Top 10 History Tours in Beijing

1.Beijing Historical Tour II including Summer Palace, Lama Temple & Panda Garden

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 187 reviews · from $93Our pick

Review of Beijing’s Lama Temple, Summer Palace and panda tour, with lunch, hotel pickup, silk stops, pricing, timing and practical tips.

“William did a really nice job, very knowledgeable and provided great information. We had two other parties in our group, one with two young boys and William did great with them. He gave us the option to do the boat ride at the Summer Palace which did cost extra, but added something to the day. Trip also included a stop at a tea house and pearl factory. Only small complaint was the tour was advertised as a 7 hour day and we purposefully picked the tour due to the shortened day, but ended up as a 10 hour day. We had plans for a show that night and was hoping…”

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2.Beijing Historical Tour I – Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square & Temple of Heaven

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 120 reviews · from $93

Review of Beijing’s 7-hour tour of Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, and Temple of Heaven, with guide, lunch, admission, and hotel transport.

“this is a tourist trap. The guide didn't enter the forbidden city, he couldn't tell he was a guide so we buy tickets and later he gave the money back, he asked to di only a very quick visit and reach him at the exit. Then he brought us (after a tea house in which we were supposed to buy) to a Traditional Medicine Hospital where a "professor" suggested to everyone to buy very expensive specific herbs and spices to treat diseases. ... and so on ...”

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3.Beijing Historic City Guided Walking Tour + Calligraphy Creation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · from $5Top rated

Walk Beijing’s hutongs, Liulichang, Dashilan, and Qianmen with a local guide, then learn about dynasties, street life, and calligraphy.

“Hao was an excellent guide. Despite the cold weather, Hao kept us moving and provided so much information and insight during our time with her. We would highly recommend Hao and the tour to anyone interested in knowing more about the off the beaten path parts of Beijing.”

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4.Beijing Culture: Tea Ceremony, Heritage Instrument & Calligraphy

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · from $78

Learn tea ceremony, Chinese calligraphy, and Guqin music in a small Beijing workshop led by cultural masters in English.

“I didn’t expect to feel so moved. Playing the Guqin while the master guided my fingers felt like stepping into another time. It was quiet, personal, and completely different from anything else in my itinerary.”

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5.2-Hour Beijing Private Forbidden City Tour: History & Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · from $80

See Beijing’s Forbidden City with a private English-speaking guide in about two hours, with hotel pickup options and key imperial halls covered.

“Mina gave us a fantastic, informative tour of the forbidden city. We hit all of the significant highlights, she was very friendly, and we recommend this tour.”

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6.Bell and Drum Towers Entry Ticket—Historic Landmark

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 23 reviews · 4 hours · from $13

Explore Beijing’s Bell and Drum Towers, see imperial timekeeping relics, and catch a lively drum performance with a flexible self-guided ticket.

“Una torre de tambores frente a un campanario. No está mal si ya has hecho todo lo que podías hacer en Pekín y te apetece saber cómo daban la hora en la ciudad antigua. Sin más”

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7.Tiananmen Square Entry Reservation – Iconic Landmark

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 17 reviews · 2 hours · from $4Best value

Reserve Tiananmen Square entry in advance, use a practical English guide, and plan carefully for queues and passport checks in central Beijing.

“I had no idea of the time it takes to visit this place. Standing in line for 2 hours is minimum, so it takes at least half the day, if you rush it. In the end I missed it because I had to leave for another tour, so I stayed in line 1h for nothing. I believe the preparation of time should be listed loud and clear. Because if I knew it, I would have planned accordingly.”

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8.Forbidden City&Hutong Private Tour w/Historic Site Add-ons

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 14 reviews · 5 - 6 hours · from $88

Compare six private Beijing tours pairing the Forbidden City and Houhai Hutong with the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, or Mutianyu Wall.

“Alice did a wonderful job and made the tour memorable and insightful.”

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9.Beijing Hutong Walking Tour History, Architecture and Local Life

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $49

Explore Beijing hutongs, temples, a church, pagodas, and local life on a three-hour walking tour with practical city tips.

“Lori was a great guide through the Hutongs explaining how they were laid out and significance of the doors. It was a fun sight seeing day and got me more familiar with the city.”

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10.Camping Adventures on the Historic Great Wall of China

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $250

Camp on a quiet Great Wall section near Beijing, hike at sunset, watch sunrise, and travel with guides Peter or Noodle on a two-day adventure.

“I was visiting during Golden Week and so it was one of the busiest times of the year yet Peter found us a quiet area of the Wall that wasn’t crowded with tourists. It was one of my top ten experiences that I’ve ever done, definitely recommend!”

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