Beijing Old Hutongs Tour by Rickshaw: Journey through Historical Narrow Streets
3.6
69 Ratings
Beijing
Experience the charm of Beijing's old hutongs on a rickshaw tour. Explore the historical narrow streets, visit the Drum Tower and Tea House, and get a glimpse into Chinese life with a visit to a local home.
Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Hutong Tour - It’s an adventure to roam the old streets of Beijing, but it becomes all the more exciting by pedicab. This tour allows you to get a taste of life in the city as you travel through the old, narrow streets, & Hutong. Hutong is the small windy alleyways between the city’s main boulevards. Taking a stroll here, we will experience the more authentic parts of the city and really get to grips with the old Beijing.

  • Bell and Drum Towers - This tour is including climbing a local Drum Tower for a bird-view of old Beijing. Following is the stop for a chat with a real Chinese family. There is even a stop for refreshments at a local tea house.

What's Included
  • Tea tasting experience
  • Guidance from a professional English-speaking tour guide
  • Central meeting point at Prime Hotel for guests outside 4th Ring Circle Highway
  • Convenient pick-up and drop-off services for hotels within 4th Ring Circle Highway
  • Rickshaw ride through the historic hutongs
  • All admission tickets included
What's Not Included
  • Food and beverages
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Take a historical tour of Beijing’s narrow streets, known as hutongs, on a traditional rickshaw (a type of tricycle designed to carry passengers in addition to the driver). See the old Beijing that still exists for millions of people today. Followed by a walking tour to Drum Tower, Tea House as well as to visit a local home where you can learn about Chinese life from a family.

  • Infants aged 2 years and under travel free of charge, providing they are not occupying a seat
Location
Hutong Tour
No.9, Zhonglou, Dongcheng District, No.9, Zhonglou, Dongcheng District, 100009, Beijing
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
3.6
(69 Ratings)
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Aron
Oct 22, 2023
Great fun - This part of our humongous tour for our group was great fun about 20min around old hutongs and lake area was great fun.and not expensive
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elizabethkul
Jul 18, 2019
Great personalized trip - This was a nice private trip although many of the places I felt obligated to buy things. I had a local phone number so the guide and driver were able to contact me to confirm my pick up time. We visited a silk factory to see how silk was made, but I felt very pressured to buy here. Afterward, we went to a pearl market, also very cool to see how freshwater pearls are harvested. We then went on a brief rickshaw ride to a family's home in the old hutongs, very nice to see! We wrapped up with a tea ceremony where I also felt obligated to buy. Just be aware prior to going to all these places! Very nice tour with Michael and nice to see some local Beijing traditions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jenny
Jan 11, 2020
Great fun way to see a different part of the City - We just booked one of the drivers off the street so did not book a recognized tour as such. It is quite funny, they all seem to wait for each other (ie: after a few of them have a booking) and then go off in a line together?. Our driver stopped off for a toilet stop (we certainly didn't want to use those toilets!!! so make sure you go before getting on the rickshaw lol). The house we stopped of was owned by an artist (who was lovely and let us take his picture and photos in the house etc.) so the house is decorated with his paintings which is nice but maybe not what a regular house would look like? All up I think the tour only went about 1 to 1 1/2 hours so expect if you booked the tour this would include your pick up and drop off time?
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jxx9595
Sep 30, 2019
A very different view of the city - I'm not entirely sure if this was the tour we were on, but we did see the Hutongs by rickshaw. The rickshaw ride itself was uninteresting, but the neighborhood we saw was very different from all the high rises that you see elsewhere in Beijing. Seeing the Hutongs is worth the time and effort for that perspective.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Itchyfeet2014
Jun 1, 2019
Interesting and fun - We did a brief tour of the Hutong district by rickshaw and had lunch in a local residents home. The food was delicious, the hosts very welcoming. Hutong area is packed with history and was fascinating to be taken there by rickshaw. Hard work negotiating these small streets and alleys for the drivers. Recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mariahns
Apr 6, 2019
History, Culture, and Hot Tea! - Since we stayed at an Airbnb, it was difficult to find a good location to meet up with the driver and guide. We were able to use WeChat to chat with our guide to get picked up. I suggest contacting your guide in advanced to find an easy hotel to meet up at. Our guide Gale was very friendly and informative. She spoke perfect English. We learned SO many amazing things about Chinese culture. She had a very welcoming and kind personality. Ask for Gale on your trip. This was a nice short trip through the old Hutong houses. We traveled by Rickshaw into the small alley ways as if going back in time. After that, we saw a traditional home and learned about fengshui. Then we toured the bell tower and got to see a show! Lastly we had a traditional tea ceremony. The host of the ceremony explained the different benefits of the 6 teas we got to try. Afterwards you have the opportunity to purchase some of the tea you got to taste. Some other reviews mention that they were forced to buy these things, but as we found, it is not required you buy anything. You can just taste the tea as it is included in your tour. However, as a tea lover I bought two tins and was happy to support that shop. We were offered to go to the pearl shop, I didn't have any interest in buying pearls, so we declined. Overall, it was a great learning experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D8teterryh
Oct 19, 2019
Good experience - We walked around the Hutongs, along various narrow streets. The rickshaw ride thereafter was fun and definitely worth doing. Not as good as rickshaw ride in Delhi.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joelk382
Oct 18, 2019
Rickshaw ride with 100s - This was fun to do but there was only one stop for the driver to go to the bathroom. We photographed whatever we could shoot along the way. Thank goodness our guide had explained the history, etc of. HUTONGS.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Boerge_w
Sep 16, 2019
No tour - The company called me one before the tour and claimed that all rickshaw companies would not have to drive for the next two weeks due to a parade. So I got no tour of Hutongs!
Review provided by Viator
Jadecita1020
Apr 2, 2019
Do Not Book! Guide Never Showed Up and No Refund! - I booked this tour for my father who accompanied me on a business trip to Beijing. This trip was my 70th birthday present to him. Imagine my anger and disappointment when this scam of a tour never showed up to our hotel despite calling the number provided all morning with no answer . Finally we called trip advisor customer service who told us the tour was canceled and that they had emailed me to notify me. False. I received no notice of cancellation and NO REFUND! I am so very upset as my father was very excited for this tour and instead spent the day sitting around in the hotel by himself as I was at work. As a person who travels frequently for work, I am extremely disappointed in Trip Advisor for not offering better resolution or or refund. They should be more careful on what is advertised and endorsed on their site.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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