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Travel bucket list idea:

Last updated: 26 June, 2023
Expert travel writer: Thomas O’Malley

Wandering the atmospheric hutong neighbourhoods is Beijing’s most evocative experience.

Hutongs are residential lanes and alleyways traditionally associated with Beijing and defined by the outer walls of courtyard homes called siheyuan – usually single storey – which join together to form communities. The oldest date back hundreds of years. The word itself is believed to be of Mongol origin, dating back to the Yuan dynasty.

The narrow hutong lanes north of the Forbidden City and around the Drum and Bell Towers and Houhai Lake, are some of the best for strolling, where you might see local residents playing xiangqi, traditional street sellers, and surviving Qing dynasty courtyard architecture.

Explore independently, or hire a guide to explain the unique cultures of the more fascinating hutongs such as those around the Dashilan neighbourhood southwest of Tiananmen Square, which served as Beijing’s red-light district before the Communist revolution.

Before you go

Read Michael Meyer’s The Last Days of Old Beijing: Life in the Vanishing Backstreets of a City Transformed is an eloquent personal story of life in a Beijing hutong. It details the architectural and historic elements of several hutong districts.

Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Official tourist office maps are generally unhelpful, but boutique hotel The Orchid has prepared a wonderfully informative walking map of the hutongs around its immediate neighbourhood close to the Drum and Bell Towers.

A sample route begins on pedestrianised Qianmen Street south of Tiananmen Square and heads west onto Dashilan Dajie, a narrow street lined with heritage Chinese stores and Beijing’s oldest cinema. Cross Meishi Jie and continue along the quieter Dashilan Xijie, noting the cafés and grey-brick houses. Turn right onto Qingzhu Xiang, a small lane featuring Zhenwu Temple, which leads onto Liulichang – an attractive hutong famous for its inkstone and giant calligraphy brush shops.

See them by rickshaw

Trishaw drivers hang around Houhai Lake and nearby hutongs offering tours – a more leisurely way to take in the hutong atmosphere. Bargain hard or pay over the odds.

See them by bike

Beijing is full of dockless bicycles which are a great way to explore the hutongs, but you will need to enlist the help of a Chinese person to access them, because the apps (Chinese only) require a Chinese bank account for payment. However, there are plenty fo excellent cycling tours on offer – see our recommendations.

Avoiding the crowds

Some of the most popular lanes, such as Nanluogu Xiang near the Drum Tower, can become intolerably crowded, especially on weekends. However, you generally only need to step off the main thoroughfare and duck into a side alley to find relative peace and solitude.

Alternatively, seek out the hutongs around the White Dagoba Temple in Xicheng, which are wonderfully authentic and local, and far less prone to overtourism.

When to do it

Spring and autumn offer the best temperatures for wandering. Summer can be blisteringly hot; winter bitingly cold.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Beijing Hutong Breakfast Food Tour

Beijing

Beijing Hutong Breakfast Food Tour
Get away from the tourists and explore a traditional hutong neighborhood while enjoying breakfast like a local. On this 2-hour intimate walking tour, your small group will enjoy loads of food and drinks while visiting 4-5 eateries and street stalls. Along with your English speaking guide, you'll discover how locals live in this completely off-the-beaten path area. Finish with one of the city’s best coffees with a view!

Price: $55

Min age: 0

Rating 4.89 / 5 [49 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Beijing Hutong Breakfast Food Tour

Beijing

Beijing Hutong Breakfast Food Tour
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.

Price: $55

Min age: 0

Rating 4.91 / 5 [84 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Private Old Beijing Hutongs eBike Tour

Beijing

Private Old Beijing Hutongs eBike Tour
Experience the charm of Beijing's ancient hutongs, the historic alleyways that have shaped the city's culture and identity for centuries. Our award-winning hutong eBike tour gives you the opportunity to explore the capitvating charm of Beijing's hutongs, to experience hutong life in a fun and unforgettable way. By riding our easy to use & safe eBikes, you can discover so much more. But our eBike tour is more than just a fun way to explore the city's hutongs; it's an immersive journey through the vibrant culture and history of this unique part of Beijing. -Explore lesser visited hutongs -Venture inside an old courtyard, now converted into many houses -Learn about hutong culture & history -Play the ancient game of jian zi under the Drum & Bell towers -Take it the beauty of houhai lake -Journey down the grand canal Extras could include: -More hidden gems -Swim in houhai -Street food -Water calligraphy -Dancing with locals -Rooftop views

Price: $79

Min age: 1

Rating 4.98 / 5 [85 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Beijing Hutong Food and Beer Tour by Tuk Tuk

Beijing

Beijing Hutong Food and Beer Tour by Tuk Tuk
This is not another walking tour. Your small group tour travels by private tuktuk and offers unlimited beer and soda while you and your English-speaking guide are whisked around the alleys of Beijing's hutongs to get off the beaten path. You will eat where the locals eat at small, family-run businesses and try the best local food at places you can’t find on your own. After 3-4 hours, you will finish at a popular local brewery to have a pint of the best craft brew in town.

Price: $84

Min age: 0

Rating 4.95 / 5 [616 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Beijing Private Hutong Food Walking Tour

Beijing

Beijing Private Hutong Food Walking Tour
An authentic culinary tour through Dong Si Area, lesser tourist visited hutongs. Visit Dong Si area where you will be immersed into the real tradition of Chinese culinary culture and get the complete experience of hutong cuisine like an insider. Explore the charming traditional community, walk around the Hutong.Included will be 20+ different food tastings at various diverse locations, such as markets, shops, bakeries and restaurants. You will visit local haunts, get a chance to meet the owners and explore historical sites that few tourists have an opportunity to experience.

Price: $88

Min age: 0

Rating 4.96 / 5 [129 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Half-Day Private Beijing Hutong Walking Tour with Dim Sum

Beijing

Half-Day Private Beijing Hutong Walking Tour with Dim Sum
Beijing’s hutong feel much more atmospheric with a private guide on hand to tell their stories and answer all your questions. Experience big-ticket highlights such as the Bell and Drum Towers, Yandai Xie Street, Back Lakes, and Yinding Bridge alongside lesser-known courtyards on this door-to-door tour. Along the way, try bubble tea, red bean dessert, and “mantou” buns, then dine (or lunch) a delightful dim sum potstickers in town. Stroll through old Beijing and authentic hutong with a private guide Sample signature street food then savor a dim sum feast Take it easy with pickup and drop-off direct from your hotel Choose between morning or afternoon tours to suit your schedule

Price: $99

Min age: 0

Rating 4.97 / 5 [42 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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4-Hour Private Illuminated Beijing Tour with Authentic Chinese Dinner on Hutong Street

Beijing

4-Hour Private Illuminated Beijing Tour with Authentic Chinese Dinner on Hutong Street
There's nothing quite like spending a magical evening in Beijing. On this private 4-hour evening tour, you will delight in seeing the amazing city sights all aglow. Prior to scouring the city in search of the city's illuminated beauties, experience an authentic Chinese dinner in the lively neighborhood of Hutong Street. Highlights during your panoramic tour include CCTV building, Birds Nest, Water Cube, The Place Mall, National Theatre and Tiananmen square. Finally, enjoy a stroll around the handsome Houhai Lake area. Hotel pickup within the 4th ring road and transport by private vehicle are included.

Price: $128

Min age: 0

Rating 4.91 / 5 [12 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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4-Hour Private Beijing Hutong Bike Tour with Dumpling Lunch

Beijing

4-Hour Private Beijing Hutong Bike Tour with Dumpling Lunch
There’s no better way to discover traditional Beijing life in authentic “hutong” neighborhoods than with a private guide. This door-to-door private bike tour combines the well-known attractions with less-visited lanes where locals still go about their daily lives. Besides Nanluoguxiang, Back Lakes, and Yandai Xie Street, see a drum show at the Drum Tower, enjoy a dumpling lunch, and visit some newly renovated “hutong” beside the Grand Canal. Pedal the “hutong” neighborhoods of downtown Beijing with a private guide Relax with round-trip door-to-door private car transfers from your hotel Savor a traditional dumpling lunch at a typical “hutong” eatery Catch the drum show at the Drum Tower and shop for souvenirs

Price: $128

Min age: 12

Rating 4.92 / 5 [13 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Beijing

China

Close up of rooftops of the Beautiful red and blue coloured Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in Beijing

China’s vibrant capital captives with its unique melding of ancient wonders, bustling hutongs and modern architecture – the food ain’t bad either. Top of the bill are the Forbidden City, the marvellous palace of China’s greatest Emperors – and the extraordinary Great Wall of China.