Beijing History: Explore Imperial Capital's Past

Explore Beijing’s evolution on a guided tour, uncover hidden cultural secrets, and witness the blend of ancient history with modernity.

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Huguang Guild Hall - Enter the enchanting realm of the Huguang Guild Hall, established in 1807. This historic treasure once welcomed prominent merchants and officials from the Hubei and Hunan provinces. Today, its magnificent opera stage, detailed carvings, and enduring allure have transformed it into a cultural museum, offering a glimpse into the…
What's Included
  • Local English-speaking tour guide
  • Fun, friendly, and fabulous guide
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Embark on a journey through the illustrious history of China’s imperial capital! In just 3.5 hours, delve into Beijing’s dynastic past, discover its cherished traditional brands, and explore the city’s urban development achievements and obstacles.
Join our knowledgeable local guide and skilled storytellers to experience the city’s harmonious fusion of…

Location
Huguang Guild Hall
Hu Fang Lu
Meeting Point: Hufangqiao Metro Station (Line 7), Exit D (South-West Exit); After exiting, head straight to the main road, turn right, and walk 60 meters east to the green space at intersection. Address: Corner of Hufang Rd & Luomashi Ave / Huguang Guild Opera Theatre Look for our YELLOW Umbrella!
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(65 Ratings)
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Plasheddrawson
Dec 19, 2025
Excellent tour - Carrie was an excellent guide. She managed to give us a clear idea of what life in the city used to be, as well as showing us what it is like to live in the city nowadays. She was well prepared, knew what she wanted us to see, chose the stops accordingly and overall provided a very good experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Flyer61126647617
Dec 9, 2025
Worth going - We had a great experience with Sivan. She speaks very good english and showed us a lot of nice spots with good information. We enjoyed the experience and apreciated the time and knowledge she shared with us.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pocheideebenconfuse
Dec 7, 2025
Great tour in Beijing - Sherry was a fantastic guide, precise, organized and very kind. She showed us a hidden side of the metropolis and helped us with a lot of information for the rest of the trip
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mjc1000
Dec 1, 2025
3 Hours in historic Beijing Hutong - Thoroughly enjoyed this 3 hour mini group tour around the southern old town Hutong of Beijing. Sherry was an excellent guide, giving us some great information on the city and its history. We stopped at a small craft venue which was both a nice break from walking but also a chance to have some fun trying Chinese calligraphy (and don’t worry, no hard sell, it was free to have a go!). All in all I would recommend this tour as a great way to get an insight into the history of the area and visit some places that it would be easy to miss if all you look for in Beijing are the big well known sights.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
183kristinea
Nov 28, 2025
Great walking tour! - Great free walking tour with a lot og interesting and funny stories about China and Beijing. Very interactive with activities and snack break. The guide Carrie was very Nice and very easy to understand. Can highly recommend!
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Bobm450
Nov 22, 2025
A fun walk through Beijing’s old town - Our guide, Sevan, was friendly and energetic and made for a great walking tour. She made everything interesting and fun, and the itinerary included places we would either not have found or not understood. This was a very enjoyable experience.
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Bobm450
Nov 18, 2025
Great way to learn and experience Beijing! - Our guide, Sevan, was really fun and made a really great day for us. We learned so much and had fun with food tasting, roaming ancient neighborhoods, and even trying our hand with a brush for Chinese calligraphy! I could not give a higher recommendation, it was a really great day full of discoveries and interactive experiences.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sightsee36445391407
Nov 17, 2025
A fantastic tour with lots of information about Chinese culture. - The tour was very interesting, the places we visited were very "local" and not so touristy, and our guide was great. I would recommend it !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vacation44097957493
Nov 27, 2025
Guided Walk at Hufang Road Area Hutong on Saturday Morning - Our guide was Sherry, she speaks English very well and gave us details of the Hutong, the houses structures, the lifestyles, and the houses and streets architectures. We enjoyed the experience of writing chinese calligraphy as well, and visiting the morning fresh food market. It was a great experience and a 3.5 hour well spent.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alais2016
Nov 17, 2025
Immersive Experience - I have done a lot of free tours, and something that I really enjoyed about this one, was the fact that they gave us some free time in several stops to immerse ourselves in the place. This is something I really appreciated because a lot of the times we pass quickly through the different places, and we can't actually enjoy them and many times, we don't have the time to go back before returning home. One of the stops had a very sweet and funny cat, that made our day. Additionally, they taught us a little bit about Chinese calligraphy and how to play with a Jianzi, which was also a great plus. However, some of the stops were too long, so sometimes I felt we were wasting time. We had two tour guides, and they did a great job expressing themselves. Information was good, but I would have like more information regarding the most recent history of China. It was the first free tour I have done were they recommended a price, which for me was a little elevated. I understand the hard work that it implies and that they are giving their heart and time to it. However, if I compared what they recommended to other tours that had a fixed price with other companies, the activity-price ratio was higher. The good thing is that we weren’t obligated to give them that recommended price.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $5
up to 6 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).