Why pick a Summer Palace Beijing private tour?
A private tour of the Summer Palace in Beijing solves a problem the park itself creates: it is huge, mostly outdoors, and its gates are not interchangeable. The East Gate sits by Xiyuan station, the North Gate by Beigongmen, and the guide counters at the gates offer Chinese, English or Russian.
Timing is the second reason. The park opens at 06:00 from 1 April to 31 October and at 06:30 the rest of the year, while the Tower of Buddhist Incense, the Garden of Virtue and Harmony and the museum open from 08:00 or 08:30 and are closed on Mondays. A private visit can be built around the quiet first hours or the last entry, or stretch to the Old Summer Palace next door.
Private Summer Palace tours and guided alternatives
A private day trip with lunch, an early-morning visit with transfer, a private guided route and a walking tour from the East Gate.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Private guided route through both Summer Palaces
- English-speaking local guide
- Customizable route
A five-hour private route with a local English-speaking guide, shaped to your interests. Admission, transport, food and drinks are extra.
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Private day trip to both Summer Palaces
A private vehicle with hotel transfer, a licensed English-speaking guide, entry to the Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace, an Imperial Canal boat ticket and a Peking duck lunch. Drinks and insurance are extra.
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Early-morning or last-entry visit with transfer
Private hotel transfer and park entry. An English-speaking guide comes only with packages 2 and 3. Extra museums are not included.
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Walking tour of the Summer Palace with a guide
An English-speaking guide and park entry, without the museums and Suzhou Street. Tips, transport, food, drinks and boat tickets are extra.
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Compare a private day trip with lunch, an early-morning visit with transfer, a private guided route and a walking tour from the East Gate.
Early morning or last entry, with a driver
This is the private visit built around the clock. Park admission is included. An English-speaking guide comes only with packages 2 and 3, so choose one of those if you want commentary on the halls. Museums inside the park are extra.
It suits couples and anyone with a tight schedule who wants the park at the start or the end of the day. The price starts at $53 per person.
Five hours with your own guide
A local English-speaking guide leads you on a five-hour private route that you can shape: more time on the Long Corridor, a longer stop at the lake or a stop at the Old Summer Palace. It starts at the Summer Palace itself, and the price is for the whole group, $359 for up to five people. Entry tickets, transport, food and drinks are not included, so this is the guide only. The park ticket is 30 CNY from April to October and 20 CNY from November to March; the ticket guide lists the through ticket and the extras.
It fits families and friends who want the route to be their own.
Six hours: both palaces and lunch
The private day trip is the all-inclusive choice. A private vehicle picks you up at a hotel inside the 5th ring road, a licensed English-speaking guide takes you through the Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace, and the price covers both entries, an Imperial Canal boat ticket and a Peking duck lunch. Drinks and insurance are extra. The Old Summer Palace is a separate ruins park of 352 hectares, and the vehicle links the two parks. It costs from $264 per person.
A guided walk from the East Gate
The walking tour starts at the East Gate, a short way from Xiyuan station, and runs four to eight hours depending on the option. An English-speaking guide and park entry are included, without the museums and Suzhou Street; a Panda House add-on and hotel pickup are available only with the matching option. Tips, transport, food, drinks and boat tickets are extra. Prices start at $6 per person, and it has a 4.9 rating from 61 reviews.
What your party pays
Prices are from October 2026 and shown in USD. The day trip costs $264 per person: $528 for two, $1,056 for four. The early-morning visit costs $53 per person, so $106 for two and $212 for four.
The private route is priced per group: $359 covers up to five people. Two people pay $179.50 each, four pay $89.75 each and five pay $71.80 each. That price buys the guide and the route, while the day trip bundles transport, both entries, the boat ticket and lunch. For a party of five, the day trip comes to $1,320 in total against $359 plus tickets and transport for the private route.
Private or small group?
A shared tour is the cheaper way to see the palace if you do not need your own schedule. A Great Wall and Summer Palace day in a small group costs from $89 per person for nine hours, and it is rated 4.8 from 55 reviews; the wall section is covered in the guide to tours at Mutianyu. A two-day Beijing highlights programme is offered as private or small group from $196.
Choose the group trip when you want several sights for the lowest price. Choose private when the Summer Palace is the main event, when you travel with children or older relatives, or when you want to start at a gate and an hour that suits your party.
Questions about private tours of the Summer Palace
How much is a private Summer Palace tour for two?
The early-morning visit with transfer is $106 for two, the five-hour private route is $359 for the group, or $179.50 each, and the six-hour day trip to both palaces is $528 for two.
Which private tour includes lunch?
The six-hour day trip to the Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace includes a Peking duck lunch, both park entries and an Imperial Canal boat ticket. Drinks and insurance are extra.
Where does the private guide meet me?
The five-hour route starts at the Summer Palace. The day trip and the early-morning visit collect you at your hotel, inside the 5th ring road for the day trip and inside the 4th ring road for the early visit.
How long should I plan for?
Plan two to four hours for the early-morning visit, five hours for the private route and six hours for the day trip.