OLD VS NEW SUMMER PALACE IN BEIJING – WHICH SHOULD YOU SEE?
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When planning a first trip to Beijing you may be a bit confused when you see both a New and Old Summer Palace on the list of attractions. I know I was a bit baffled! What is the difference? Which one should you see – one or both? Is one better than the other?
During my three weeks in Beijing I did see both and my recommendation would be: Visit both if you have time as they are both wonderful. But if you have to choose just one go for the (New) Summer Palace if you are feeling like sight-seeing, but the Old Summer Palace (also called Yuanmingyuan) if you want to spend time in a beautiful park with some cool sights!
Read on for a more detailed comparison and info about practicalities!
What are the two Summer Palaces like?
Basically, both the Old Summer Palace and the New Summer Palace (often just called Summer Palace to make it even more confusing!) are park-like areas in Haidian, a little to the Northwest of Central Beijing and the Forbidden City, that were once the home of the Emperor.
What to expect from the New Summer Palace
The New Summer Palace (also called Yiheyuan) was built between 1750 and 1764. At 297 ha it is a bit smaller than the Old Summer Palace but still fairly massive. Yiheyuan was destroyed in 1860 just like the Old Summer Palace. However, Empress Dowager Cixi ordered the New Summer Palace to be restored in the late 19th century. So while the New Summer Palace is set within a beautiful park, it also has a large number of palatial buildings and temples. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.
The (New) Summer Palace boasts various beautiful palace buildings that you can explore. Many of them require climbing steps or walking up steep hills. However, that also means that you can enjoy gorgeous views over the grounds and surrounding area.
While there are gardens, the majority of the New Summer Palace is made up of the huge Kunming Lake and wooded hills with buildings. There are not very many benches to sit and relax (but people sit on railings and steps).
The New Summer Palace is one of Beijing’s most famous sights and very popular. While the park itself is big and handles crowds well, individual halls and temples do get quite congested. If you are there at a busy time it will feel much like any popular tourist attraction – crowded and a bit stressful.
In short: A popular tourist attraction with gorgeous buildings and views set in a park with a big lake.
What to expect from the Old Summer Palace
The Old Summer Palace (also called Yuanmingyuan) actually consists of three different gardens constructed throughout the 18th and early 19th century (so not actually all that old!). It covers a huge area of about 350 ha.
The entire complex was looted and destroyed by the French and British in 1860 though. Today, most of the Old Summer Palace area is parks and gardens, with some ruins sprinkled around.
The Old Summer Palace has a couple of areas with famous ruins and these do get busy with tourists. However, the vast majority of the grounds are parks and gardens. The paths are mostly level and well-suited for strollers or wheelchairs and there are plenty of places to sit and relax. The grounds are vast though and just passing through from one side to the other will take hours (you can pay to ride a shuttle bus).
Yuanmingyuan is popular but aside of the ruin areas mostly serves as a leisure spot. It is a great destination for enjoying fresh air and a nice stroll. There are more ponds, bridges, and gardens than you can imagine!
Due to the size and somewhat dilapidated state of the ruins the Old Summer Palace feels much more isolated in parts and has a more melancholic/eerie atmosphere.
In short: A gorgeous park with various gardens, ideal for walking, relaxing, and enjoying the cool atmosphere.
Comparison table – Old or New Summer Palace – which to pick
| Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) | New Summer Palace | |
| Main attraction | Gardens and ruins | Palace buildings, views and lake |
| Fame/Popularity | Popular | Extremely popular/famous |
| Difficulty | Long distances but level and easy to manage | Quite a lot of hills and steps, more exhausting |
| Vibe | Big park, a bit eerie | Big lake and major sightseeing |
| Best for | Spending time in nature with a bit of history, leisure | History lovers, tourists |
Practical Considerations
Ticket Prices
Both palaces are quite inexpensive to visit. In June 2026 I paid RMB 25 for a combo ticket (both general park and ruins area) for the Old Summer Palace and RMB 60 for the New Summer Palace (combo ticket with various palace buildings). While this does look like a fair difference in price it is less than USD 4 and 9 respectively so fairly negligible and easy on your budget.
While you may be able to pre-buy tickets, I don’t think it is necessary. You can just get them via the official WeChat mini-program or at the gate on the day of your visit (I did the later as I never managed to get WeChat to work). This makes for more flexibility so you can visit on a day with good weather if you have several days in Beijing.
When to go
Both Summer Palaces are open daily (actual opening times vary a bit according to the season) and are obviously best seen in pleasant weather.
The main other consideration is that the New Summer Palace is a lot more popular with tourists so does get crowded. I would try to schedule a visit to the New Summer Palace on a weekday morning if possible, whereas the Old Summer Palace can be seen at any time. I was there on a Sunday afternoon and while some areas were busy there was still plenty of space and it did not feel crowded.
Amenities
In both Summer Palaces you will find restrooms as well as various food outlets. And both offer boat rides.
How long do you need?
This will vastly depend on what your style of traveling is. I spent about 2.5 hours at the New Summer Palace and 5 hours at the Old Summer Palace. However, I think this was mostly due to the fact that I was running out of steam during my visit to the New Summer Palace (and it was hot).
I would estimate that for either one 2.5 hours is enough to hit the highlights and 5 hours gives you enough time to walk through properly and see most areas. So I would plan on spending about half a day at either one of the Summer Palaces.
Getting there
Both palaces can easily be visited via public transit/metro. You could easily get from one to the other on Metro Line 4 (a 5 minute ride).
Can you see Old and New Summer Palace in one day?
Theoretically you could as they are both located in Haidian. The subway ride between the two will only take minutes so you can visit one after the other. However, I don’t really recommend combining them in one day even though their proximity makes it look like a good decision.
First, both are huge and require a lot of walking. Seeing both in one day would be a lot – I was exhausted after each one. It would be much better to combine a Summer Palace with another attraction that requires less walking.
Secondly, even though the vibe of the two palaces is different, in the end they are both parks/gardens with Imperial buildings (or their ruins). Similar to seeing eight Medieval churches in Europe in one day, the whole experience will just become a blur. I was kind of done with palaces and gardens for a bit after each visit so if you visit both in one day the sights will likely just blend into each other.
So which one should you visit – Old or New?
I visited both Yuanmingyuan and Summer Palace and loved them both. If you have time (and especially if you like gardens and imperial history) I recommend to put both on your itinerary.
However, if time is short (or if you are less enamoured with gardens and palaces) I would pick one. Go for the New Summer Palace if you want to explore beautiful palatial buildings, see a UNESCO site, and enjoy views over Beijing. If you love gardens, dislike crowds, and prefer a mix of an authentic Chinese park and a somewhat eerie atmosphere, the Old Summer Palace is ideal!
No matter which one you choose – you are sure to have a great time. Both Summer Palaces were highlights during my trip!
