Summer Palace Beijing: Tickets, Hours and a Half-Day Route

By Kevin Fan — Chief Traveler at RelaxInChina

The Summer Palace is a large imperial-garden landscape built around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill in northwest Beijing. For a first visit, allow at least half a day, choose an entrance that matches your route, and decide before arrival whether you need the basic ticket or the combined ticket. The official schedule changes between April–October and November–March.

Summer Palace tickets and current opening hours

The Summer Palace’s official English site publishes the following prices:

The combined ticket includes the main admission and the individually charged garden-within-the-garden sights. It is useful when those interiors are a priority; it is not automatically the best choice for a shorter lakeside walk.

The park schedule is:

Separately charged attractions close earlier. In peak season, the principal garden-within-the-garden sites generally stop entry at 17:30 and close at 18:00. In the off-season, they operate Tuesday–Sunday, stop entry at 16:30 and close at 17:00; they normally close on Mondays except national public holidays. Check the official notice because individual buildings can have their own maintenance arrangements.

How ticket booking works for foreign visitors

Foreign visitors can buy tickets at a comprehensive service window in the gate area with a passport. The park also offers online booking one to seven days ahead through the official Visiting Beijing Parks (畅游公园) website, WeChat account or mini-program.

The online service supports passports, but first-time setup may require a mainland Chinese phone number for verification. If that is not available, Beijing’s municipal guidance says staff at the gate can place the order and accept cash in renminbi, BEIJING PASS and supported bank cards. Do not rely on a third-party voucher unless its terms clearly explain how the actual park ticket is issued.

Carry the passport used for the order. A saved screenshot of the e-ticket can help if mobile data is unreliable, although staff may still need the original identity document.

Which entrance and metro station should you use?

Two Metro Line 4 stations are useful for a first visit:

• Beigongmen (北宫门) serves the North Palace Gate and suits a route that begins near Suzhou Street before crossing Longevity Hill.
• Xiyuan (西苑) serves the East Palace Gate, the formal main entrance near the palace and administrative halls.

Follow current station-exit signs and a live map rather than relying on an old exit number. Construction, road controls and gate access can change.

The north-to-east direction is efficient when the hill and main palace area are priorities. Starting from the east works better if you want an easier lakeside approach before deciding whether to climb.

What makes the Summer Palace important

UNESCO inscribed the Summer Palace on the World Heritage List in 1998 as an outstanding expression of Chinese landscape-garden design. The official site gives an area of 3.09 square kilometres, about three quarters of it water.

The landscape combines three broad zones:

• The palace area near the East Palace Gate, including the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity and the Garden of Virtue and Harmony.
• Longevity Hill, where the Tower of Buddhist Incense forms the central vertical landmark.
• Kunming Lake, with the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, South Lake Island, causeways and changing views back toward the hill.

The Long Corridor connects these parts through painted beams and repeated lake views. It is best treated as a route, not just one photo point.

A practical half-day route

This route keeps the visit coherent without trying to circle the whole park:

1. Enter at Beigongmen. Walk through the northern section and Suzhou Street area if it is open and included in your ticket.
2. Cross Longevity Hill. Continue toward the Tower of Buddhist Incense, using the official map to avoid closed stairs or one-way controls.
3. Descend toward the Long Corridor. This is the transition from the hill to Kunming Lake.
4. Walk east along the lake. Continue through the palace area and finish at the East Palace Gate.

Reverse the route if you prefer to start with the formal palace buildings. Allow extra time for steep stairs, indoor queues and detours. A basic lakeside visit can be gentler; a combined-ticket route adds more interiors and elevation.

For context before or after this visit, the Forbidden City guide explains the imperial palace at the centre of Beijing, while the Temple of Heaven guide covers the city’s ceremonial architecture.

Should you take a boat on Kunming Lake?

A boat can connect different shores and provide a useful view back toward Longevity Hill, but it should remain optional. The official site publishes a general operating period from mid-March to mid-November, with multiple ferry routes and self-drive services. Weather, water conditions and maintenance can suspend operations.

Before paying, confirm:

1. the departure and arrival piers;
2. whether the fare is per person or per boat;
3. whether the route is one-way;
4. the day’s last service.

Do not build a tight exit plan around a boat. A walking route should still work if services stop.

When to visit and what to bring

Early morning gives more time before the separately charged buildings close. Late afternoon can suit a short lakeside walk, but it is a poor choice for a combined-ticket itinerary because interiors stop entry before the park itself.

Spring and autumn are comfortable for longer walks. Summer brings heat, humidity and strong sun around the lake, while winter has shorter daylight and fewer operating boat services.

Bring comfortable shoes, water and the identity document used for your ticket. Keep the Chinese names of the chosen gate and metro station saved on your phone. On public holidays, simplify the route instead of adding more paid sights.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Summer Palace cost?

Basic admission is CNY 30 in April–October and CNY 20 in November–March. The combined ticket is CNY 60 and CNY 50 respectively. Recheck the official page before travel.

Do foreign visitors have to book online?

No. The Beijing municipal visitor guidance says tickets can be purchased at a comprehensive service window with a valid identity document. Online booking through Visiting Beijing Parks is another option.

How long should I spend at the Summer Palace?

Allow at least half a day for a coherent route. A full day works better if you want several paid interiors, a boat and a slower lakeside walk.

Which metro stop is best for the Summer Palace?

Use Beigongmen on Line 4 for the North Palace Gate or Xiyuan for the East Palace Gate. Choose based on the direction of your route and confirm the current exit signs.

Can I visit the Summer Palace in the evening?

You can make a late lakeside visit within the seasonal gate hours, but the separately charged attractions close earlier. Check the exact last-entry times before choosing an evening slot.

Build the visit around one route

The Summer Palace is too large for a useful “see everything” checklist. Choose the gate, ticket and one coherent route before arrival; then let weather and energy decide whether to add a boat or another interior. That makes the imperial garden easier to understand and reduces backtracking around Kunming Lake.

Sources

• Summer Palace official English site: hours, tickets and boat information
• Beijing Municipal Government: Summer Palace visitor information
• Beijing Municipal Government: ticket purchase options for foreign visitors
• UNESCO: Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing

Image credits

• Featured image: Photo by Jakub Hałun, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). — CC BY-SA 4.0.
• First inline image: Photo by Jakub Hałun, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). — CC BY-SA 4.0.
• Second inline image: Photo by xiquinhosilva, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0). — CC BY 2.0.