Private Summer Palace Walking Tour + Custom Scenic Route Add-Ons

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Beijing, China

2 to 8 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

The Summer Palace is a vast masterpiece of Imperial Chinese design in Beijing. On this private walking tour, your guide introduces highlights and explains the colorful characters who shaped the garden, especially Empress Dowager Cixi. See the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, the Marble Boat, and more.

Stroll the halls and gardens of the Summer Palace with a guide
Enjoy the full attention of your guide on a private tour
Flexible start times make it easy to fit in your schedule
Choose to meet at the Summer Palace or arrange your own transport

What's Included

Professional guide
Entrance fee
Private Transfer if you choose the related options

Additional entrance fees inside the Summer Palace to the museums
Gratuities
Hotel pick up or drop off if you choose to meet the guide at the Summer Palace option
Meals

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

We pick you up from the east gate of the Summer Palace. Tour guide will hold your name sign waiting in front of the ticket office

Meeting point

The Summer Palace Ticket Office
Haidian District, China, 100091
In front of the ticket office of the East gate of the Summer Palace if you choose to travel to there on your own

End points

This activity ends in a different location. See details below:

Itinerary

Summer Palace

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Beijing (Pass By)

Hall of Benevolence and Longevity

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Hall of Happiness and Longevity

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Long Corridor at the Summer Palace

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Tower of Buddhist Incense(Summer Palace)

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

十七孔桥 (Pass By)

Suzhou Market Street (Pass By)

Kunming Lake (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation

Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

5.0

based on 36 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Amazing summer palace tour with Alice J

elena_m, Nov 2025

Thank you so much for organizing such a wonderful experience in Beijing! We had an amazing time in the summer palace with Alice who was great at telling us about the history and culture of the palace and was extremely knowledgeable and gave us loads of details on the evolution of the palace and the gardens through times. We’re truly lucky for having Alice J as our guide as she is also an amazing photographer so if you want to have amazing pictures that will last for a lifetime please ask for her! She is very kind, and showered us with warmth, and professionalism. Everything was even better with Alice. And please also extend our gratitude to the driver who helped us travel through the very busy streets of Beijing. We would be happy to recommend you, and if we ever return to China, we’ll definitely reach out to you again! Many many thanks, Elena

Excellent time at the Summer Palace thanks to our guide Moko

Jerry_Y, Aug 2025

My daughter and I went on the walking tour of the Summer Palace with our guide Moko. We felt that he was an excellent guide, and we were very lucky to have been shown around the Summer Palace by him. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. His explanations were interesting, spirited, and energetic. He went at our pace and we didn't feel that it was rushed or too slow. Moko's English was excellent and we had no trouble communicating. It was a very hot day and Moko very thoughtfully gave us a spritz of a minty cooling spray and often shared the breeze from his fan towards us to help cool us down. We had done a group tour at another attraction, and we found that we much preferred having a dedicated guide to ourselves. We really enjoyed our time at the Summer Palace and Moko played a big part in that positive experience. Thanks Moko!

Great experience, Aurora...

Matthieu_L, May 2025

Great experience, Aurora our guide was great & super knowledgeable, and speaks great English :) would definitely recommend!!

Worth it.

Tayler_L, May 2024

Our tour guide, Mike, did a fantastic job. Very helpful and informative. He was also able to give me other recommendations for our time in the city. The history and context provided in the tour added a lot of richness to the experience.

Great time

Anonymous, May 2024

Be careful with the meeting point: there are several gates, and the map in the Viator map may not be accurate. Or maybe I just mistook the ending point for the starting one :) Either way, I was able to contact the guide and find the correct place. Our guide Sun was very pleasant. Her English is quite good, she also answered all our questions about the history of China. The tour was even longer than expected (which was good) The Suzhou-style canal was very beautiful (but the shops were closed). The view from the highest point is good. Unfortunately, I was unable to experience it in full because of an earlier food poisoning, but Sun was compassionate and always knew where the closest restroom was :)

Great Experience with Jessie!

Yu_M, Apr 2024

Jessie is a great tour guide! We are so lucky that she was able to arrive 30mins earlier as we reached too early. Besides, she is very knowledgeable, patient and helpful! She also recommended many good local restaurants around our hotel! Thanks for the great experience!!

Definitely a must

alexandramclendon, Oct 2023

Enjoyed my tour of the summer palace. Lili was a wonderful guide worn so much knowledge of the history and buildings. Also really enjoyed the chance to ride the subway with a guide to help me navigate. Definitely recommend this tour!

Vivian was an incredible...

Hanna_S, Aug 2023

Vivian was an incredible tour guide, so kind and informative! The tour was a lot of fun and tailored to our specific tastes and interests. A relaxing and comfortable afternoon!

A must see!

Shauna_M, May 2023

The summer palace is a must see!!! The history and lengends behind every structure, rock and statue are remarkable. Anson was a fantastic guide. He is very knowledgeable and fun! Our driver was also very friendly.

Summer Palace Tour with Qing

Yvette_A, May 2023

Our guide, Qing, was excellent. First, she was able to obtain tickets to the Summer Palace on one of the busiest days of the year, no easy feat. Her communication with us in the days leading up to the tour was tremendous. She made sure she would be able to find us on a very crowded day. Once on tour, she had great knowledge of the Palace and its history. Lots of great stories. After the tour she made sure we reached our next appointment on time and even offered a dinner suggestion. We highly recommend any tour offered by Qing.

Masterpiece of Chinese landscape and Garden design

Timothy_L, Apr 2023

This tour is a must-see during your stay in Beijing. I especially appreciated it after touring the forbidden city the day before. The monuments are both linked to the historic royal family and give extensive insights into the life and as a member of the royal family. The scale of the palace grounds and imperious buildings are astonishing. My guide was Anse, who proactively reached out the day before to confirm and organised my pick-up. On the tour itself, Anse was very knowledgeable about the Summer Palace and shared ancient stories and anecdotes to bring the sights to life. Overall I was very happy with the value for money for a private tour and transport.