Beijing Great Wall, Gubei Water Town and Tianjin

Classic Beijing sights, plus Mutianyu, a night walk on the Simatai Great Wall from Gubei Water Town, and a day trip to Tianjin: the highlights of Beijing and Tianjin in one week.

A one-week version. In the city, see the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Qianmen, Yonghe Temple and the hutongs, and the Summer Palace and Yuanmingyuan (the Old Summer Palace). Spend one day outside the city at Mutianyu and Hongluo Temple, and another on a high-speed train to Tianjin. Then stay one night at Gubei Water Town and climb to the Simatai Great Wall in the evening. Only one night is spent outside the city; the rest are in Wangfujing. Most transport is by metro and high-speed rail, while a chartered car saves time for the Great Wall and Gubei trips.

Night tours of Simatai run year-round, but the site closes early in winter. Dress warmly from November to March.

Day by day

Day 1 · Tiananmen, the Forbidden City and Jingshan

Beijing（Tiananmen Square、The Palace Museum (Forbidden City)、Jingshan Park）

Take the airport express and then the metro, about 1 hour, to Wangfujing. Walk to Tiananmen Square, enter the Forbidden City from the south and exit to the north, then climb Jingshan.

The Forbidden City is closed on Mondays and requires reservations 7 days in advance.

Stay: Wangfujing

Day 2 · Temple of Heaven, Qianmen and Dashilar

Beijing（Temple of Heaven、Qianmen Street & Dashilar、Lao She Teahouse）

Take Metro Line 5 about 15 minutes to the East Gate of the Temple of Heaven. In the afternoon, walk or take a bus to Qianmen Street and Dashilar, and in the evening you can visit Lao She Teahouse.

Stay: Wangfujing

Day 3 · Tianjin Day Trip by High-Speed Rail

Tianjin City & Binhai（Italian Style Town、Ancient Culture Street、Wudadao (Five Great Avenues)、Haihe River）

Take the metro to Beijing South Railway Station, then the Beijing-Tianjin intercity railway for about 30 minutes to Tianjin. Walk and use the metro to link the sights, then return to Beijing by intercity train in the evening.

Intercity tickets are tight during holidays, so buy round-trip tickets in advance.

Stay: Wangfujing

Day 4 · Mutianyu Great Wall and Hongluo Temple

Beijing（Great Wall at Mutianyu、Hongluo Temple）

Take a chartered car about 1.5 hours to Mutianyu. Ride the cable car up and the toboggan down. In the afternoon, it's a 20-minute detour to Hongluo Temple, and the return to the city takes about 1.5 hours in the evening.

There is also a dedicated Mutianyu bus from Dongzhimen, but weekend morning buses are crowded.

Stay: Wangfujing

Day 5 · Gubei Water Town and the Simatai Night Great Wall

Beijing（Gubei Water Town、Simatai Great Wall）

Take a direct bus or chartered car from Dongzhimen about 2 hours to Gubei Water Town. Explore the town during the day, then take the cable car up to the Simatai Great Wall for the night tour in the evening.

Night tour tickets must be bought through official Gubei Water Town channels. If you are staying in the town, do not buy combined tickets that include admission.

Stay: Gubei Water Town

Day 6 · Back to the City: Yonghe Temple and Hutongs

Beijing（Yonghe Temple (Lama Temple)、Temple of Confucius & Imperial Academy、Nanluoguxiang Hutongs、Shichahai）

In the morning, take a bus or chartered car about 2 hours back to the city. In the afternoon, visit Yonghe Temple and the Confucius Temple and Guozijian, then walk to Nanluoguxiang and Shichahai.

Stay: Wangfujing

Day 7 · Summer Palace and Yuanmingyuan Before Leaving Beijing

Beijing（Summer Palace、Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan)）

Take the metro about 1 hour to the Summer Palace. In the afternoon, take a taxi about 15 minutes to Yuanmingyuan, then in the evening a taxi about 1 hour to Beijing Capital International Airport.

Exit the Summer Palace through the North Palace Gate to go directly to Yuanmingyuan.

Similar itineraries