11 History Tours in Beijing to Build a Day Around

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

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

Review of Beijing’s Lama Temple, Summer Palace and Panda Garden tour, with practical advice on timing, lunch, shopping stops and overall value.

“This tour was really packed with experiences. Not only did we have a boat ride on the canal to the Summer palace, this was extra though, we saw the Pandas at the Beijing Zoo, a pearl factory for freshwater pearls, the Lama Temple and also a Tea ceremony to sample some of the varieties of Chinese tea. Alice our guide was excellent. Well worth the money!”

Live prices and dates →Our review in full

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

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

Review of Beijing’s 7-hour tour to Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, and Temple of Heaven, with guide, lunch, transport, costs, and key drawbacks.

“The sights were worth it, lunch was great, however the emphasis on shopping was really annoying. I would have given more stars if it was not for the shopping.”

Live prices and dates →Our review in full

3.Beijing Historic City Guided Walking Tour + Calligraphy Creation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · from $5Top rated

Review of Beijing’s 3.5-hour historic walking tour, from hutongs and Liulichang to Qianmen, with calligraphy, food, and local stories.

“Very knowledgeable and interesting stories of life past and present of Chinese lifestyle. We sampled street food and enjoyed the hustle of Qianmen pedestrian street a must if time is limited”

Live prices and dates →Our review in full

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · from $78

Brew tea, write Chinese calligraphy, and play the Guqin in a small, thoughtful Beijing workshop led by cultural masters.

“Unlike museums where you just look at artifacts, here you touch the culture. You write with a brush, drink the tea you brew, and feel the strings of a thousand-year-old instrument. Totally unforgettable.”

Live prices and dates →Our review in full

5.2-Hour Beijing Private Forbidden City Tour: History & Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · from $80

See Beijing’s Forbidden City with a private English-speaking guide, flexible timing, hotel pickup options, and focused access in about two hours.

“Learning the history of China Dynasties and Emporers. Their customs and way of life and how they have changed through time.”

Live prices and dates →Our review in full

6.Bell and Drum Towers Entry Ticket—Historic Landmark

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

Explore Beijing’s Bell and Drum Towers, see ancient timekeeping in action, and catch a five-minute drum show with entry and an English guide.

“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”

Live prices and dates →Our review in full

7.Tiananmen Square Entry Reservation – Iconic Landmark

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 17 reviews · 2 hours · from $4Best value

Reserve Tiananmen Square entry in advance, receive an English visual guide, and plan around security lines and a possible half-day visit.

“I had no idea of the time it takes to visit this place. Standing in line for 2 hours is minimum, so it takes at least half the day, if you rush it. In the end I missed it because I had to leave for another tour, so I stayed in line 1h for nothing. I believe the preparation of time should be listed loud and clear. Because if I knew it, I would have planned accordingly.”

Live prices and dates →Our review in full

8.Forbidden City&Hutong Private Tour w/Historic Site Add-ons

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 14 reviews · 5 - 6 hours · from $88

Compare six private Beijing tour options covering the Forbidden City, Hutongs, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, or Mutianyu Great Wall.

“Alice did a wonderful job and made the tour memorable and insightful.”

Live prices and dates →Our review in full

9.Beijing Hutong Walking Tour History, Architecture and Local Life

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $49

Review of Beijing’s 3-hour hutong walk, covering temples, old lanes, architecture, local life, guides, value, logistics, and who should book.

“Lori was a great guide through the Hutongs explaining how they were laid out and significance of the doors. It was a fun sight seeing day and got me more familiar with the city.”

Live prices and dates →Our review in full

10.Camping Adventures on the Historic Great Wall of China

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $250

Camp beside a quiet Great Wall section near Beijing, watch sunset and sunrise, and enjoy expert guides, transport, and an offbeat two-day adventure.

“I was visiting during Golden Week and so it was one of the busiest times of the year yet Peter found us a quiet area of the Wall that wasn’t crowded with tourists. It was one of my top ten experiences that I’ve ever done, definitely recommend!”

Live prices and dates →Our review in full

11.History Study Tour to Forbidden City & National Musuem of China

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $214

Review of Beijing’s private Forbidden City and National Museum tour, with Tiananmen Square, Jingshan Park, hotel pickup, tickets, and guide.

“It is near impossible for a foreigner to book tickets for any major Beijing attractions. Also impossible to know which queue to line up and which entrance to take! I booked the private tour so all bookings were taken care of. Having a licensed guidRead more”

Live prices and dates →Our review in full