Beijing Day Trip of the Forbidden City, Hutong, Beihai Park and the Lama Temple
Beijing, China
Trip Type: Full-day Tours
Duration: 8 hours
Although Beijing has modernized along with the rest of the country there are still a lot of historical charms remaining. This is a full day tour with English-speaking guide through the historical city center that will introduce you to the city’s most famous, picturesque and inspiring historical sites. From the ancient residential alleys and slow-paced day-to-day life to the riches of the imperial palace, you’ll see it all!
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Although Beijing has modernized along with the rest of the country there are still a lot of historical charms remaining. This is a full day tour with English-speaking guide through the historical city center that will introduce you to the city’s most famous, picturesque and inspiring historical sites. From the ancient residential alleys and slow-paced day-to-day life to the riches of the imperial palace, you’ll see it all!
You’ll meet your guide at your hotel, and will start your tour from Tian’anmen Square, following with the Forbidden City and the Imperial Palace to experience some of the most amazing sites of one of the greatest empires in the world. These sites will help you understand just how impressive China’s history is, and you’ll be able to gain a deeper understanding of it with our tour guide’s explanation. In imperial China, only the emperor, deemed the ‘son of heaven,’ was allowed to pass through the central meridian gate into the palace. However, today, you can also experience the majestic palace fit for emperors, first-hand.
Then, by rickshaw, you can relax as your driver weaves through the ancient narrow lanes, also known as Beijing’s Hutong. The Hutong has captured traditional Beijing’s essence, and spending time here is a real look into authentic Beijing city life. After this, you will have the opportunity to see life inside Chinese family’s houses, through lunch with a local family. They can even show you how to use your chopsticks if you’re not yet fully comfortable using them! To quench your thirst afterwards, we will taste traditional Chinese tea at a teahouse inside the Bell Tower. If you thought tea tasting was easy, just watch the intricate processes involved in boiling Chinese tea – a process that differs for each type of tea.
After that, follow your guide to Beihai Park, one of the oldest imperial parks in the capital located just north of the Forbidden City. The gardens are some of the most carefully preserved in China, with man-made hills, pavilions, and many other scenic sites located throughout.
But Beihai Park is not the only beautiful greenery in this fast-growing metropolis: you’ll get the opportunity to explore Jingshan Park and its many flowers with your tour guide, and to take in a panorama of one of the fastest growing cities in the entire world from the top of the hill. This park is also where locals gather to participate in outdoor group activities: think singing, dancing, and other traditional performance arts. Groups of performers are hiding around every corner, and they’d be more than happy to accommodate you joining in if you’re in the mood for some traditional singing.
The last stop is the Lama Temple, the most celebrated Buddhist temple in Beijing and a temple of the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism. It is one of the largest and most influential in China, and was the only temple to have been said to have survived the Cultural Revolution, and only reopened to the public in 1981. Take in the architecture and the oasis of calm amidst one of the most buzzing historic districts in the city.
Then, by rickshaw, you can relax as your driver weaves through the ancient narrow lanes, also known as Beijing’s Hutong. The Hutong has captured traditional Beijing’s essence, and spending time here is a real look into authentic Beijing city life. After this, you will have the opportunity to see life inside Chinese family’s houses, through lunch with a local family. They can even show you how to use your chopsticks if you’re not yet fully comfortable using them! To quench your thirst afterwards, we will taste traditional Chinese tea at a teahouse inside the Bell Tower. If you thought tea tasting was easy, just watch the intricate processes involved in boiling Chinese tea – a process that differs for each type of tea.
After that, follow your guide to Beihai Park, one of the oldest imperial parks in the capital located just north of the Forbidden City. The gardens are some of the most carefully preserved in China, with man-made hills, pavilions, and many other scenic sites located throughout.
But Beihai Park is not the only beautiful greenery in this fast-growing metropolis: you’ll get the opportunity to explore Jingshan Park and its many flowers with your tour guide, and to take in a panorama of one of the fastest growing cities in the entire world from the top of the hill. This park is also where locals gather to participate in outdoor group activities: think singing, dancing, and other traditional performance arts. Groups of performers are hiding around every corner, and they’d be more than happy to accommodate you joining in if you’re in the mood for some traditional singing.
The last stop is the Lama Temple, the most celebrated Buddhist temple in Beijing and a temple of the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism. It is one of the largest and most influential in China, and was the only temple to have been said to have survived the Cultural Revolution, and only reopened to the public in 1981. Take in the architecture and the oasis of calm amidst one of the most buzzing historic districts in the city.
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