The Summer Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the northwest outskirts of Beijing, China. It covers an area of 2.9 square kilometers and is situated on the banks of Kunming Lake. The palace was first constructed during the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) and was later rebuilt and expanded by Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century.
The Temple of Heaven, on the other hand, is located in the southeastern part of Beijing, around 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) away from the Summer Palace. To get to the Summer Palace from the Temple of Heaven, there are several options:
Subway:
Exit the Temple of Heaven from the north gate, walk about 800 meters to the north, take subway line 7 at Qiaowan Station (桥湾), transfer to subway line 4 at Caishikou Station (菜市口), get off at Beigongmen station (北宫门), and walk around 400 meters to the west to reach the north gate of the Summer Palace. This journey takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes and costs you 5 RMB.
Exit the Temple of Heaven from the west gate, take subway line 8 at Tianqiao Station (天桥), transfer to line 8 at Beitucheng Station (北土城), and then transfer to the Western Suburbs line at Bagou Station (巴沟), get off at Yiheyuan Ximen Station (the west gate of the Summer Palace, 颐和园西门), and you will find the entrance right in front of you. This journey takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes and costs you 8 RMB.
Take subway line 5 at the east gate of the Temple of Heaven, transfer to line 14 at Puhuangyu Station (蒲黄榆), then transfer to line 4 at Beijing Nanzhan (Beijing South Railway Station 北京南站), get off at Beihongmen Station (北宫门) to reach the Summer Palace. This journey takes 1.5 hours and costs 6 RMB.
Bus:
Since Summer Palace is a little too far away from the Temple of Heaven, we do not recommend you take any bus, which will take over 2 hours and involve several transfers.
Taxi:
You can also take a taxi from the Temple of Heaven to the Summer Palace, which should take around 40-50 minutes and cost 90 RMB, depending on traffic. However, be prepared for potential traffic congestion during peak hours.