🏨 Beijing Half Day Walking Tour of Ancient Hutongs with Taste of Local Snacks Activity

Beijing Half Day Walking Tour of Ancient Hutongs with Taste of Local Snacks

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From $110.62

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Price varies by group size

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Pricing Info: Per Person

Duration: 3 hours

Departs: Beijing, Beijing

Ticket Type: Mobile or paper ticket accepted

Free cancellation

Up to 24 hours in advance.

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Overview

Take an early morning walk through the ancient Beijing Hutongs. Enjoy several of the local favourite breakfast snacks and stop for a bite to eat at the famous Huguosi Xiaochi. Visit the ancient Drum and Bell Towers before relaxing by Houhai Lake.

What's Included

An English-speaking local guide

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Round-trip private transfer

Snacks

To taste several kinds of local snacks

What's Not Included

Food and drinks, unless specified

Gratuities

Traveler Information

INFANT: Age: 0 - 2
CHILD: Age: 3 - 5
ADULT: Age: 6 - 99

Additional Info

Face masks required for guides in public areas
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised

Face masks provided for travellers
Face masks required for travellers in public areas
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Regular temperature checks for staff
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

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

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

What To Expect

Huguosi Hutong Snack Street

Your private guide will meet you in the lobby of your Beijing hotel at 08:00 and take you by private car to Huguosi Street in the ancient Hutongs district of Beijing lying just to the north of the Forbidden City. Your walking tour starts from here.

The name Hutong comes from the Mongolian word for ‘well’ because historically people would build their homes close to or around a well. Nowadays Hutong means a lane way or alley. There are many different ‘Hutongs’ clustered around this part of Beijing, all with different names depicting their original purpose. This is a fascinating area of Beijing with long lane ways and alleys of grey-tiled buildings where you can observe the local people going about their everyday lives.

Huguosi Street is named after the old Huguosi Temple that used to be in Xicheng District. The street has a long history going back over 800 years to the Yuan Dynasty and it has always been an important commercial street for Beijing. The street still retains a lot of its original layout with many buildings constructed in the original Chinese style and it is always busy with local people shopping for food and other goods. There are many cafes and restaurants along the 600 metre long street and your guide will stop to introduce you to some of the local breakfast snacks whilst giving you a background to the history of the area.

You will stop at one of the most famous snack restaurants in Beijing, Huguosi Xiaochi. It is always busy here with local residents, especially at breakfast time. Your guide will tell you what is available from the menu written up on the wall in Chinese. Some of the specialties include Nian Gao (glutinous rice cake), Dou Bao (steamed buns with red bean filling), Jiao Quan (deep fried crispy flour ring), Mian Yu’er (a cake shaped like a fish) and many more.

60 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Bell and Drum Towers

As you weave your way through the many lane ways and alleyways of the Hutongs you can look inside some of the courtyards and see how the old buildings were constructed and learn how their use has changed over the last 100 years. Finally you will come out from the alleyways close to the Beijing Drum and Bell Towers. The Drum Tower was built in 1272 along with the Bell Tower. Until the early 20th Century the Bell would be rung in the morning and the Drum beaten at Dusk. From the top level of the towers you will have a good view of the surrounding districts of Beijing(entrance ticket at your own expense).

From the Drum and Bell Towers continue walking to Houhai Lake, a popular café and bar area of Beijing, especially at night. Here you can relax and talk with your guide about the Hutongs and the local food over a cup of coffee.

Your private car will meet you at Houhai Lake and take you back to your Beijing hotel where the tour ends.

60 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

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Beijing Half Day Walking Tour of Ancient Hutongs with Taste of Local Snacks Activity - Beijing Travel Guide

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