Tickets and booking
Admission is tiered. The data pack lists a gate entrance ticket at 10 RMB for adults and 5 RMB concession; the Western Mansions Ruins scenic area at 15 RMB adult / 5 RMB concession; and the sand-table panorama model exhibition at 10 RMB adult / 5 RMB concession. A through ticket bundling all three costs 25 RMB adult / 10 RMB concession — the straightforward choice if you intend to see both ticketed attractions, since buying them separately totals 35 RMB at adult rates.
Concessions and free entry are specific. Half price applies to students aged 18 or over enrolled full-time up to bachelor’s level with valid ID (postgraduates, foreign student IDs, short-course trainees and adult continuing-education students do not qualify; if the system flags your age, buy the student ticket at an on-site window with your student ID), and to holders of the social security benefit certificate. Free entry covers minors under 18 — who must reserve a 0-yuan ticket — seniors aged 60 and above with a Beijing Tong elderly-and-disabled card or other valid ID, serving and veteran military personnel, fire and rescue staff, armed police, families of martyrs, disabled visitors with a disability certificate, and model workers at provincial or ministerial level or above, plus people honoured for acts of bravery, on certificates issued by the relevant departments. The whole park is also free on Cultural Heritage Day (the second Saturday of June), National Defense Education Day (the third Saturday of September) and the palace’s calamity memorial day (October 18). Prices are published as guidance only; same-day disclosure at the gate governs, and the park’s listed phone is 010-62543673.
Entrance and routes
The pack names two arrival points. By metro, take Line 4 to Old Summer Palace station and leave by Exit B; the park is within walking distance. By bus, routes 129, 331, 424, 432, 438 and sightseeing line 3 stop at the Old Summer Palace South Gate, also described as a walkable drop-off. The street address is 28 Qinghua West Road, Haidian District, Beijing.
The pack details no other gates and no internal routing between them, so build your plan around the documented arrival points: gate ticket first, then the two separately ticketed zones — the Western Mansions Ruins scenic area and the sand-table panorama model exhibition — both of which are covered by the 25 RMB through ticket.
Photo spots
The pack names exactly two ticketed draws, and they define the photo agenda: the Western Mansions Ruins scenic area — the ruins zone, and by its nature the place to photograph the ruins themselves — and the sand-table panorama model exhibition, which presents the site as a sand-table panorama model. Both are covered by the 25 RMB through ticket, so shooting both is simply the default plan rather than an either-or choice.
Beyond these two named attractions, the pack lists no designated viewpoints, gardens or individual structures. Treat anything else you frame on site as a bonus rather than a documented highlight, and don’t budget time for named photo stops the data doesn’t support.
Timing and crowds
Hours run 07:00-21:00 from 1 April to 31 October and 06:30-19:30 from 1 November to 31 March, daily in both seasons. The pack carries no crowd data, so the only timing levers it documents are these hours, the 3-plus-hour suggested duration, and three free-admission dates — Cultural Heritage Day (second Saturday of June), National Defense Education Day (third Saturday of September) and October 18 — which waive entry park-wide.
The pack lists no last-entry time, so leave buffer before closing. Arithmetic worth noting: with a 21:00 close in the warm season, a 3-plus-hour visit fits comfortably even from an early-afternoon start; in winter the 19:30 close makes a morning or midday arrival the safe default. Hours are published as guidance only — check same-day disclosure or call 010-62543673.
Walking and effort
Budget 3 hours or more — that is the pack’s suggested duration — and treat the visit as a walking outing. The pack lists no route lengths, gradients or internal transport options, so there is no documented shortcut to lean on and no distance figure to plan around.
The practical read: the long summer schedule (07:00-21:00) allows a leisurely pace across a full half-day, while the winter schedule (06:30-19:30) compresses the window. Comfortable shoes and water are the sensible defaults for a 3-plus-hour walk, and erring on the side of time rather than distance is the reliable move.
Getting there
Metro is the documented rail option: Line 4 to Old Summer Palace station, Exit B, with the park within walking distance of the exit. By bus, routes 129, 331, 424, 432, 438 and sightseeing line 3 serve the Old Summer Palace South Gate stop, again a walkable drop-off.
For taxi or navigation apps, the address is 28 Qinghua West Road, Haidian District, Beijing. For schedule or access questions, the park’s listed phone is 010-62543673. The pack documents no other stations, stops or shuttle services.
Cost breakdown
Adult maths: gate 10 RMB + Western Mansions Ruins scenic area 15 RMB + sand-table panorama model exhibition 10 RMB = 35 RMB bought separately, against 25 RMB for the through ticket covering all three — a 10 RMB saving, and the default choice if you plan to see both ticketed attractions.
Concession maths: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 RMB separately versus 10 RMB for the through ticket. Half price goes to full-time students aged 18 and over, up to bachelor’s degree, with valid ID — postgraduates, foreign student IDs, short-course trainees and adult continuing-education students are excluded — and to holders of the social security benefit certificate.
Free entry with valid credentials: minors under 18 (reserve the 0-yuan ticket in advance), seniors aged 60 and above with a Beijing Tong elderly-and-disabled card or other valid ID, serving and veteran military personnel, fire and rescue staff, armed police, families of martyrs, disabled visitors with a disability certificate, and model workers at provincial or ministerial level or above plus people honoured for acts of bravery, on certificates issued by the relevant departments. Park-wide free days: the second Saturday of June (Cultural Heritage Day), the third Saturday of September (National Defense Education Day) and October 18 (the palace’s calamity memorial day). All figures are indicative; same-day disclosure at the gate governs.
