Beijing Hutongs: The 15 Best Lane Tours

1.Beijing Hutong Walking Food and Beer Tour at Hidden Restaurants

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,132 reviews · from $80Our pick

Follow an English-speaking guide through Beijing’s old hutong lanes for four generous food stops, including hotpot, spring pancakes and noodles in a 100-year-old family home. Groups of 12 or fewer share local beer and soda, then finish with a pint at a neighborhood brewery.

“This was a great way of getting familiar with the Beijing night life and food spots! The guide was very informative and very engaging!”

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2.Old Beijing Dinner Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 348 reviews · from $75

Meet your guide near Beixinqiao Station at 7 p.m. for a small-group walk through Old Beijing’s hutongs. Guides such as Garth, Kelly, Shan, and Jesus lead you to family-run eateries for hotpot, dumplings, jianbing, sauced meats, drinks, and rice wine. Expect a generous meal and an end point near Zhangzizhong Road.

“Some food tours disappoint by being timid or obvious, but not this one. Zeben, our guide, was a great host and guided our convivial group of eight to some great food served in possibly-too-generous-portions accompanied by plenty of local drinks. We never would have found these food sources on our own, let alone known how to order! A fantastic time, I recommend this tour!”

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3.Temple Heaven, Summer Palace, Lama Temple, Hutong Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 319 reviews · from $58

Spend a full day with an English-speaking guide such as Joy, Jimmy, or Shannon visiting Beijing’s imperial altars, Tibetan Buddhist temple, old hutongs, and Summer Palace. Expect long walks, a flexible hutong lunch stop, coach transfers, and an optional ¥100 waterway cruise.

“Very pleasant experience! The tour guide was very professional and she was able to mantain the attention of the whole group with interesting details on the visited sites. Highly recommended!”

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4.Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Lama Temple, Hutong Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 311 reviews · from $99

Spend 10 to 11 hours seeing Beijing’s imperial sights and old hutongs with an English-speaking guide. Ride a rickshaw, visit a traditional courtyard, and explore the Temple of Heaven, Lama Temple, and Summer Palace. Pickup is included within the Third Ring Road, with tickets and bottled water provided.

“Helen is such a trooper!! Our group had a couple of mishaps but thanks to her, we were able to complete the itinerary and have a wonderful time! The tour is fast-paced and no-nonsense, ideal for those who want to see the essentials and not waste time.”

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5.Beijing Private Hutong Food Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 299 reviews · from $82

Spend four hours tasting more than 20 Beijing foods in Dongsi Hutong and around LongFuSi Jie. Your private guide visits markets, bakeries, shops, and small restaurants, explaining local customs and helping with dietary needs. Guides include Allen, Jay, Lucy, Miko, Mike, and Anson.

“This food tour was a fantastic way to taste the local cuisine while also learning about the city and culture and I'd recommend it to anyone I know traveling to Beijing in a heartbeat! Our tour guide, Miko, was fantastic... he communicated well, made us feel like friends, and answered all our questions along the way. The food was delicious and we were definitely stuffed by the end of the tour (although the pacing of the meals and food was perfect because you take walks between stops). HIGHLIGHTS: - Our tour guide (Miko) was on time and the tour started right away after some introductions - We stopped at all…”

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6.The Hutong Experience by Bike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 163 reviews · from $150

Explore Beijing’s old hutongs by e-bike or bicycle with an English-speaking guide such as Dominic. In three hours, you can sample street food, stop for drinks, play traditional games near the Drum and Bell Towers, and get local tips while riding narrow lanes.

“Very safe and smooth ride with a good condition E-bike. Dominic gave us lots of chances to try local food(street food).m which was everything great. It was really fun to ride along the alleys in Hutong. So so fun and 100% recommended!!! Hope to join his other activities for my next visit .”

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7.Hutong Culinary Walking Tour with 15+ Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 162 reviews · 3 - 4 hours · from $76

Meet your English-speaking guide at Dongsi Subway Station Exit B for 3 to 4 hours of hutong walks and 15+ tastings. Try sesame cakes, dumplings, jianbing, malatang, baijiu, and lamb skewers, with adventurous options available. Private hotel pickup can be added.

“We loved our tour guide Miko!! He had so much knowledge on Beijing, and was a really great guy.”

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8.Beijing Hutong Breakfast Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 155 reviews · from $45

Start at 9 a.m. for a three-hour walk through Beijing’s hutongs, tasting more than 10 breakfast dishes and drinks at four or five eateries. Guides such as Lynn, Lin, and Winnie add local food and history, while a market visit and small group of fewer than 10 keep the morning personal.

“Very cool, traditional food experience! Our guide, Lynn, was very friendly & knowledgeable. Highly recommend!”

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9.Beijing City Walk: Explore Hutongs Life and Old Beijing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 146 reviews · from $15Best value

Explore old Beijing on foot with guides such as Yang, Kevin, Eevee, or Summer Wang. Depending on your selected route and time, you may visit Qianmen, Dashilan, Sanlihe Hutong, Nanluoguxiang, the Drum and Bell Towers, and Houhai, with local snacks, shops, stories, and cultural stops along the way.

“Kevin was our guide and he explained the history of the area very well. He also introduced some good local food and snacks! This is definitely a tour to go on if you will like to understand the area!”

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10.Beijing Hutong Breakfast Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 120 reviews · from $55

Start near Lama Temple at 8 a.m. with a guide such as Garth, then walk Beijing’s hutongs while sampling baozi, jianbing, silken tofu, fried dough, soy milk, and almond pudding. The small group is capped at eight and ends near the Bell and Drum Towers.

“It was our first day in beijing and we thought this tour would be a good way to kick start our 10 day tour and boy were we right! Our tour guide Garth was passionate and had a good knowledge of the history behind the food we tasted. This sharing of food origin gave a different and interesting insight into the city of Beijing”

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11.Beijing Old Hutongs Tour by Rickshaw

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 73 reviews · from $77

Ride through Beijing’s old hutongs by rickshaw, climb the Drum and Bell Towers, visit a local home, and taste several Chinese teas. Hotel pickup is included within the Fourth Ring Road. Guides such as Gale, Cynthia, William, and Michael have led this three-hour cultural tour.

“This tour is very deceiving! I chose this primarily for the Prince Gong's Mansion because of the hype in the tour description, and it is even indicated on the voucher. However, we were NOT taken there! According to the guide Michael, the Mansion is closed, and they have not been taking people there for a long time. There was no interaction with the hutong family except for a greeting from the owner when he passed by. The only insight into traditions was when the guide described some figurines in the home. After the rickshaw tour, we were encouraged to tip the driver 20 yuan each, which made me wonder if…”

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12.Hutongs & Drum Tower City Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 57 reviews · 3 - 4 hours · from $69

Walk Beijing’s old hutongs beside Qianhai and Houhai lakes, visit a Taoist temple and traditional courtyard home, ride a rickshaw if selected, sample local snacks, and climb the 600-year-old Drum Tower with guides such as Alice, Amber, Jenny, and Lisa.

“Our guide was really ambitious. She explained very well, what we are interested in. Her warm and friendly kind helped us to feel free to ask. Thank you very much.”

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13.Authentic Old Beijing Hutong Food and Beer Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · from $80

Spend about four hours walking Beijing’s Shichahai hutongs with a private English-speaking guide such as Justin, Nico, or Peter. Visit five or six family-run food stops for noodles, wraps, barbecue, Mongolian hot pot, yogurt, and local beer or soda. Hotel pickup is offered, but transport costs are yours.

“One of the best things you can do in Beijing. Nice experience, nice food , wonderful guide! Thanks for all!”

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14.Half-Day Private Beijing Hutong Walking Tour with Dim Sum

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · from $148

Spend four hours with a private English-speaking guide such as Maggie or Kris, walking Beijing’s old hutongs from Nanluoguxiang to Houhai. You’ll see the Bell and Drum Towers, old courtyards, canals, bridges, and Yandai Xie Street, while sampling bubble tea, red bean dessert, mantou buns, tea, and dim sum.

“One of our highlights of Beijing. Our guide was wonderful. Learned much that most tourists miss about the entryways of the houses.”

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15.Hutong Walking Tour: Discover Real Beijing without Crowds

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 47 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $49

Walk about 3 kilometers from Xisi Station through old Beijing with guides such as Dee and Tracy. Visit temples, a cathedral, courtyard homes, Zhuanta Hutong, and local cultural sites, then enjoy a traditional drink at a café. Expect half hutongs and half historic buildings, not a hutong-only walk.

“We enjoyed walking through the neighbourhoods, which provide a slice of local life. Dee’s information allowed us to learn a lot and was both informative and engaging. We especially liked the local temple and the cathedral, which had a lovely atmosphere to it. Dee was also really sweet and helpful in suggesting locations for shopping and eating!”

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