We visited the Summer Palace in January 2008 and thought it was a great place to spend about half a day. Kunming Lake was frozen when we visited and there were many people walking across the ice! This is one of the few places where I would recommend getting the English audio guide as the grounds did not have many... more

it was a rainy day in September 2007, inspite of the rain i went there with my wife and daughter (3). the park is mgnificent, so beautiful so green so weel kept. we stayed hours in garden, no knowing we didn't even see half of the place. go back again - i wish i could... more

What a beautiful and peaceful place. Even the little gift stalls do not take away the beauty of the Summer Palace. Plan on spending most of the day here and rent a boat on your own to spend a peaceful hour or so cruising the shoreline of the lake. So beautiful! more

Plan to spend at least a half a day since even that amount of time won't permit you to really see this serene estate, beautifully sited on Kuming Lake. We walked along Changlang, the long (very long) and colorful covered corridor, that follows the lake shore, saw the stone boat and various buildings, and took the 'dragon boat' back to... more

Beautiful and a nice change of pace from dirty hussle and bustle of Beijing. Read up on your Chinese history of Cixi, the Dragon Lady, to get more out of it, and definitely take a boat ride - relaxing and great views - and walk down the long corridor - the ceiling really is amazing! Def agree Summer Palace is... more

I was at the Summer Palace in late March 2007. The day was overcast due to pollution: despite this the gardens had an air of mystery of their own. We didn't visit any of the Palace buildings (I was part of a guided tour organised from the UK) but had a long walk thrugh the garden area: including the 'Long... more

We sepnt a few hours here after seeing the Great Wall in the morning and wished that we had had more time. We were there late November 2006. You do not need a guide, the place is easy and fun to explore on your own. If you like parks and park architecture, follies, arches, gazebos, etc., this is the ultimate... more

If you are thinking or planning to go to Beijing then do not do a tour with a company. Do your homework before you book. We hired a guide for the 12 days we were in Beijing at a negotiated price. We made our own plans and told her where we wanted to go and that we were in no... more

After the bustle of the city, the Summer Palace is a welcome retreat from the noise and traffic congestion. We visited this past September, and spent the day wandering the grounds. It's definitely worth the visit. If not visiting with a tour group, I suggest taking the metro to Wudaokou station, and then a cab. Much cheaper than a cab... more