wall itself.
Why Mutianyu instead of Badaling?
Badaling is the famous one and the crowded one. Mutianyu is just as restored and dramatic, a third of the visitors, green ridges instead of car parks, and a toboggan ride down if the knees vote for it. If you have your heart set on another section — Jinshanling, Simatai — tell us and we adjust.
Can the itinerary be changed?
Yes — it is your car and your guide for five days. Common adjustments: swap the paper-cutting workshop for a hutong courtyard home visit, add half a day for the 798 Art District, or extend to Xi'an or Chengdu by high-speed rail. Tell us when you enquire.
Is it suitable for children or older travellers?
Very. There are no long drives, one hotel all week, and the pace flexes — the rickshaw, workshop and bike ride are usually the kids' favourites. Tell us the ages when you enquire and we tune the walking distances and the wall day accordingly.