The 5 Historical Tours in Beijing That Earn Their Price

1.Beijing Historical Tour II including Summer Palace, Lama Temple & Panda Garden

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 187 reviews · from $93Our pick

Spend about seven hours visiting Lama Temple, the Summer Palace, and Beijing’s Panda Garden with an English-speaking guide. The $93 price includes transport, lunch, admission, and hotel pickup within the Fourth Ring Road. Some departures may also include a silk, pearl, or tea shopping stop.

“I really enjoyed the tour and was lucky to be the only person so it turned into a private tour with Suzanne my local guide. Suzanne also took me to the Olympic Village since we had extra time available which was not on the itinerary.”

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2.Beijing Historical Tour I – Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square & Temple of Heaven

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 120 reviews · from $93

This seven-hour Beijing tour visits Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Temple of Heaven with an English-speaking guide, lunch, entrance fees, and hotel transport within the Fourth Ring Road. Guides may include Mary, Jenny, Christina, Mark, or Cherry. Book early, since late bookings may replace the Forbidden City with Jingshan Park.

“this tour was good, but not much more then that i was taken to both the tourist option, and had a ticket for the forbidden city (which was great) i wish i could have some more time in the square, and some more to see the grounds in the temple of heaven... but i got what i was promised... the tour-guide took me to both a silk factory, and a pearl store. both he tried to make me buy stuff.. i felt highly pressured to buy things, even dough i did not really wanted to.. altogether, you get what you pay for, lesson learned don't book the cheapest tour you…”

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3.Beijing Historic City Guided Walking Tour + Calligraphy Creation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · from $5Best value

Walk Beijing’s old lanes and trading streets with an English-speaking guide, visiting Huguang Guild Hall, Liulichang, Yangmeizhu Byway, Dashilan, and Qianmen. The tour also includes a calligraphy creation element. Bring about 160 to 200 RMB for the expected tip.

“It was a huge group and it wasn't what I expected, but I'm glad I went. I thought we'd do all the big stuff like Tiananmen Square, etc. and instead we went to a Hutong neighborhood but it was good, because I learned about that instead!”

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4.Beijing Culture: Tea Ceremony, Heritage Instrument & Calligraphy

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · from $78

Meet at 813 Creative Park for a 2.5-hour cultural workshop with a bilingual guide holding an M.A. in History and Sociology. Brew tea with a certified tea master, write Chinese characters, hear a Guqin performance, and play a melody yourself. Tea snacks and traditional clothing for photos are included.

“Everything was done with care—from the welcome tea to the final group photo. The calligraphy teacher helped me write my Chinese name, and I even took the paper home. It’s now framed in my apartment!”

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5.Bell and Drum Towers Entry Ticket—Historic Landmark

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 23 reviews · 4 hours · from $13

Explore Beijing’s Yuan Dynasty Bell and Drum Towers at your own pace with entry to both buildings and an English PDF guide. Climb the Drum Tower for city views and a possible five-minute drum performance, then see the 63-ton Yongle-era bell and ancient drums.

“Una torre de tambores frente a un campanario. No está mal si ya has hecho todo lo que podías hacer en Pekín y te apetece saber cómo daban la hora en la ciudad antigua. Sin más”

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