If you've just arrived in Beijing and want to get to know the city's history and its most important spots, this free walking tour is the one for you. You can't miss it!
Tour Details
Welcome to the capital of China! At the designated time, we'll meet at Exit D of the Hugangquaio Metro Station to begin this free walking tour that will take us to the most important spots in Beijing. Let's go!
Throughout our tour, we'll reveal how the city went from being an old walled capital to turning into the country's political centre, as well as one of the region's major cultural landmarks and a sprawling metropolis.
To do so, we'll first make our way to one of the oldest theatres in the city, where we'll tell you all about the Beijing Opera, listed as an intangible cultural heritage.
From here, we'll walk to the famous hutongs, the typical narrow streets found in the historical centres of cities in northern China. We'll explore one of them to learn all about the Mongol legacy in the city. Additionally, we'll also step foot into a beautiful patio that houses some of the city's important cultural representations. At this local courtyard, we'll enjoy a free Chinese calligraphy workshop, where you'll learn how to write the characters. You'll take home the sheet of paper you write on as a souvenir!
Next, we'll reach the Hutong Market, where you'll have free time to indulge in a local delicacy if you wish. Having re-energised, we'll continue walking down Yangmei Old Street, where you'll be able to visit its artisanal shops and where we'll learn about the evolution of Beijing's urban layout.
We'll continue our tour down Dashilar Street, one of the most famous commercial spots in Beijing. Here, we'll discuss the history of Chinese merchants. We'll then walk down the narrowest hutong in the city before reaching Qianmen Street.
Nearby, we'll find Beijing's Central Axis, included in the list of World Heritage Sites. You'll feel the privilege of standing on one of the lines that connect Beijing's major monuments, such as the palace and imperial gardens, as well as the ceremonial buildings that demonstrate the city's evolution throughout the centuries.
Lastly, we'll visit the outside of the Zhengyangmen Gate's Archery Tower, very close to Tiananmen Square. We'll approach its surroundings, where this free walking tour will come to an end after a total of 3 hours.
Group Size
This free tour doesn't admit groups of more than six people, even if they book the activity separately. If you're travelling in a larger group, we recommend checking out this private tour of Beijing.
