Top Beijing Bus Tours

I had an excellent experience with this private tour to the Great Wall and Summer Palace. From the start, the company was incredibly thoughtful. I mentioned I was travelling with my parents, and they surprised us with a complimentary vehicle upgrade, which made the day even more comfortable. Our guide, Bobo, was fantastic. Shewas knowledgeable, engaging, and fully bilingual, which made a huge difference. My parents speak and understand Chinese, while I don’t, and Bobo handled everything seamlessly so all of us felt included and well-informed throughout the day. The entire trip was smooth, well-organised, and stress-free. From transport to timing, everything was handled perfectly, allowing us to just enjoy the experience. Highly recommend this company if you’re looking for a reliable and high-quality private tour.

The experience to the forbidden city was of course memorable. Our Guide was informative and extremely helpful. The day was busy with many larger tour, however with the help of our Guide’s knowledge of the sites we were able to find ways of avoiding the worst of the crowds and using short cuts to avoid many of the queues. Together with our driver he made a memorable day better

Oh man, we were SO glad to have done this tour. Doing a private tour is WAYYYY better than going on your own. Our amazing guide, Lucy, met us at our hotel with the driver right on schedule. The weather was a little foggy, so she switched up our itinerary so we could go to the Summer Palace and wait for the fog to clear before we went to the Great Wall. By the time we left, the weather was perfect and we were able to make it to the wall. She got us around the long security lines, and gave us guidance on how to go up via cablecar, walk down the wall to the chairlift/toboggan station to avoid the crowds. The walk was incredible, the crowds were manageable, and it was mostly downhill over uphill. She gave us so much information and history about The Wall as we went, and took SO many photos for us. After we got down (we were up there for a couple hours), she and our driver took us to a nice local buffet, before driving us back to Beijing. She also offered to buy tickets for an acrobatics show at a discounted price through the agency. So we did, and she even took us through the Business District to kill time before the show and show us some scenic spots, AND she and the driver waited for us after the show to pick us up. No stress, all fun, and super helpful and convenient. It was the best day we could’ve possibly had, and it’s all thanks to Lucy!!!

Our trip to the Great Wall of China was fantastic. We’re really glad we left early to beat the crowds, which made the experience even more enjoyable and allowed us to fully take in such an incredible place. Our driver, Sam, made the day even better. He was punctual, kind, and very helpful, and on the way back he showed us some interesting sights, which was a great touch. Overall, it was an awesome experience, and I would definitely recommend it.

Booked this tour on a chilly March evening. The tour group was fall at 12, but we had so much fun along the way with our new friends i’m all over the world. Lots of laughter and great food options. Tour guide Uyi was awesome and very helpful and informative. Communication with the tour company was great. One word of caution: when eating the Beijing noodles, do not put the red spice in - it is incredibly hot and can ruin the dish. Everyone who tried it, regretted it. Otherwise, the food was fantastic, including the meat bomb. I would definitely recommend this tour. It is my second tour with Lost Plate company and both were excellent.

10/5 stars ⭐️! This was a perfect quick tour of the highlights in Beijing. We had Keith for the Great Wall and he nailed it on timing and history - taking us early to miss the crowds. We basically had the wall to ourselves! Loved the Summer Palace as well- beauty and history in one! On day 2, we had Susie and she was a gem! Despite the freezing cold weather and SNOW, she was cheerful and guided us through Tienenman Square, Forbidden City, and Temple of Heaven and took us to see an acrobats show! On both days we had an authentic Chinese lunch meal (which was excellent). Overall, the tours went better than imagined and I’m glad I did it! Thanks Kieth and Susie; I will be back! A few comments: 1. There is a 3-person minimum required for each day of the tour (it’s in the descriptions). The company was very communicative with us about this as we were only 2 people on the first day. Although it seemed a little suspicious, it was genuine and the other tourist and I ended up splitting the cost of the 3rd person to keep the first day tour. We had no regrets doing this and felt great getting basically a private tour! Just be mindful this may happen if you go on an unpopular day. However, they gave us alternatives (change days, refunds), and let us decide what we wanted to do. So, it’s not a scam! 2. Physical activity. I’m a very overweight person and damn near thought I was going to die on the HILL to the Great Wall entrance. However, I took my time and was not rushed by the guide and eventually made it. The steps are quite steep on the “easy path” of the tour. I was able to go at my own pace and walk for almost an hour on the wall. The second day of the tour was mostly flat except for the climb to the Fulan Pavilion to overlook the Forbidden City (290 meters high, almost 950 foot elevation). Again - I almost died! But it’s split into 3 stopping points for you to catch your breath (or simply stop at one of the lower pavillions). However, if you make it to the top, the view is literally worth the climb. All in, on each day I cleared about 18K steps (~12 km, almost 8 miles) of walking. But, if I can do it - you can too! Wear comfortable shoes with good cushions, watch your steps for the uneven path, and take your time and you WON’T regret it!

We booked a full-day tour covering Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, a tea ceremony, the Jade Temple and the Great Wall of China (Badaling), and it turned out to be one of the most memorable days of our entire trip. Our wonderful guide Jenny picked us up right on time at 7:45am from our hotel. We were joined by a fantastic group of travellers from Australia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, which made the whole day even more fun and social. Our first stop was Tiananmen Square, where security was extremely thorough, with two levels of passport and body checks. Jenny guided us smoothly through the process and shared fascinating historical information about the square and the surrounding government buildings, including China’s Parliament House and its importance for visiting world leaders. We then continued on to the Forbidden City, where Jenny really brought history to life. She explained the story of the last emperor, how the emperor, empress, children and concubines lived, and how every area had a specific purpose – from where the emperor studied to where official meetings and royal dinners were held. Walking through such an incredible place with her detailed explanations made it so much more meaningful. Next was the tea ceremony, where we tasted several beautiful teas including Oolong, Ginseng, Jasmine, Pu-erh and fruity teas. We enjoyed it so much we purchased some ginseng tea and other varieties to take home. After that we visited the Jade Temple, where we learned that jade is China’s most important stone. Watching skilled craftsmen carve jade into intricate sculptures was truly special — it really is an art form. We even bought jade bracelets as a keepsake. Lunch was served upstairs and included stir-fried vegetables, noodles, calamari, rice, Chinese cabbage, chicken, tofu soup and even chips — everything was delicious and very filling. Then came the highlight — The Great Wall of China at Badaling. After a short bus ride, we took the cable car up, and once we stepped onto the wall the temperature dropped to around –3°C! Rugged up and excited, we walked together along the wall, up and down the incredible ancient steps. It was one of the most breathtaking and unforgettable experiences of our lives. My husband Daniel and our daughter Aarushi even braved one of the steepest sections while I cheered them on from above! Through the entire day, Jenny was absolutely amazing — warm, bubbly, professional and incredibly knowledgeable. She made everyone feel comfortable, kept the group organised, and shared China’s history in a way that was easy to understand and engaging. We cannot recommend Jenny highly enough. She truly made this tour special, and thanks to her, this day will stay in our hearts forever. If you are visiting Beijing, do not hesitate to book a tour with Jenny — you will have an incredible experience! 🌟

‘Rocky’ was our guide and we could not have had a more knowledgeable, polite, and supportive person. This was the best excursion of our entire China experience that we had several in different cities. The Forbidden City and Great Wall are true Wonders of the World and all the history and info he provided made them even more ‘true to life’ and amazing as we actually viewed and experienced them. We could only see Tiananmen Square and not enter it because it was closed for dignitaries that were visiting. This was Ok as we could better see the buildings and immense ground area it covered. As far as the Forbidden City and Great Wall goes, Rocky was very well organized, kept the participants in the group, and was very patient while answering questions and waiting on some of the slower ones. The Great Wall is simply almost indescribable. One must actually see its immense size and the type terrain it is built on to begin to appreciate it and the effort it took to build. Nothing else on earth comes close to its immense size and length. The tour itself was great in all aspects. The lunch provided a good variety of tasty food. I should note that my husband experienced a pinched nerve in his back while in the Forbidden City and he could not have made it through without Rocky and others physically helping at times. He was so kind and understanding and I can not express how much we appreciated his effort and concern.