On this tour, we’ll explore central Beijing, visiting Tian’anmen Square, the Mao Mausoleum, the Forbidden City, and the hutongs, the city’s most traditional alleyways.
We recommend this tour for travelers who prefer to take the Beijing in one day route at a more relaxed pace. If you have two days, booking this tour together with the Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace tour will give you more time to enjoy each visit and see more landmarks.
Tour Details
After picking you up from your hotel lobby at the scheduled time, we’ll head to our first stop, Tian’anmen Square.
Tian’anmen Square is the most important square in the country and the largest square in the world. Here, you’ll see several key landmarks, including the Qianmen Gate Tower and the exterior of the Mao Mausoleum.
Leaving the square from the north, we’ll reach the entrance to the Forbidden City, the largest imperial residence in China, which was home to 24 emperors for more than five centuries. We’ll walk through the complex, visiting its most interesting areas and sharing the stories and legends that surround it.
After the visit, you’ll have free time for lunch and a short rest.
In the afternoon, we’ll explore Beijing’s oldest neighborhoods, known as hutongs, aboard a rickshaw, the traditional Chinese means of transport. During this 2-hour ride, you’ll see how many residents remain deeply connected to the city’s past, making this experience truly memorable.
The tour will end at your hotel or at another location of your choice after a total of eight hours.
Customizable Itinerary
As this is a private tour, you can decide what you’d like to see. Simply discuss your preferences with the guide at the beginning of the tour. For example, if you’d like to do the contrasts tour, which also includes hutongs, you can replace the hutong visit with a park such as Jingshan Park, also known as Coal Hill.
During winter, or on summer days when we finish the visits early, the Lama Temple will be added to the itinerary.
Forbidden City of Beijing
The Forbidden City is closed every Monday throughout the year. If your flight arrives in Beijing on a Monday, we recommend taking the opportunity to visit the Great Wall of China or the Temple of Heaven instead.
Please note that access to the Forbidden City is limited, especially during busy periods. For this reason, we recommend booking the activity at least seven days in advance.
Required Documentation
When making your reservation, you’ll need to provide the passport details of all participants. It’s essential that you enter the correct passport number, as it cannot be changed later. If the number of people in your group doesn’t match the number of fields available, please enter “N/A” in any empty fields. On the day of the tour, you must bring your passport with you.
Layover in Beijing? Take This Tour from the Airport
If you’re traveling to Beijing and have limited time, you can book our tour starting directly from the airport. Depending on how many hours you have available, we’ll visit some of the city’s most important landmarks, such as the Great Wall or the Forbidden City.
