4 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 $5Best value

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