Your tour guide will meet you at your hotel at 09:00 a.m.. Then, we will transfer to the Ming Tombs and start the highlight day tour. A series of temple-like structures and burial mounds, the Ming Tombs contain the remains of 13 of the 16 emperors who ruled China during the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644). Of the 13 tombs, three are open to the public and accessible via a statue-lined path called the Sacred Way, where the carvings of mythical animals and legendary figures are believed to ward off evil spirits. The Ming Tombs Museum sits just behind the ticket office and offers a short introduction to each of the 13 entombed emperors. Then, we will drive back to Beijing downtown and enjoy local traditional food for lunch. After lunch, we will visit the Central Section of Beijing Olympic Park - Niaochao National Stadium and Water Cube.

Beijing Olympic Park, also known as the Olympic Green. Beijing Olympic Park is where the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympics took place. It also will be where the 2022 Winter Olympics takes place. Afterward, it was transformed into a comprehensive multifunctional activity center for the public. It contains the main venues used during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, such as the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube. You will be overwhelmed by the architecture of these two magnificent buildings.

The Beijing National Stadium, more commonly referred to as the Bird’s Nest, was built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at a cost of $423 million. Since the Olympics and all its fanfare, the stadium has become a major landmark and tourist attraction, as well as a venue for both international and domestic sporting competitions. Though relatively new to the Beijing landscape, the National Stadium has become a must-see attraction.

Not far from the Bird's Nest, there is the National Aquatics Center, also known as Water Cube. Its creative design concept is originated from the arrangement pattern of cells and natural structure of soap bubbles. The huge square box was produced by combining modern technologies with traditional Chinese culture. In the past, Chinese ancestors believed that the sky is round while the earth is square, and that is the way nature keeps harmonious. The square Water Cube together with the round Bird's Nest, embody and interpret this idea very well. Afterward, stroll through Beihai Park and climb the man-made hill in Jingshan Park. Learn how and why the hill was built and gaze over the beautifully lit-up Forbidden City and other landmarks.

Located to the west of the Forbidden City and Jingshan Park, Beihai Park is one of the best-preserved imperial parks in the center of Beijing. More than half of the area is taken up by a large lake, where lots of travelers go boating in the summer and skating in the winter. The White Pagoda on the mountain beside the lake is the symbol of this park, which offers a vantage point with a beautiful view of the whole park. Other ancient buildings, such as Hao Pu Creek Garden, Quiet Heart Studio, Nine-dragon Screen, Five Dragon Pavilions and Circular City, show different effects of mountain-water combinations in ancient Chinese architectures.