15 Guided Tours in Beijing Worth Booking

1.MuBus: Mutianyu Great Wall ENG/ESP/RUS Guided Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,361 reviews · from $20Our pick

Ride a direct MuBus coach from Dongzhimen to Mutianyu, hear a short briefing in English, Spanish, or Russian, then explore the Wall independently for about five hours. Guides such as Kevin, Mike, Taka, and Helly are praised for clear directions. Add a buffet lunch, cable car, toboggan, or a 5-kilometer hike.

“Mike id wonderful person. He shared all the stories behind Great wall and clearly explained us in which way trek. He was constantly had touch through whatsapp during the trek to make sure we are safe. A friendly person. The experience with Mubus was nice. They provided good buffet lunch and their office was spacious to take rest”

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2.Beijing Forbidden City Ticket Booking (Optional: guide service)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,263 reviews · from $9

Reserve your Forbidden City admission for a morning or afternoon visit, then enter with your passport and explore the main halls, palace courts, and Imperial Garden. Add a guide such as Bobo, Summer, Marco, or Maggie, or upgrade to include the Treasure Gallery.

“Marco was a fantastic guide, he was funny, thorough, knowledgeable and super friendly. My friends and I had a wonderful visit with him!”

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3.Forbidden City&T-Square Small GroupTours w/ ticket(Eng/Esp Guide)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 995 reviews · from $11

Spend about four and a half hours at Tiananmen Square and Beijing’s Forbidden City with a guide such as Vanessa, Linda, Snow, or Icy. Reserved entry, an earpiece, and a group of up to 15 make the enormous palace complex easier to handle. Expect plenty of walking and a strong dose of imperial history.

“Excellent tour. Doing the tour made entry much easier and quicker. Covered both the square and Forbidden very well. Palace. well.Linda the tour guide was great.”

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4.Summer Palace Entry Ticket and Optional Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 810 reviews · 3 hours - 1 day · from $12

Choose a self-guided Summer Palace ticket, a 30 to 40 minute boat ride from Ziyu Bay, or a guided day combining Beijing sights. English-speaking guides such as Yan, Joy, Gary, and Lisa add history, transport help, and practical local tips.

“Leo was such a great guide. Really went into the history and details and was so lovely and accommodating. Sharing day to day life stories and history of Beijing. When we come back we will definitely wanting a tour with him again. Also a good photographer! Thank you Leo for such a great experience.”

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5.Hidden Gems Guided Food Tour with Beer and Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 306 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $75

Meet your English-speaking guide at Shichahai for a 2.5-kilometer evening walk through old Beijing. You’ll eat at four local restaurants, from copper-pot mutton hotpot with a bell-tower view to a tucked-away noodle shop and a rare Muslim specialty. Guides such as Janice, Tony, Winnie, and Yoyo add history and food tips.

“Delicious food and very courteous host who was very well prepared and kind.”

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6.Forbidden City Admission Ticket – With Guide Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 151 reviews · from $9

Book your Forbidden City admission in advance, then enter through Meridian Gate by showing the passport used for the reservation. Explore the Palace Museum’s grand halls, imperial garden, and vast collections at your own pace. A guide option may be available, while ticket-only bookings include no guide or transport.

“Smooth and enjoyable experience despite the large crowds. Highly recommended! The place is huge but easy to navigate.”

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7.2-Day Beijing Highlights Small-Group Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 120 reviews · from $179

See Beijing’s major sights in a group of no more than nine, with hotel pickup, tickets, lunches, and English-speaking guides such as Keith, David, Mike, and Susie. Early access to Mutianyu helps you avoid the worst crowds, while an optional acrobat show adds an evening highlight.

“Very good tour. Our guide Keith was very knowledgeable and helpful. Communication was very good. Pick up on time, good lunch.”

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8.Mutianyu Great Wall Private Layover Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 120 reviews · from $145

Use a Beijing layover to visit Mutianyu with a private English-speaking guide and air-conditioned car. Guides such as Herby and Jade have helped with airport problems as well as sightseeing. Allow time for customs, the drive, and airport security before your next flight.

“I am so sorry to write a review tilting toward negative just because of the driver. Our actual tour guide was outstanding. I would love to tour with her again. However, the way the driver drove the car, there is no other way to describe it, was like Read more”

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9.Temple of Heaven Ticket with Optional Guide Service

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 120 reviews · from $8

Visit Beijing’s Temple of Heaven independently with a prepaid QR ticket sent by WhatsApp one day ahead. Your ticket covers the park, Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, and Circular Mound Altar. Choose an optional private guide, or follow clear route advice from Li and explore at your own pace.

“Notre visite du Temple du Ciel a été très agréable, en grande partie grâce à Li. Il a été très à l'écoute et nous a donné des conseils précieux qui ont rendu notre expérience encore plus agréable et l’acces au temple facile. Je recommande vivement cette visite !”

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10.Beijing Summer Palace Entrance Ticket (with Optional Guided Service)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 118 reviews · from $7

Choose a regular or combination ticket for Beijing’s Summer Palace, or add a two-hour English-guided visit, private hotel transfers, or both. Guides such as Jay, Lucy, Vivian, Tony, and Anson have led informative visits, while independent entry lets you explore at your own pace.

“This was the last experience in Beijing before leaving and it was the best way to end our adventure. This place is absolutely gorgeous. We had a private tour with Jay who made the experience so much better with his attention to us anRead more”

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11.Mutianyu Great Wall & Forbidden City Private Layover Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 81 reviews · from $180

Use a 10 to 12-hour Beijing layover to visit Mutianyu Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City. Your private guide and driver collect you at the airport or hotel, provide bottled water and winter coats, and return you in time for your flight.

“The tour was perfect for my 15 hour Layover in Beijing. The pickup and drop off at the airport worked perfectly so i had more than enough time to catch my next flight. The tour guide was very friendly and knew a lot about the city and the GrRead more”

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12.Temple of Heaven Guided Tour with Options or Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 69 reviews · 2 - 8 hours · from $8

Visit Beijing’s Temple of Heaven with a guide such as Tony, Angela, May, or Gary, then add the Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall, Hutongs, or Tai Chi. Group tours meet at the East Gate, while private tours include hotel pickup in downtown Beijing.

“May san was very good at her services.. Explained very clearly..”

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13.Beijing Temple of Heaven Entrance Ticket (with Optional Guided Service)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 65 reviews · from $8

Book a Temple of Heaven entry ticket from $8, then scan one QR code for your whole group at the gate. Upgrade to a two-hour guided visit with guides such as Andy, Anson, or Mina, or add private hotel transfers for a simpler day.

“Ronnie was our guide! She was great and full of information! Nice thing was it's my 2nd time here and this was done way more detailed. What we like most was she was not in a rush at all to finish through the whole experience. Thank you!”

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14.Beijing Historic City Guided Walking Tour + Calligraphy Creation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · from $5

Walk Beijing’s old lanes and trading streets with an English-speaking guide, visiting Huguang Guild Hall, Liulichang, Yangmeizhu Byway, Dashilan, and Qianmen. The tour also includes a calligraphy creation element. Bring about 160 to 200 RMB for the expected tip.

“It was a huge group and it wasn't what I expected, but I'm glad I went. I thought we'd do all the big stuff like Tiananmen Square, etc. and instead we went to a Hutong neighborhood but it was good, because I learned about that instead!”

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15.ForbiddenCity & Tiananmen Square ticket with guide(optional)

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 54 reviews · 1 day · from $3Best value

Visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, then walk to Jingshan Park for panoramic views. Choose a self-guided ticket option or add an English-speaking guide. Bring your passport, leave your backpack behind, and reserve by 10 PM Beijing time the day before.

“They got back to us very quickly and helped us finalize our booking. They were also patient in answering all our questions about other attractions. Thank you so much! Highly recommended! 😁”

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