Making Each Day Count

Day 3 in Beijing was another full day for us. After visiting the Lama Temple and the Great Wall of China the day before, we had booked a private tour through TripAdvisor called “Beijing Top 4 Attractions One Day Private Tour All-Inclusive.”

We started with breakfast at the hotel, then headed to the lobby at 8:25 AM to wait for our guide. Leo arrived right on time at 8:30 AM, and we were on our way shortly after.

Our first stop was the Summer Palace. It is known for its large landscaped gardens, traditional pavilions, and the wide Kunming Lake, which takes up a big part of the area. It used to be a retreat for the imperial family, especially during the warmer months.

When we arrived, Leo helped us get our tickets and let us explore on our own for a couple of hours. At first, we thought that might be too much time, but once we got inside, we realized how big the place really is. We ended up using most of it just walking around the lake and nearby gardens.

We didn’t spend much time going inside the palace buildings since they were quite crowded, but we enjoyed the outdoor areas more anyway. The views around the lake were nice, and it was a good place to just walk at our own pace.

There were also a lot of birds around, which I really enjoyed. I spotted Oriental Magpies, Eurasian Coots, and even Black Swans. I was amazed as it was my first time seeing black swans ever. From what I learned, black swans aren’t native to Beijing and aren’t migratory there; they’re usually introduced in parks. The magpies and coots are more commonly found in the area.

After about two hours, we headed back to meet Leo and continued to our next stop, the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City. It is famous for being the former imperial palace of China and for its massive size and well-preserved buildings.

On the way, Leo mentioned that while foreigners can still buy tickets on-site, locals usually need to book several days in advance because tickets sell out quickly. He said the last time he visited, he had to book eight days ahead.

He also explained that there’s a fixed route through the complex. Visitors enter from the south and walk straight through to the north. The main path alone is already several kilometers long, and exploring everything in detail would easily take a full day.

There were a lot of people when we visited, but it didn’t feel too chaotic since everyone was moving in the same direction. The scale of the place was really impressive. I watched a movie or two with the Palace Museum as its subject location, and walking through its grounds felt surreal. It just kept going from one courtyard to another.

By then, we were starting to feel tired and hungry from all the walking. Luckily, we found a small area where we could buy sandwiches and drinks. We also managed to get seats in the shade, which was a nice break before continuing.

I’ll stop here for now and share the rest of our Day 3 in the next blog. Stay tuned!