The 15 Best Walking Tours in Beijing

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.Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City with 7 Options

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 675 reviews · from $75

Spend four to six hours with a private Beijing guide such as Lily, Cindy, Jason, or Moko, visiting Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Choose a walking tour or a longer option with transport, the Temple of Heaven, hutong food, or other city sights.

“Cindy was a phenomenal tour guide. Her English was very good and she was very passionate about the Forbidden city and Beijing history. She was great at letting us know all the best tips to make sure we had a great trip and even guided us in a few other stops in Beijing she thought we would be interested in. She did not rush our tour and we felt we got a good handle on the Forbidden City. She also helped us figure out how to navigate China better as tourists and was very kind in making sure we were doing ok in our travels through China even after our…”

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3.Forbidden City Private Walking Tour with Optional Sights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 400 reviews · from $90

Spend four to six hours with a private guide at Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, then add the Temple of Heaven if you choose. Guides such as Peter, Jenny, Michael, May, and Sonia are praised for clear history, flexible pacing, and local food tips. Expect long walks and strict passport checks.

“We can highly recommend our guide Jenny for a super well organised tour. She was wonderfully informative and took our needs in to care. Jenny has great local knowledge and you will be in good hands. A big thank you.”

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4.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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5.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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6.Beijing City Walk: Explore Hutongs Life and Old Beijing

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

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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7.Highlights of Forbidden City Private Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 104 reviews · 4 - 8 hours · from $67

You’ll follow the Forbidden City’s central axis with a private English, French, or Spanish-speaking guide such as Lisa, Melody, Joe, or Amanda. Choose a shorter palace visit, add Tian’anmen Square, or build a full day with lunch, the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, hutongs, or Mutianyu Great Wall.

“Amazing! Our wonderful guide Candice met us at our hotel, spoke incredibly fluent English, and took us on an incredible tour of all the sights, sharing with us lots of history along the way. She was easygoing, a pleasure to spend time with, and a great photographer too! Highly recommend this tour and ask for Candice!”

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8.Beijing Walking Food Tour with a Local Friend

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 73 reviews · from $60

Spend about two hours eating through Beijing’s Dongsi hutongs with Jenny or another local guide. Your private group can shape the menu around spicy, vegetarian, vegan, or halal preferences, with dishes such as zhajiang mian, dumplings, beef pies, seasonal snacks, and dessert.

“The tour was brilliant - Jenny tailored it to my dietary preferences and offered her choices and recommendations throughout the tour. Her recommendations were guided purely by how good the food is - a true foodie!! Each dish was dRead more”

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9.Beijing Historic City Guided Walking Tour + Calligraphy Creation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · from $5

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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10.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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11.Experience Beijing Walking Food Tour Private

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · from $55

Explore Old Beijing by foot with a private English-speaking guide, tasting more than 10 local dishes such as zhajiangmian, dumplings, potstickers, crepes, tanghulu, beer, and bottled water. Guides have included David, Richard, Jenny, Dawei, and Davide.

“You will be taken to some places you won’t find yourself, we had an awesome night with our guide Richard”

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12.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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13.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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14.Half Day Walking Tour to Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 40 reviews · from $58

Walk from Tiananmen Square into the Forbidden City with a guide such as Nancy, Jerry, Marco, or Lucy. This 3 to 4 hour tour includes entry fees, a small group of up to 15 people, and an optional private upgrade with hotel pickup. It ends at the Forbidden City’s North Gate.

“Private tour with very well prepared guide Lucy, who spoke English very good and walked me through the history of Beijing and the Forbidden City. Highly recommend if, like me, you only have few hours to visit the city.”

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15.Hutongs & Food & Culture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 6 reviews · 3 - 6 hours · from $2Best value

Walk Beijing’s old lanes with a live guide, see siheyuan courtyards, sample local food at your own cost, and add a rickshaw ride or home visit if your option includes it. Some departures also cover the Capital Museum.

“Ho prenotato solo biglietti senza tour; un bel museo, molto grande e interattivo; merita una visita!”

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