Your tour begins with an early morning pickup from your central Beijing hotel in time for a 7am departure. Traveling by air-conditioned vehicle with your private driver, relax on the around 3-hour drive to Chengde, stopping along the way to use the restrooms or purchase refreshments if you wish.
Arrive at the Chengde Mountain Resort around 10am and enjoy up to three hours to explore the magnificent palace (entrance tickets not included). Follow in the footsteps of the Qing Dynasty emperors, eunuchs, courtiers, and concubines, as you explore the grand summer palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and admire the beautifully landscaped gardens, dotted with lakes, temples, and pavilions.
Meet back up with your driver and head to a local restaurant to enjoy a typical Chinese lunch (included). In the afternoon, continue to the Simatai section of the Great Wall, around an hour’s drive away.
Arrive around 4pm and enjoy an hour to explore independently. Perhaps climb the towers to look out over the surrounding countryside or walk along part of the wall, which is now the last remaining section of the original wall, first constructed in the 6th century and later rebuilt by General Qi Jiguang of the Ming Dynasty.
Finally, return to Beijing, where your tour ends with drop-off at your hotel around 7:30pm.
