Locals’ Choice: Food & Architecture You Won’t Find in Guidebooks
Tour Highlights: Feast on more than just Peking Duck — explore Beijing style BBQ and hotpot, plus royal desserts like almond tofu and milk rolls. ️Walk Beijing architectural heritage of hutongs with a city planner as your guide who brings history and hidden details to life. You’ll also gain insider insight into northern China’s architectural and garden design. Climb the Drum Tower for sweeping views of old Beijing’s rooftops and alleys. Authentic. Delicious. Deeply local. Join us for a tour that’s anything but ordinary. We offer trip goes beyond just the Forbidden City and the Great Wall!
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Locals’ Choice: Food & Architecture You Won’t Find in Guidebooks
What's included in Locals’ Choice: Food & Architecture You Won’t Find in Guidebooks
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
Prince Kung's (Gong) Mansion
Prince Gong’s Mansion was once the residence of Heshen, a favored court official during Emperor Qianlong’s reign, and later of Prince Qing, the brother of Emperor Jiaqing. It is the best-preserved princely residence from the Qing Dynasty in Beijing. Renowned as a masterpiece of northern Chinese gardens, the mansion features winding paths, artfully arranged rockeries, and picturesque scenery at every turn. Just when you think you've seen it all, another doorway leads you to a hidden world, offering delightful surprises around every corner.
Yandai Xiejie, one of the oldest hutongs in Beijing, has a history dating back over 700 years to the Yuan Dynasty. This winding alley, shaped like a traditional tobacco pipe, was once a bustling center for antique trading and tobacco pipe shops in old Beijing. At its end, the alley leads directly to Yinding Bridge — one of the best spots to enjoy scenic views of Shichahai Lake.
Bell and Drum Towers
As the timekeeping center of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the Bell and Drum Towers area has preserved the most intact urban fabric of old Beijing. Climbing to the top of the towers offers a sweeping view of the central axis, where a sea of grey-tiled hutong alleys meets the modern skyline — a living testament to the architectural evolution of Beijing through the centuries.
Inclusions
- Admission fee
- Lunch
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Meeting Points
- Meet at Exit A2 of Shichahai Subway Station. I will get in touch with you beforehand to confirm the pickup location.
End Points
- The destination can be flexibly adjusted according to the chosen route.
