Check in at the Summer Palace on the Autumn Equinox (with a reverse tour route).

September and October are the most beautiful months in Beijing. Take advantage of the cool autumn weather and check in at the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace is currently experiencing its peak tourist season. It is recommended to enter from the North Palace Gate and exit from the East Gate or the New Palace Gate. If you come during the National Day holiday, after entering from the North Palace Gate, you can visit the Four Great Regions if you are interested. If not, you can head directly towards Qingyanfang. There are two options at Qingyanfang. One is to head towards Paiyun Hall and the Long Corridor. The Long Corridor is usually the most crowded during peak season. Although it is worth seeing, you won't be able to see much when it's crowded. The second option is to head towards the West Causeway. The West Causeway was built with reference to the Su Causeway and Bai Causeway of West Lake. The willow trees and arch bridges along the way, the rippling lake, and the relatively few people make it the best place to see the panoramic view of Wanshou Mountain and Kunming Lake. You can walk all the way to the New Palace Gate, then head towards the East Palace Gate, where you can see the Ren Shou Dian, where Empress Dowager Cixi lived. If you have the energy, you can head towards the Long Corridor and take a look at the Long Corridor. The Tower of Buddhist Incense is the best place to see the panoramic view of Kunming Lake and Beijing City, but the stairs are steep and there may be restrictions on the number of people during peak times. You can choose to visit on a non-holiday weekend.