4-Hour Private Layover Tour: Beijing Old Hutong

Beijing, China

Get a taster of life in old Beijing on this mini walking tour, tailored to fit a 4-hour layover, with private guide and personal driver. You'll visit glistening lakes linked by scenic bridges, stroll through ancient 'hutong' alleyways, and explore the impressive Drum and Bell Towers, icons of Beijing's old city.

Your private guide and driver will greet you at the luggage carousels in the airport when your flight arrives, holding a sign with your name printed on it. Hop into the climate-controlled vehicle for the 30-minute drive to Beijing's historic hutong area, the web of low-rise alleyways that's an icon of old Beijing.

You'll alight at the scenic Shichahai lake district. Admire the elegant curves of the historic Silver Ingot Bridge (Yinding Qiao) that links Qianhai and Houhai lakes. Drink in the atmosphere as locals chat, drink, and relax around the lake, sometimes with wood pigeons cooing overhead.

From here, it's just a short stroll to Skewed Tobacco Pouch Street (Yandai Xiejie), a quaint 800-year-old hutong that used to be known for sellers of long-stemmed pipes.

Take your time to imbibe the atmosphere as you walk a couple of minutes to the Drum Tower, one of a pair of iconic structures that used to help Beijingers tell the time. It's home to a fascinating museum of Chinese timepieces, from incense clocks to water clocks.

Facing it is its opposite number, the Bell Tower. It's still home to China's largest bell, which is 23 feet (7 meters) high and weighs more than 20 tons (tonnes).

Once you've finished exploring the towers with your guide, your driver will bring you back to the airport to catch your onward flight.

Review by:   Tricia,    April 2017
After a little trouble contacting each other everything went very well. My guide, Ms Huang was very personable and engaging. She explained everything clearly and went above and beyond to please. I had never been to Beijing and I was so happy to be able to get a look at the old town area of Beijing during my 10 hour layover. It was very educational and extremely interesting. I also enjoyed the tea ceremony and all of the architecture of the old buildings. I would recommend this tour to anyone with a layover of 10 hours or more at the PEK. I would also recommend this tour to anyone wishing to take a tour of the old town area outside of the traditional tours of the Forbidden City and Summer Palace.