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Summer Palace, Beijing

PreeChina · Route Guide

Summer Palace Day Trip from Beijing

4 stops within 8 km of Summer Palace. A sample itinerary that PreeChina can turn into a private, custom or tailor-made tour.

1 day4 stopsStart: Summer PalaceWithin 8 kmUSD 305 per person, 2 travelers

At a Glance

Route Quick Facts

Anchor
Summer Palace (颐和园)
Stops
4, anchor first
Radius
All within 8 km of the anchor
City
Beijing
Anchor to Centre
16 km, straight line
Length
1 day

Price

Price of This Private Tour

Per person, in US dollars. The price covers the guide, the ground service, and the transport, meals and tickets in the itinerary, and it falls as the group grows. What a price includes and leaves out.

Estimated price per person for Summer Palace Day Trip from Beijing, by number of travelers
Travelers246810152030
Day tripUSD 305USD 220USD 185USD 175USD 160USD 155USD 145USD 135

Premium hotels and first-class rail raise the price: the selectors on Private Tours show by how much. The final price is confirmed in writing before anything is booked.

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Why This Route

Summer Palace and What Lies Within Reach

The Summer Palace in Beijing grew from the Garden of Clear Ripples, which Emperor Qianlong built in 1750 to 1764. Anglo-French forces destroyed much of it in 1860, and the Guangxu court rebuilt it for Empress Dowager Cixi. Longevity Hill rises above Kunming Lake.

Summer Palace lies 16 km from central Beijing in a straight line. This route stays within 8 km of it. The stops are Dazhong Temple Ancient Bell Museum, Beijing Stone Carving Art Museum, Xiangshan Park.

The Beijing city guide covers the city itself.

Itinerary

Summer Palace Itinerary: 4 Stops Around It

The Day

  1. 1

    Summer Palace (颐和园). An imperial garden built around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill.Start here.

  2. 2

    Dazhong Temple Ancient Bell Museum (大钟寺古钟博物馆). The only museum of bells in China, in a temple of 1733.6.3 km from the previous stop, 6.3 km from Summer Palace, straight line

  3. 3

    Beijing Stone Carving Art Museum (北京石刻艺术博物馆（五塔寺）). Built around the Diamond Throne Pagoda of 1473, one of the earliest in China and an Indian form built by Chinese hands.2.8 km from the previous stop, 7.7 km from Summer Palace, straight line

  4. 4

    Xiangshan Park (香山公园). The Qing imperial garden called Jingyi, on a hill of 575 m.13 km from the previous stop, 7.4 km from Summer Palace, straight line

Stops run from Summer Palace outward, each next stop being the closest one left. We do not list clock times here: your private itinerary sets the pace, the order and the start time with you.

Map

Map of the Stops

The gold marker is Summer Palace. Numbers follow the route order. We do not draw a line because it would not follow roads.

Stop by Stop

The Stops

Summer Palace, UNESCO Site
1
UNESCO Site

Summer Palace (颐和园)

Start of the route

The Summer Palace in Beijing grew from the Garden of Clear Ripples, which Emperor Qianlong built in 1750 to 1764. Anglo-French forces destroyed much of it in 1860, and the Guangxu court rebuilt it for Empress Dowager Cixi. Longevity Hill rises above Kunming Lake.

2
Museum

Dazhong Temple Ancient Bell Museum (大钟寺古钟博物馆)

6.3 km from Summer Palace, straight line

The only museum of bells in China, in a temple of 1733. The Yongle bell, cast in the early 1400s, weighs 46.5 tonnes and carries 230,000 characters of Buddhist text on its surface, more inscribed words than any other bell.

Beijing Stone Carving Art Museum, Museum
3
Museum

Beijing Stone Carving Art Museum (北京石刻艺术博物馆（五塔寺）)

7.7 km from Summer Palace, straight line

Built around the Diamond Throne Pagoda of 1473, one of the earliest in China and an Indian form built by Chinese hands. Two 600-year-old ginkgos stand beside it. Jesuit gravestones, Matteo Ricci's among them, are in the collection.

4
Park

Xiangshan Park (香山公园)

7.4 km from Summer Palace, straight line

The Qing imperial garden called Jingyi, on a hill of 575 m. Known for maple colour between mid-October and early November, when it is very crowded. Biyun Temple stands inside the grounds.

Distances

Distance From Summer Palace

#StopTypeFrom Summer PalaceFrom previous
1Summer PalaceUNESCO Site--
2Dazhong Temple Ancient Bell MuseumMuseum6.3 km6.3 km
3Beijing Stone Carving Art MuseumMuseum7.7 km2.8 km
4Xiangshan ParkPark7.4 km13 km

Straight-line distances. Road distances are longer.

Getting There

Visiting Summer Palace From Other Cities

FromStraight lineWe plan it asGuide
Beijing16 km1 dayCity guide
Tianjin125 km1 dayCity guide

Straight-line distances from the city centre. Road and rail distances are longer. Your private itinerary sets the pace and the order with you.

Independent Travel

Doing This Route Independently

Arranging these 4 stops yourself keeps the budget lower. It also means booking each one and the transfers between them. Compare a private tour with independent travel, or ask PreeChina to plan it.

Custom Tour

Turn This Into a Private, Custom Tour

This route is a starting point: 1 day and 4 stops. PreeChina plans it as a private, tailor-made trip and changes the stops, the days and the pace to your group.

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Questions

FAQ

How far is Summer Palace from central Beijing?

Summer Palace lies 16 km from central Beijing in a straight line. The road distance is longer.

What is near Summer Palace?

The stops on this route, with straight-line distances from Summer Palace, are Dazhong Temple Ancient Bell Museum (6.3 km), Beijing Stone Carving Art Museum (7.7 km), Xiangshan Park (7.4 km).

Which stop is closest to Summer Palace?

Dazhong Temple Ancient Bell Museum, at 6.3 km in a straight line.

How many days does this route need?

We plan it as 1 day. Your private itinerary sets the pace and the order with you.

Who is this route not a good fit for?

Anyone who wants a full day at one place. The route moves between 4 stops, so the visit at each is shorter.

Plan More

Nearby Routes and Tour Types

Things to Do Near Forbidden City, BeijingBeijingThings to Do Near Temple of Heaven, BeijingBeijingThings to Do Near Beihai Park, BeijingBeijingBeijing city guideWhere to stay, eat and go

See all PreeChina route itineraries

Explore More

This route is in Beijing. The province page lists its city guides, themes, museums and other routes.

Related

Keep Exploring Beijing

Attractions in and around Beijing

Routes and day trips

Theme maps

Background reading

Plan This Route as Your Private Tour

Tell us when you arrive in Beijing, who is travelling and how much time you have. We build the route around your group.

Plan My Custom Tour See Pricing