Private Tour: Beijinger for a Day

Start your tour in the morning, and meet your private guide in your hotel lobby. Take a taxi or subway to the Drum and Bell Tower, located among many preserved buildings in the oldest part of Beijing.

After your tai chi instructor greets you at the square where your 1-hour lesson takes place, follow the relaxing movements of this kung fu master, who studied at the same Beijing martial arts school as the famous movie star Jet Li. Learn the basic principles of this defensive system, also known as t'ai chi ch'uan, typified by its slow movements, postures and awareness of breath.

When your lesson ends, your guide accompanies you on a climb up the Drum and Bell Tower for a sweeping bird's-eye view of the entire region. Afterward, hop aboard a traditional rickshaw (a type of tricycle designed to carry passengers in addition to the driver) for a ride through old hutongs, and listen as your guide provides an informative introduction to area's history and local life. These narrow, winding alleyways — hidden between the city's main streets — form the residential community of old Beijing.

When it’s time to eat, head to the home of a Chinese family for a yummy home-cooked lunch. As you enjoy this local fare, you can hear stories of the past and experience daily life here firsthand during an authentic interaction.

After lunch, watch a cricket-fighting show as two field crickets grapple against one another in a spectator sport that is uniquely Chinese — especially popular among the older men of Beijing. Learn about the annual National Cricket Fighting Championships as you marvel at these tiny prizefighters, which normally have a lifespan of just 100 days.

At the end of your full-day private tour, your guide will accompany you back to your hotel or help you to get a taxi to your next destination.