BusDa-Full-Day Bus Trips: Mutianyu, Summer & Old Summer Palaces

The best of Beijing fits into one long day. BusDa’s full-day trip links the Mutianyu Great Wall, Summer Palace, and Old Summer Palace in about 10 hours, giving you three very different sides of the city without a shopping stop. I like the peaceful mountain setting at Mutianyu, and I like the clear value of a $23 starting price with entrance tickets and bus transport included.

The trade-off is time. You get a useful first look at each place, but the day is tightly scheduled, and optional rides, boats, lunch, pickup, and guiding can change the final cost. The tour can also carry up to 47 people, so this is a practical group outing rather than a quiet private visit.

Key things to know before you book

• Mutianyu gets three and a half hours, the longest stop and the day’s main event.
• All three entrance tickets are included, which makes the $23 base price unusually strong.
• The early departure helps with photographs, according to the experience of one visitor who praised guide Aria and the quieter morning conditions.
• Cable cars and toboggan rides cost extra, at 140 RMB per person for either option.
• The Summer Palace and Yuanmingyuan show two different chapters of imperial Beijing, one preserved and graceful, the other marked by loss and memory.
• Pickup depends on the option you select, while the standard meeting point is at Heping Xiqiao Station, Exit B northeast.

Why this Beijing day trip works

Beijing can overwhelm you with grand sites spread across a very large city. This bus trip solves one basic problem: it connects three major sights in one outing, with transport between them already arranged.

You begin at the Great Wall, then return toward the city for the Summer Palace and Yuanmingyuan. That order makes sense. Mutianyu is far from central Beijing, so putting it first gives you the best chance of enjoying the wall before the day gets too late.

I also like the no-shopping format. Some low-cost China tours lose time at shops or sales rooms. This one focuses on sightseeing, which matters when you have only a short stay or a layover.

The price is another strong point. At $23 per person, the base package includes round-trip air-conditioned bus transport, admission to the three sites, and a free shuttle bus within the scenic area. That is good value even before you count the time and effort saved by arranging the route yourself.

Read the inclusions carefully, though. The low price does not automatically include every service. An English-speaking guide, buffet lunch, and hotel pickup depend on the option selected. The basic price also excludes the cable car, toboggan, and boat rides.

Mutianyu Great Wall: three and a half hours in the mountains

Mutianyu is the centerpiece of the day. You have about three and a half hours here, including admission, which gives you enough time to see a meaningful section rather than simply step off a bus, take one photo, and leave.

This section is known for restored watchtowers, mountain views, and a calmer feel than some of the more heavily visited wall areas. You can walk along the ramparts and pause at the towers, where the wall’s defensive design becomes easier to understand. The restored stonework also makes Mutianyu a more comfortable introduction than rougher sections.

The free shuttle bus within the scenic area is included. That small detail matters. The wall area is not simply a bus stop beside the entrance, so internal transport can save energy for the climb and the views.

You should expect physical effort. Even restored sections include steps and uneven walking surfaces. The tour data says most people can participate, but it does not promise a flat or easy visit. If you have limited mobility, ask the provider for current details before booking.

The cable car and toboggan are optional, each priced at 140 RMB per person. These are not minor add-ons if you are watching your budget. A cable car can reduce the walking burden, while the toboggan offers a more playful way down. You do not need either one to visit the wall, but the choice can affect both your cost and how much energy you have for the rest of the day.

One practical tip is to use your time carefully. The 3.5-hour stop sounds generous, but it includes movement through the scenic area. If your priority is walking the wall, do not spend too long at the entrance or on optional activities.

An early start is a real advantage here. Aria, one of the named guides associated with the trip, was praised for her storytelling and friendly manner, and an early departure was especially useful for taking photographs before the crowds built up. The exact start time should be confirmed when booking, but the basic lesson is clear: morning light and fewer people can make Mutianyu much more enjoyable.

Summer Palace: imperial gardens beside Kunming Lake

The Summer Palace receives about two and a half hours. This is enough for a focused visit, but not enough to cover every corner of the large imperial complex.

The appeal here is different from the Great Wall. Instead of mountain defenses, you get a royal retreat shaped around water, gardens, pavilions, and traditional Chinese design. The site was used by Qing emperors as a place of escape from the heat and pressure of the capital.

Give yourself time to notice how the garden is arranged. Paths, buildings, water, and elevated viewpoints work together rather than appearing as unrelated monuments. The setting is one reason the Summer Palace is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A tour boat is available for an additional 100 RMB per person. It may be tempting after the morning walk, but it is not included in the base fare. A boat can offer a different view of the grounds, while skipping it leaves more time for walking and buildings.

The Tower of Buddhist Incense, known as Foxiang Ge, is another possible point of interest, but the supplied information does not include its admission price. It is closed on Mondays, so Monday schedules may limit what you can see there.

The 2.5-hour visit calls for sensible priorities. If you want a broad introduction, follow the guide and enjoy the main routes. If you prefer photographs or quiet garden time, you may need to accept that some parts will remain unseen.

This stop also explains why the tour is better suited to a first visit than to a specialist study of imperial gardens. You will gain a useful impression of the site and its setting, but you will not have unlimited time for every hall, path, and viewpoint.

Yuanmingyuan: beauty, destruction, and memory

The final stop is the Old Summer Palace, or Yuanmingyuan, for about one and a half hours. Its mood differs sharply from the Summer Palace.

Yuanmingyuan was once called the Garden of Gardens and represented imperial power and cultural achievement. Today, it is also a place connected with destruction and historical loss. That contrast gives the visit its emotional weight.

You may see a site that feels less polished and more reflective than the Summer Palace. The value is not only in grand surviving buildings. It is in considering what was once there, what was lost, and how the park now presents that past.

A tour boat is available for 80 RMB per person, but it is not included. With only 90 minutes at Yuanmingyuan, I would think carefully before adding another paid activity. If your goal is to understand the place, walking with the guide may offer more value than spending part of the stop on the water.

The shorter visit works well as a final chapter because it leaves you with something to think about beyond pretty photographs. Still, the limited time means you should not expect a complete exploration of the park. You will receive an introduction, not an exhaustive tour.

How the $23 price holds up

The $23 starting price is the strongest reason to consider this trip. Three admission tickets are included, along with round-trip transport by air-conditioned bus and the scenic-area shuttle at Mutianyu.

For a visitor who wants the classic Beijing highlights without organizing several separate transfers, that package offers solid value. It also suits a short stay, since the route covers the Great Wall and two major palace sites in one day.

The final price depends on your choices. Check the exact package before paying, especially if you want:

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• An English-speaking guide
• Buffet lunch
• Cable car or toboggan at Mutianyu
• A boat at either palace

The buffet option received warm praise, including the unusual detail that beer was available. That can be a welcome convenience after a morning at the wall, but lunch is only included if you select the appropriate package.

The optional rides can also create confusion. One unhappy booking involved a last-minute change to a weaker package, missing the Summer Palace, along with uncertainty about cable car pricing. The provider apologized for the cancellation and price confusion. I would treat this as a reason to confirm the exact package, inclusions, and optional-ticket prices before departure, not as a reason to dismiss the whole trip.

Transport, meeting point, and group size

The standard meeting point is Heping Xiqiao Station, Exit B northeast, in Chaoyang, Beijing. The end point is different from the start, so you should check the final drop-off details rather than assume you will return to the same station.

Hotel pickup and drop-off are available if you select the private tour option. The information also lists private sightseeing tours, half-day tours, and car tours as alternatives, but the $23 price applies to the advertised group bus option, not automatically to those formats.

The bus is air-conditioned, useful during Beijing’s warmer months and after walking at the wall. The maximum group size is 47 people. That is a fairly large coach group, so allow extra time for boarding, head counts, and moving between meeting points.

A group this size can be a good fit if your priority is low cost. It is less suitable if you want flexible stops, long photography breaks, or a guide’s attention throughout the day.

Who should book this trip?

I would choose this tour if you have one free day in Beijing and want the main sights handled in a single plan. It is especially useful for a short visit, including a layover-style sightseeing day, provided your schedule allows about 10 hours.

You are also a good match if you prefer a classic route, want to avoid shopping stops, and value included admissions more than complete flexibility. The English-speaking guide option can add context, and Aria’s warm storytelling suggests the guide can make a real difference to the day.

You may want another format if you dislike early starts, large groups, or tightly managed timing. A private or car tour should offer more control, but the supplied information does not give those options’ prices, so you would need to compare them separately.

The trip is also not ideal for anyone hoping to explore each palace in depth. The Summer Palace gets 2.5 hours and Yuanmingyuan only 1.5 hours. Those visits are introductions, while Mutianyu receives the most attention.

Book with the weather in mind. The experience requires good weather, and poor conditions can lead to a different date or a full refund. Standard cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded or accepted.

My booking verdict

I would book BusDa’s full-day bus trip if I wanted strong sightseeing value and had limited time in Beijing. The combination of Mutianyu, the Summer Palace, and Yuanmingyuan gives you scenery, royal gardens, and a more sobering historical site in one well-planned day.

Just confirm the package before you go. Check pickup, guide, lunch, the meeting and end points, and every optional charge. If you can accept a large group and a brisk schedule, $23 is a very appealing way to cover three major Beijing sights.

FAQ

How long does the BusDa tour last?

The tour lasts approximately 10 hours.

Which attractions are included?

The tour visits Mutianyu Great Wall, the Summer Palace, and the Old Summer Palace, also called Yuanmingyuan.

Are entrance tickets included?

Yes. Admission tickets to the listed sites are included.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Round-trip transportation by air-conditioned bus is included, along with a free shuttle bus within the Mutianyu scenic area.

Where does the tour start?

The standard meeting point is Heping Xiqiao Station, Exit B northeast, in Chaoyang, Beijing.

Is hotel pickup available?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are available if you select the private tour option.

Is an English-speaking guide included?

An English-speaking guide is included if you select the option that includes guiding.

How much do the optional Mutianyu rides cost?

The cable car costs 140 RMB per person, and the toboggan also costs 140 RMB per person.

Are boat rides included?

No. The Summer Palace tour boat costs 100 RMB per person, and the Old Summer Palace tour boat costs 80 RMB per person.

What happens if the weather is poor?

If poor weather causes the activity to be canceled, you will be offered another date or a full refund. You can also cancel up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund.