1 Day Beijing Cultural Walking Tour

At the agreed time in the morning, your private guide will greet you at the lobby of your self-booked hotel in downtown Beijing, and then escort you on a taxi ride to kick off your Beijing exploration.

* Today’s sightseeing will involve a lot of walking, so please wear a pair of comfortable shoes. 

Our first stop will be the Lama Temple, also known as Yonghe Lamasery, once a prince’s mansion and later served as the ancient imperial government’s administrative center for Tibetan Buddhist affairs from across the country. Here, take your time to appreciate the typical Chinese imperial architecture with red walls and yellow glazed roofs, as well as myriad Buddhist treasures housed within, including China’s largest existing wooden-carved Buddha statue, which stands 26 meters (85 feet) high.

Moreover, enjoy an incense-scented tranquility and, if you like, collect a free bundle of incense to burn and make a wish for health, wealth, or good luck in one of the certain halls just like most locals. To be more pious, remember to hold the incense sticks in your left hand, support them with your right hand, and raise them over your head while silently reciting your wishes in your heart.

Out of the temple, we’ll arrive at the 700-plus-year-old Guozijian Street, the only street in Beijing that still preserves traditional Chinese decorated archways. With your guide, take a stroll to admire the four ornately painted archways, each featuring white marble steles on both sides, which are inscribed with the words “Civil and military officials shall dismount here” in six Chinese ethnic languages. Besides, you can feel the vitality of local life oozing from the inhabited quadrangle courtyards on either side.

Afterward, let’s walk a few steps to the Temple of Confucius, a sacred site built in the early 14th century to honor Confucius, the world-famous sage who lived 2,500 years ago and founded Confucianism. Ancient scholars aspired to gain official positions in the imperial court, especially loved to come to the temple to pray for blessings for their imperial examinations, and even emperors would hold grand ceremonies here to pay homage to this great philosopher. And today, from the main Hall of Great Accomplishment with Confucius’s memorial tablet enshrined to the minipalace-like stove for offering burning, you’ll still sense the supreme position this great man holds in Chinese education.

After marveling at 189 stone steles carved with texts from the thirteen classics of Confucianism in a gallery, we’ll then reach the adjoining Imperial Academy, the top state-run academic institute from 1287 to 1911 AD, and also the only imperial college left in China. After entry, what comes into your view first will be the yellow and green Glazed Archway, the only glazed archway specially built for education in China, allowing you to truly experience how highly the ancient Chinese valued schooling. It is said that touching that stone-carved turtle head beneath the archway will surely bring success in examinations, so you won't be too surprised to see many Chinese visitors doing so. Keep walking forward, and you’ll be amazed by the splendid Biyong Hall standing on a square platform in the center of a circular pool. This was where the emperors gave lectures, and now it offers you a chance to get a close look at the ancient imperial throne inside. 

► Insider Tips for Lunch:
Lunch is not included. As we’re now again on the lively Guozijian Street, you can find some cafes and snack bars to have a simple lunch at your own expense. If you like, try some local snacks like Glutinous Rice Roll with Sweet Bean Flour, Almond Junket, and Dark Plum Soup. Your guide will be glad to provide you with some recommendations according to your taste.

Next, your guide will accompany you to take a taxi again to the National Museum, the top-notch treasure trove that holds the memories of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. Once there, feast your eyes on countless key highlights of the collections, ranging from the rough tools of the Stone Age 2.5 million years ago to exquisite porcelain of the time when the last feudal emperor abdicated in 1912. In the Ancient China Exhibition on the basement floor, the Houmuwu Square Cauldron, the largest and heaviest bronze ware known in China, with mysterious dragon-like beast patterns meticulously cast on all sides, will leave you in awe of the superb craftsmanship of the artisans over 3,000 years ago. Also, marvel at the Phoenix Coronet, valued at 1.3 billion, whose top is decorated with 9 golden dragons and 9 golden phoenixes. Its blue trim, made from rare kingfisher feathers, still retains a vibrant color. Coupled with carefully selected rubies, sapphires, and pearls, the overall design exudes the ultimate luxury of royalty.

Following that, we’ll make our way to Jingshan Park, an 800-plus-year-old venue where members of the royal families climbed, sightseeing, and even performing rituals in ancient times, for a vibrant sunset view. It only takes 15 minutes to hike to the summit of Jingshan Hill, once the highest point on the central axis of Beijing. Here, you’ll be greeted by the iconic Wanchun Pavilion, which features a three-eaved four-cornered pyramidal roof covered with yellow glazed tiles and trimmed with green edges, offering you a 360° view of the entire city of Beijing, with the grand Forbidden City to the south, the traditional Hutong alleys to the west, and the modern CBD complex to the east. Pay particular attention to the view of the Forbidden City, where the afterglow falls on the glazed tiles of thousands of orderly arranged palaces, making the whole look like a golden sea. The water of its surrounding moat, reflecting the orange sky, flows like molten gold. Seize your chance to snap the postcard-like photos.Finally, your guide will escort you back to your hotel by taxi. Thank you for travelling with us! If you have plans to visit other top attractions in Beijing, such as the Forbidden City or Summer Palace, please feel free to contact us for a customized tour.

► Recommended Nighttime Activities (at your own expense):
If you don’t want to return to your hotel immediately after the tour, you can head to the nearby Shichahai area on your own, just a 10-minute taxi or 20-minite walk from Jingshan Park. Find a time-honored restaurant in deep alleys to taste typical Beijing flavors, such as the Peking Roast Duck and the Noodles with Soybean Paste, enjoy a relaxing boat ride on the serene Shichahai Lake, or have a drink and revel in healing music at the lakeside bar street. Just immerse yourself in the revelry of the night!