Beijing Essence & Great Wall Hiking 5 Days Tour

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Short Hutong Tour in Xicheng District, Treasure Houses
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch, Chinese Dinner at Roasted Duck at Hepingmen

Detail Itinerary:
The Forbidden City (2 hours): The Imperial Palace, where 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties resided. Located in the center of the central axial line of Beijing, the Palace Museum was firstly constructed in 1406. It has more than 9,000 halls and rooms, and contains a large number of valuable cultural relics. The Palace Museum is a national AAAAA scenic area.
Tiananmen Square (50 minutes): Located in the center of Beijing, Tiananmen Square is the largest city central square in the world with an area of 440,000 square meters. Tiananmen (Gate of the Heavenly Peace), was the front gateway of the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, where imperial edicts were made public. The inauguration ceremony of the People’s Republic of China was held here on October 1, 1949. In the center of the square stands the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao
Short Hutong Tour in Xicheng District (1 hour): Mainly developed in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, Hutongs of Beijing are the old lanes of the city which have witness the vicissitudes of time. Hundreds of Hutiongs of the city are mainly concentrated on the area around the Forbidden City. This area preserves proudly the original appearance of the city. In this one hour tour, you can hop on a rickshaw to ride through the narrow alleys as well as visit a local family then walk on the Silver Ingot Bridge (Yinding Bridge) and find out about the different thresholds of the courtyards.
Treasure Houses (30 minutes): Treasure house has undergone 4 time renovations, the present one takes up almost 220 square metres, more than 440 treasures on display belonged to Qing dynasty royalty, half of which have not never been on display in the old one. It's worthy of visiting.
Roasted Duck at Hepingmen: Hepingmen Quanjude Restaurant enjoys a high reputation among domestic and overseas customers for its Beijing roast duck. They have developed their own technique and are famous for outstanding quality. It was established in 1979 and located beside Hepingmen Gate (Peace Gate). The well-known All-Duck Banquet is headed by QUANJUDE roast duck and supported by over 400 dishes with QUANJUDE characteristic flavor.
 

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: Hiking from the Jinshanling Great Wall to Simatai Great Wall
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

Detailed Itinerary:
Hiking from the Jinshanling Great Wall to Simatai Great Wall: Jinshanling Great Wall section is an ideal place for hiking enthusiasts to test themselves against its steep gradients and to enjoy the landscape. Jinshanling to Simatai section is a distance of about 10 km. Only partly restored, it's less crowded, and provides a unique view of the Wall, watchtowers and magnificent scenery. A flying fox (optional) operates at the end of the hike to take hikers to the bottom. This provides a spectacular view of the scenery around and the reservoir under the cable car. Comfortable walking shoes and protection from the weather are a necessity.

Hiking Tips
1. Wear comfort walking shoes and clothes suitable for outdoor activities.
2.  Bring water, sunblock, sun-glasses, and cap etc.
3. Spring and autumn are the best times, when the temperatures is humidity and relative lower.
 

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Beijing Olympic Green(outside tour of Bird's Nest and National Aquatics Center), Pearl store
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

Detail Itinerary:
Temple of Heaven (1.5 hours): Constructed in 1420(the 18th year of the Yongle reign period of the Ming Dynasty), the Temple of Heave was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshiped heaven and prayed for good harvests. It has been included into the UNESCO World heritage List. Well know for its precise outlay, unusual architectural structures and spectacular architectural complex for praying in China. The temple of heaven covers the total area of 2,700,000 square meters. The surrounding gardens are full of interesting activities, particularly weekend mornings.
Summer Palace (1.5 hours): Constructed in the Qing Dynasty, the Summer Palace was an imperial garden. It displays excellent gardening art and gathers tens of thousands of precious cultural relics. You can expect to spend 2-3 hours here. Renovations (complete in 2010) mean that an individual section or building may be closed at any one time, but this is a huge site. Wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
Beijing Olympic Green(outside tour of Bird's Nest and National Aquatics Center) (1 hour): Located at the north end of the central axis of Beijing City, Olympic Green hosts 50% of the competitions in the Olympic Games. With a large area of 1215 hectares, it contains a 760 hectares green forest, National museum, exhibition area, Olympic Village and Olympic competition avenues. Approximately 31 venues are used in Beijing Olympics, including National Stadium, the Bird's Nest and National Aquatics Center. You will explore the park, but it doesn't include going inside the Bird's Nest and Water Cube.
Pearl store: The Pearl Store is a state-run enterprise that cultivates, processes, manufactures and sells all type of fresh water and sea pearl jewelry and products. China is the largest fresh water pearl producer in the world with the main base being Jiangsu and Zhejing province. Famous varieties of seawater pearls include: