4-Hour Private Layover Tour: Beijing Old Hutong

Sightseeing  :  China  :  Northern China  :  Beijing  :  Private Sightseeing Tours

Enjoy this 4-hour layover tour of Old Hutong from the Beijing Capital International Airport. A private guide will assist you and educate you on the history of this cultural area. Visit Drum Tower, Shichahai, Tobacco Pipe Lean Street, and Bell Tower before returning to the airport to catch your departing flight. Meet your private guide and driver by the luggage area in the airport. They will be easy to spot, as they will be holding a sign with the lead traveler's name printed on it. Hop in the air-conditioned vehicle and begin your 30 minute drive to the Hutongs area. Make your first stop in Shichahai, where you will see the Silver Ingot Bridge, a narrow channel that joins Qianhai and Houhai Lake. The lakeshore is packed with various people talking, drinking, and relaxing as wood pigeons coo overhead.

Next, walk to Tobacco Pipe Lean Street, a quaint 800-year-old hutong located directly north of Yinding Bridge between Qianhai and Houhai in the Shichahai area. It used to be well-known for sellers of long-stemmed pipes, hence the name. The last stop will be Drum Tower and Bell Tower, a group of ancient buildings at the north end of the central axis from south to north in the ancient capital of Beijing. Once your tour of the towers is finished, head back to the Beijing Capital International Airport, where you will meet your departing flight.