As an overseas traveler, you may not know that you can take a boat trip to the Summer Palace starting from the Beijing Zoo.
Here is the boat route shown on the map. You start at the Beijing Zoo Cruise Terminal, then travel to Ziyuwan Dock at Zizhuyuan Park, where you transfer to another boat. The second boat takes you to the South Ruyi Gate of the Summer Palace.
The Beijing Zoo Cruise Dock is located beside the Elephant Enclosure. A clear landmark is a large green iron boat displayed on land next to the riverbank. At the dock, you can see the price list for adults and children, with different destinations to Zizhuyuan Park and the Summer Palace. The earliest departure from the Beijing Zoo is 10:30 a.m., and the latest is 3:30 p.m.
When you stand in line to board the boat, you’ll see a route sign showing: “Start at Beijing Zoo, transfer at Ziyuwan Dock, and end at the South Gate of the Summer Palace.” Although the boat is not air-conditioned, the breeze coming through the windows helps cool things down.
After a 3-kilometer boat ride, you arrive at Ziyuwan Dock in Zizhuyuan Park. You’ll notice that this transfer dock is much larger than the Beijing Zoo dock, with many more boats moored here.
Because the water levels are different, passengers must change boats at Ziyuwan Dock. After walking through a covered walkway, you board a new boat. The distance from Zizhuyuan Park to the South Ruyi Gate of the Summer Palace is about 6 kilometers, and the ride takes roughly one hour. Here are some views along the river.
At the end of the trip, the boat docks on the left side of the riverbank near the South Ruyi Gate of the Summer Palace, with a marble bridge directly in front. After getting off the boat, it’s less than a 10-meter walk to cross the bridge. From the bridge, you can see local residents swimming in the river and others enjoying stand-up paddleboarding. When you look back, you see your boat heading back toward the Ziyuwan Dock with new passengers. After passing through the South Ruyi Gate, you’ll enter the Summer Palace. The map here shows both the walking routes and boat routes inside the park.
