Top 5 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 $5Best value

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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