Beijing Hutong Breakfast Food Tour

Beijing, China

A stroll through Beijing’s Hutongs are recommended to every visitor to the capital, but locals know that “there are as many hutongs as there are hairs on an ox” around the city. The best way to get to know the most scenic twisting backstreets that locals call home is by eating your way through them, especially at the pop-up breakfast stalls that disappear after the morning rush hour. On this tour, you’ll meet your bilingual guide and small group at a convenient location, then head out to try traditional morning dishes side-by-side with the locals who love them.

The breakfast tour is a roving feast of the best morning dishes available in China's capital city.

Over the course of three hours, you’ll meander through some of Beijing’s oldest, original Hutongs - your tour guide won't take you to rebuilt or crowded areas filled with tourists. You'll eat their way through China’s 5,000 years of culinary history, trying new foods and gaining an appreciation for the artisans making these handmade treats, starting with silken tofu pudding. Freshly-made and topped with savory toppings – like chive flowers – you won’t see outside of China.

Next up, you’ll try brown sugar donuts from a halal stall, then a flurry of breakfast treats at a hole-in-the-wall that serves an offal soup in the evenings. Don’t worry – for breakfast, they steer clear of innards, offering some of the city’s best-sized baozi (steamed buns), deep-fried crullers and freshly made sweet soymilk.

You’ll sample an intense fermented mung bean milk, a Beijing elixir that elderly locals swear by, and traditional jarred yogurt you can only find within the capital’s city limits. After a short coffee break, you’ll watch a skilled hawker make jianbing (Chinese crepe) to order, then pop into a Chinese brandy shop for a quick tasting and tutorial on the delicious beverage. Finally, you’ll end on a sweet note with a palate-cleansing almond tofu or tea-flavored ice cream, depending on the season.