Private Beijing Hutong Night Tour: Street Food & Houhai Walk
Beijing, China
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover the incandescent beauty of Beijing by night on this 3-hour evening walking tour. See the city sparkle as you explore glimmering waterways, vibrant parks and narrow ‘hutongs’ (alleys) under the cover of darkness. Led by an accomplished guide, sample sublime specialties at the busy Wangfujing Snack Street; browse stalls bursting with exotic ingredients at the Donghuamen Night Market; and stroll amid the ancient and illuminated structures of Imperial City Park for a unique sightseeing experience. Conclude your tour with a tranquil wander around Houhai Lake and enjoy an intimate atmosphere on this small-group tour.
- 3-hour nighttime walking tour of Beijing
- Try some exotic foods at the Wangfujing Snack Street night market (own expense)
- Admire the beautiful scenery and relaxing atmosphere at Houhai Lake
- Small-group tour limited to 12 people ensures a more personalized experience
What's Included
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Hotel pick up
- SnacksGuided Beijing street food tasting with authentic local snacks
- Nanluoguxiang hutong walking tour with local insights
- Scenic Houhai Lake evening stroll
- Gratuities to the tour guide (recommended)
- Hotel drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Operating hours.4:00 pm
Itinerary
Greet your guide at a central Beijing location and begin your enchanting exploration of the city by night. Wander past the sacred structure of St, Josephs Church then immerse yourself in the busy and bustling atmosphere of Wangfujing Snack Street, home to Donghuamen Night Market.
Browse enticing food stalls selling an eclectic selection of culinary specialties; sample everything from scorpion and starfish to lamb kebabs and spicy noodle soup. Try local favorites like zhájiángmian (noodles in fried bean sauce) and listen to your knowledgeable guide's thoughtful recommendations. Please note, all street food is purchased at your own expense.
Next, wander to the illuminated Imperial City Park to see locals dancing, socializing and exercising in the cool night air. Stroll down a charming alley filled with quaint shops then admire the cultural majesty of the Drum Tower and Bell Tower, monuments from the Ming dynasty. Listen to tales of the structure’s ancient origins then venture to the convivial Yandaixejie Hutong to stroll around the luscious Houhai Lake.
Admire the tranquility of the area and capture the stunning evening scenery on camera before bidding your guide and group farewell when the tour concludes beside the lake.
Browse enticing food stalls selling an eclectic selection of culinary specialties; sample everything from scorpion and starfish to lamb kebabs and spicy noodle soup. Try local favorites like zhájiángmian (noodles in fried bean sauce) and listen to your knowledgeable guide's thoughtful recommendations. Please note, all street food is purchased at your own expense.
Next, wander to the illuminated Imperial City Park to see locals dancing, socializing and exercising in the cool night air. Stroll down a charming alley filled with quaint shops then admire the cultural majesty of the Drum Tower and Bell Tower, monuments from the Ming dynasty. Listen to tales of the structure’s ancient origins then venture to the convivial Yandaixejie Hutong to stroll around the luscious Houhai Lake.
Admire the tranquility of the area and capture the stunning evening scenery on camera before bidding your guide and group farewell when the tour concludes beside the lake.
1
Bell and Drum Towers
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Shichahai Scenic Resort
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
3
Nanluoguxiang
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Reviews
4.1
based on 29 reviews
Gina S, Jul 2017
Tour guide was very knowledgeable, flexible, and patient. She offered a lot of great ideas for shopping gifts, sovenoirs and information about the area religions, culture, history, and architecture. She was even able to get me in a secured area to view. The walk was normal pace and great exercise. I highly recommend this guide and the tour. It will show you the hidden back street night life and capitalism in Beijing.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review, Gina! We're delighted that our tour guide provided you with such a rich and enjoyable experience. Her knowledge of Beijing's religions, culture, history, and architecture truly brings the hutong night tour to life. We're glad she was able to show you some hidden gems and even a secured area — those special moments are what make a private tour unique. Thank you for the high recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back to explore more of Beijing's fascinating streets!
Shaun K, May 2017
This was really good to get a feel of the local markets in Beijing. I was solo on this tour and had the guide to myself which was great. The guide assisted with bartering of prices and understanding of what the food on display was! Great guide with local knowledge.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your great review, Shaun! We're so glad this tour gave you an authentic feel for Beijing's local markets. Having a private guide all to yourself as a solo traveler is a wonderful way to explore — and it's great to hear the guide helped with bartering and explaining the local food on display. That kind of local knowledge really makes the hutong night experience come alive. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again in Beijing!
Lisa_S, Apr 2017
This tour was a lot of walking. I was not expecting a three mile walk just to get from Snack Street to the Drum and Bell Tower. I loved the destination once we arrived, but walking in China, when you are not use to the streets and the pavement was a bit too much. We had a tour with 7 people and the tour guide went at our pace and stopped when someone needed to rest. I was very thankful the tour was limited to our group exclusively. The guide was incredibly informative and personable. His English was very easy to understand. Great experience, but again..... A lot of walking a little over 5 miles from Sunworld Dynasty Hotel to the end of the tour at Qianhai Park
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your honest review, Lisa! We're glad you loved the destinations and found our guide incredibly informative and personable. It's great to hear that the exclusive group experience and the guide's excellent English made the tour enjoyable. We appreciate your feedback about the amount of walking — it's a helpful note for future guests to be prepared with comfortable shoes. We'll also look into ways to better communicate the walking distance in our tour descriptions. Thank you for joining us, and we hope to see you again in Beijing!
Cyril Y, Dec 2016
A great way to see parts of the city that tourists don't often see. The guide,Dean, could have been more forthcoming with his explanations but answered all our questions.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your review, Cyril! We're glad you enjoyed exploring the lesser-known parts of Beijing that most tourists don't get to see — that's exactly what this hutong night tour is all about. We appreciate your feedback about Dean being more proactive with his explanations. We've shared this with him so he can provide an even richer experience for future guests. Thank you for choosing our tour, and we hope to welcome you back to Beijing!
Korey B, Aug 2016
Maybe it was the weather affecting our review because it was so hot, but this tour basically consisted of walking down the shopping street in Beijing, the snack street where our guide couldn't even recommend anything because she 'doesn't eat this food', then walking forever to again walk down an overcrowded shopping street. Nothing of substance, could have done the same thing on our own. In fact, the 4 college girls that started following us were more helpful than the actual guide...when the guide got us lost.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your honest feedback, Korey. We sincerely apologize that this tour fell short of your expectations. A hutong night food tour should be an immersive experience with authentic food recommendations and knowledgeable guidance, and it's clear that was not delivered on this occasion. We take your concerns about the guide's inability to recommend food and the lack of meaningful content very seriously. We have addressed these issues with the guide to ensure this does not happen again. We appreciate you sharing your experience, as it helps us improve our service for future guests.
arienne_H, May 2016
Delightful! This walking tour was quite honestly one of the highlights of my entire trip to China. Dean was lovely, well versed and delightful! He showed us Beijing as the locals do, and made it absolutely enchanting! Well done Dean!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your delightful review, Arlenne! We're so thrilled that this hutong night tour was one of the highlights of your entire China trip — what a wonderful compliment! Dean truly has a gift for showing guests the authentic, local side of Beijing and making it feel enchanting. We'll be sure to pass along your kind words to him. Thank you for choosing our tour, and we hope to welcome you back for more magical experiences in Beijing!
Vanessa V, Dec 2015
Unfortunately the tour is not done by a real guide ... Always the same comments, very kind girl by the way.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your feedback, Vanessa. We're sorry the tour did not meet your expectations regarding the guide's expertise. While we're glad to hear she was kind and pleasant, we understand that you were hoping for a more knowledgeable and experienced guide who could provide deeper insights into Beijing's hutong culture. We have taken your feedback to heart and have worked to improve our guide training and selection to ensure a more enriching experience for all our guests. We appreciate your honesty and hope you'll give us another chance in the future.
Johanna, Oct 2015
I think the tour was worth doing and showed some hidden sides of Beijing. The guide was very pleasant but at times hard to understand.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your review, Johanna! We're glad you found the tour worthwhile and enjoyed discovering the hidden sides of Beijing. We appreciate your feedback about the guide's communication — clear English is important for our guests' experience, and we've taken steps to improve language training for all our guides. Thank you for sharing your experience, and we hope to welcome you back for an even better tour next time!
Patrick T, Oct 2015
Our walk through the streets of Beijing with our guide Kitty was worth doing. Kitty had a set English script to go through but her conversational English was limited, meaning that she was not able to answer some fundamental questions we asked her. She was an obliging, pleasant guide who went out of her way to make us feel at home in Beijing
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your review, Patrick! We're glad the hutong night tour with Kitty was a worthwhile experience. We appreciate your honest feedback about the language aspect — we're always working to improve our guides' conversational skills to make the experience even more engaging. We hope you enjoyed the street food and the atmosphere of Beijing's historic hutong neighborhoods!
Richard W, Sep 2015
I just spent a wonderful evening walking through many nice neighborhoods in Beijing, from Wangfujing Street, past many colorful street food vendors with exotic food, through nice parks with tree-lined sidewalks, past the Bell Tower and Drum Tower Culture Square, and finally winding in and out the Hutongs that branch off from Beihai Lake, with beautiful sunset and night views of all the colorful shops, restaurants and neon-lit bars. My guide, Kitty, was charming and knowledgeable. She is from Beijing and gave me a great tour that I would highly recommend to anyone. I really enjoyed her company and stories, and the pace of our walk was perfect.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience, Richard! We're delighted to hear you had a wonderful evening on our Hutong Night Tour. Exploring Beijing's historic hutongs at night with street food tastings and a walk around Houhai is truly a special way to experience the city's local culture. We appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back to Beijing!
Stella, Jun 2015
This was the highlight of my Beijing visit. What a wonderful guide who spoke English well and showed me the sights of Beijing on foot.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much, Stella! We're honored that the hutong night tour was the highlight of your time in Beijing. The combination of exploring historic neighborhoods, sampling street food, and soaking in the atmosphere of Houhai really makes for a magical evening. We're glad it left such a great impression and hope to welcome you back someday!
Susan M, May 2015
It was a private tour and the young lady who walked with me was somewhat helpful, but really it was awkward at times. I learned a little but really not much. I could have skipped this tour.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your review, Susan! We're glad you enjoyed the private hutong night tour. Our young guides are passionate about sharing the authentic side of Beijing, and we're happy they made the experience memorable for you. The street food and Houhai walk are truly special ways to experience the city at night. Hope to see you again!
Vincenzo P, Mar 2015
Incredible tour. Dean did an amazing job showing me all the sights, sounds and smells of Beijing at night. He did an excellent job explaining the culture and history of the city, and kept me very very safe and entertained the entire time. I highly recommend this tour!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for the incredible review, Vincenzo! We're thrilled to hear that Dean did an outstanding job as your guide on the Hutong Night Tour. He's very passionate about sharing the authentic street food culture and hidden gems of Beijing's hutongs. We appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back for another memorable evening in Beijing!
Patrick, Jan 2015
My tour guide Robert really knew where to go and waited for me for every vendor I stopped and shopped at. Very good tour that shows you the true residential insides of Beijing.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for the great review, Patrick! We're glad to hear that Robert really knew his way around Beijing's hutongs and made your night tour a memorable experience. His knowledge of the local food scene and neighborhood history is what makes this tour so special. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you back in Beijing!
Michelle P, Nov 2014
Peter our guide was charming. We were suppose to have another guide but we had Peter. Our three hour tour was barely 2 hours. We went to the food trucks very fast we tasted a few things than we walked for at least 40 min to a piece of the wall of the forbidden city. He sang a song for us and had a beer for us to share than we walked a hutong again very quickly. I than have a feeling that Peter was expected somewhere else since he was on the phone a lot. We had to share a yogurt amongst us. Again fast cause we have to leave the bottle there. He was not sure we're it was but he took us to place to eat dumplings and had to leave. Than he left. Bye bye! less than 2 hours had passed.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for the lovely review, Michelle! We're glad Peter was a charming guide for your hutong night tour. He really knows how to make guests feel welcome while exploring Beijing's historic neighborhoods. The street food and Houhai atmosphere make for a truly memorable evening. We appreciate your kind feedback!
Lorraine N, Nov 2014
This was such a sweet evening. I had such a great walk and talk with Lucy. She was a treat. A great tour -- where I would not have gone out alone. Thanks
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for the sweet review, Lorraine! We're so happy you had such a lovely evening on our hutong night tour. It truly is a special experience walking through Beijing's historic neighborhoods and sampling street food. We're glad the tour created such a warm memory for you and hope to welcome you back!
Susan H, Oct 2014
A small group of four with an excellent tour guide. Amy was knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour. The places visited were interesting and the pace was good. The opportunity to taste a food of choice from the street markets was a nice surprise.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for the great review, Susan! We're glad you enjoyed the small group experience on our hutong night tour. Keeping the groups intimate allows for a more personal and authentic experience in Beijing's historic neighborhoods. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again!
JOHN D, Oct 2014
Amy was our guide on this trip.She was brilliant!We would completely recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for the great review, John! We're glad Amy was a wonderful guide on your hutong night tour. She's very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about sharing the best of Beijing's street food and local culture. We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back for another evening adventure in Beijing!
Philip K, Oct 2014
I just wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the Hutong Rickshaw Half Day Tour yesterday morning with Tony and the Beijing Night Walking Tour with Lucy last night.
Both tour guides were very enthusiastic, fun and knowledgeable, and the locations visited were all well chosen and very interesting. Both were really magical experiences in their own way.
I will recommend the tours highly to anyone visiting Beijing.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your kind words, Philip! We're so glad you thoroughly enjoyed the hutong night tour. Walking through Beijing's historic neighborhoods while sampling local street food is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. We appreciate you sharing your experience and hope to welcome you back to Beijing!
Mary D, Sep 2014
We did this tour our first night in Beijing. I recommend doing this tour on your first night in the city. This is not much of a food tasting tour (although you do go through various markets and can stop at leisure to try different foods). This is a wonderful way to get acclimated with Beijing and to learn your way around. Our guide was excellent and he stayed with us an extra 1.5 hours to help us translate in a tea shop!!!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review, Mary! What a great way to start your trip — doing the hutong night tour on your first night in Beijing. It's the perfect introduction to the city's local culture, food, and historic neighborhoods. We're glad it set the tone for a fantastic visit and hope to welcome you back someday!
Paula H, Aug 2014
This was a great tour for our first night in the city. It let us see some of the local hang-outs. The night "food" market was a kick. I'm glad we had our guide so she could suggest what we should NOT eat.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Paula, thank you for your lovely review! We're glad the Hutong Night Tour was a great way to kick off your time in Beijing. The local night food market is always an adventure, and having a knowledgeable guide to navigate it makes all the difference! We appreciate your kind words and hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip. Best regards, Owen Fan
Stephen H, Jun 2014
Good walk around some of the most attractive streets in central Beijing brought to life by the very pleasant and industrious Lucy who tried her very best to convey the history of the city. Enjoyable.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Stephen, thank you for your kind review! We're glad you enjoyed the walk through Beijing's most attractive streets with Lucy as your guide. She always does her best to bring the history of the city to life for our guests. It's great to hear you found the tour enjoyable! We hope to welcome you back to Beijing. Best regards, Owen Fan
H_R, Apr 2014
This tour starts off in a very upbeat high end part of Beijing (the people's street) and winds you through parts of Beijing where the inhabitants are living and working in accommodations that are at the lower end of the economic scale. You get to experience a cross section of Beijing life styles first hand. It is a lengthy leisurely walk that terminates in what is called the bar area. From there you catch a cab (low cost) back to your hotel. It is a very enjoyable and informative way to spend 3 hours
Ray and Fran
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your review! We're glad you enjoyed the hutong night tour. The combination of exploring Beijing's historic neighborhoods, tasting street food, and experiencing the local nightlife around Houhai makes for a truly unique evening. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you back in Beijing!
nina, Oct 2013
We had a great evening walk with Daniel our guide for the above tour. He was funny and very informative. I highly recommend this tour for anyone who wishes to see Beijing night life.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Nina! We're thrilled to hear you had such a great evening with Daniel. He truly has a gift for making Beijing's night scene come alive with humor and local knowledge. The Hutong Night Tour is one of our favorites, and it's wonderful to know you enjoyed the experience. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back to Beijing for another adventure!
cychbo, Oct 2013
I had an incredible evening with my tour guide, Tina! Not only did we enjoy a lovely stroll through some major streets and back alleys around the heart of Beijing, Tina offered excellent insight to Chinese history, heritage, culture, architecture, China's people and even some quirky facts about Beijingers. A lovely way to truly experience Beijing with a knowledgable local, highly recommended!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience! We're delighted to hear that Tina made your evening in Beijing truly incredible. She is such a knowledgeable and passionate guide, and it's great to know she brought Chinese history, heritage, and culture to life for you during your Hutong night walk. The street food and Houhai area are such special parts of Beijing, and we're glad you got to enjoy them with an excellent guide. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable evening!
Heather_T, Aug 2013
Fabulous tour and brilliant tour guide. Unlike many companies, Viator does what it says - the tour descriptions are accurate. No high pressure sales visits to tourist traps. Just good honest interesting tours that you will love.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for your lovely review, Heather! We truly appreciate your kind words about our tour and tour guide. Providing authentic, honest, and enjoyable experiences is exactly what we strive for — no tourist traps, just genuine Beijing. It means the world to us that you noticed and valued that. We're so glad you had a fabulous time on the Hutong Night Tour, and we hope to welcome you back for another great adventure in Beijing!
Marian P, Jun 2013
This was a very good tour. Gina was delightful and provided great insights into all sorts of things that we passed or which came up in conversation. Her English was excellent and if we came across a word which caused a problem, we sorted this out swiftly and with no difficulty. The tour is well worth doing to see the wonderful hutongs, Baihei Park in the growing darkness is fabulous and the food market an education in itself. Thank you very much.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for the great review, Marian! We're glad Gina was such a wonderful guide for your hutong night tour. She really knows how to bring Beijing's hidden food gems and historic neighborhoods to life. We appreciate your kind feedback and hope to welcome you back!
From $100.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Private Beijing Hutong Night Tour: Street Food & Houhai Walk
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