Top Northern China Half-day Tours

Eat your way around Beijing’s old "hutong" alleyways and courtyards on a small-group tour. Enjoy several food stops at tucked-away restaurants and homes you wouldn’t find by yourself. Sample staples such as Beijing hotpot, noodles, beef buns, and spring pancakes. Learn about local cuisine over unlimited beers and soda, and enjoy a stop at a local brewery, with a pint of craft beer included. Make sure to bring your appetite.

Enjoy a hassle-free and enriching visit to Beijing’s Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square on this half-day group guided tour. Navigate crowds with a guide who organizes your tickets and shows you the best ways to explore each site. The tour is offered in English and Spanish, with a smaller group size allowing plenty of attention and time for questions.

With this private walking tour, you can discover many Beijing food specialties that tourists usually miss out on. Rather than having language barriers, enjoy having a private guide to show you around and recommend the best dishes to eat. Best of all, to keep the experience as effortless as possible, food and drink tastings are included, such as noodles, beer, and soup dumplings.

Breeze past the long entry lines to enjoy your pre-booked tour of the Forbidden City. Follow your tour guide to visit several palaces, including the lavish Antiquarium of the Palace Museum (Treasures Museum). Learn about the ancient history, culture, and traditions that helped shape the Forbidden City through your guide's engaging commentary. Entrance fees and hotel pickup in Beijing are included.

Buy your ticket in advance to The Forbidden City and Tiananmen square in Beijing and guarantee your admission on your chosen day and time without the risk of the tickets being sold out.

Enjoy a personalized masterclass in China’s diverse religions on this private half-day door-to-door tour of Beijing’s Lama Temple and Confucius Temple. Choose between morning or afternoon tours to fit your busy schedule and breeze straight past the long lines with your personal guide. Please note: the Confucius Temple closes on Mondays, so your guide will introduce the Drum Tower and Bell Tower instead.

Discover several UNESCO-listed sites in Beijing in just a few hours on this action-packed half-day walking tour. The tour will help you save time and see Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City in half a day, with a guide to provide enriching commentary. All entrance fees are included so you’ll save time waiting in entrance crowds, and have more time to explore.

Go off the beaten path in Beijing to visit a hutong (traditional-style neighborhood) with a private guide for an authentic experience of local Chinese cuisine and the rich culture of old Beijing. Sample more than 20 different dishes at small eateries including locally owned shops, bakeries, and restaurants. Meet the owners and learn about Chinese culinary customs on this half-day tour including all food tastings.

Step back in time in one of China’s best-preserved Ming-era cities on a private tour of Pingyao Old Town. This medieval, walled UNESCO-listed town is famed for its Ming and Qing architecture and quaint streets. Visit the Confucian Temple, Rishengchang Draft Bank, and other must-sees, walk along the city walls, and learn about Pingyao's mercantile past from a private guide.

The UNESCO-listed Forbidden City is Beijing’s most visited attraction with over 14 million annual visitors, and it has the traffic to match. This half-day walking tour ensures you maximize your time, with a private guide, pre-paid entrance tickets, and an itinerary tailored to your preferences. Plus, hotel pickup is included for an easy day of exploring.

Tick off two of China's most iconic sights during this private tour of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Your guide will greet you at your downtown hotel and accompany you to the center, either on foot or by metro or rideshare (at your expense). Listen to detailed commentary as you tour one of the world’s best-preserved imperial palaces and the largest public square in the world.

The final resting place of 13 Ming Dynasty emperors, Beijing’s Ming Tombs remain one of the city’s most significant landmarks (and are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site). This private, half-day tour offers a seamless and stress-free way to discover more. Pick between morning or afternoon tour times, and meet your guide at your Beijing hotel. Upon arrival, you’ll see the Sacred Way, will explore the Dingling Tomb, and will learn more about China’s imperial past.

Combine pandas and a UNESCO World Heritage site in one experience, without having to book separate outings, on this private or small-group half-day tour in Beijing. Go see giant panda bears at the Panda House in the Beijing Zoo.Then tour the Summer Palace, an original royal garden, and enjoy a pleasant boat ride (fee extra) on scenic Kunming Lake, all in just a few hours.

Beijing’s UNESCO-listed Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) is one of the Chinese capital’s top attractions, but one’s that often rushed through on group tours. Enjoy a leisurely and comprehensive experience on a private half-day guided tour, and receive undivided attention while learning more about Beijing’s culture and history. Visit highlights such as the intricately painted Long Corridor and admire the beautiful landscape designs at the Hall of Longevity. Upgrade to include one additional Beijing attraction.

Sprawling across 743 acres (301 hectares) of lake and garden, the Summer Palace was designed to keep the imperial court entertained through Beijing’s long, hot summers. Skip the guidebook and go with a private guide to steer you to the highlights of this vast expanse, and beat the long lines by prebooking this convenient door-to-door tour.

Shun the beaten path and savor a breakfast feast as you explore a traditional hutong neighborhood on this small-group walking tour. Exploring with a foodie guide, learn how locals live as you snack, slurp, and sip over 10 different dishes and drinks from four or five separate eateries. Along the way try yoghurt and pancakes, savor coffee with a view, and visit a local market to see what’s in season.

Discover Beijing at night with ease as you travel by private vehicle. See the sights—and the lights—without struggling with taxis or waiting for strangers. Following a fixed itinerary with photo stops, discover Beijing's ancient and modern—from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City to the Bird's Nest and the CCTV New Mansion.

Learn about the history and highlights of the Forbidden City with ease, thanks to this convenient tour and ticket package. To help you get inside quicker, admission is included, as well as a guided tour so you can learn tales of emperors and the site’s construction. Also, benefit from the flexibility to choose an upgraded package with Tiananmen Square admission.

Visit two of Beijing’s most beautiful temples on this private half-day tour. Ride the Beijing metro like a local, marvel at the Temple of Heaven, and see the priceless Maidala Buddha statue at Lama Temple. Hotel pickup and entrance fees are included.

Particularly for first-time visitors who don’t speak Chinese, a private guide can transform the Beijing experience. Say no to hustlers and discover the city by private guide on this door-to-door private tour. The tours itinerary is customizable base on your interests. Visit Back Lakes, Qianmen, Liulichang. stroll through the historical alleys, Hutong. Feel much more atmospheric with a private guide on hand to tell their stories and answer all your questions.

The Great Wall at Badaling is magical when lit up for the night, but it’s some way out of Beijing and tricky to reach if you don’t speak Chinese. Pair the ease of an organized tour with the freedom of independent travel on this convenient package which includes a private driver to get you there and back. There’s no need to worry about securing tickets: They’re part of your package.

Admire Beijing’s top attractions as their evening lights switch on with this private night walking tour. With your private guide, head for Tiananmen Square to watch its flag-lowering ceremony at sunset. View the vast square and historical buildings, and see other landmarks, including the egg-shaped National Theatre, Qianmen Old Shopping Street, and Wangfujing Church (St. Joseph's Church). Plus, delve into the night market and street food haunts around Wangfujing Street.

It’s possible to visit the Great Wall of China from Beijing, even with just a few hours. Leave the logistics to someone else and enjoy personalized attention on this private half-day tour on the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. Cable car, chair lift, and toboggan ride included, as well as round-trip private transportation from your hotel in Beijing.