Old Beijing Hutong, Shichahai and Lama Temple Day Tour

Use this itinerary for planning ideas. Confirm current availability, prices and arrangements with the operator before booking.

Old Beijing is best explored at the speed of a walk. Around Shichahai, lakes, courtyard entrances and narrow hutongs reveal a different city from the monumental avenues. This route combines that neighbourhood setting with a choice of historic interiors and the Lama Temple. It is particularly useful for visitors who have already seen the Forbidden City and want a day with more street life and fewer long drives.

Start with the lakes and lanes

Begin beside Qianhai or Houhai and follow a short lakeside stretch before turning into the adjoining lanes. Shichahai includes Qianhai, Houhai and Xihai; you do not need to circle all three to understand the area. A few unhurried blocks allow you to notice brickwork, decorated gates, small businesses and the transition between public lanes and private courtyard homes.

Qianhai lakeside railings, trees and people beside Shichahai

A slower moment beside Qianhai Lake in Shichahai. Photograph: Tour Beijing.

Tour Beijing's hutong walking guide and itinerary offers background for this part of the day. Treat the neighbourhood as a place where people live. Ask before taking close photographs, do not peer through open doors and leave room for residents and deliveries to pass.

Mansion or towers: make a choice

Prince Gong's Mansion suits visitors interested in formal courtyards and garden design. Give the interior enough time to appreciate how the residential and garden spaces connect. Book or check admission for your date rather than assuming you can walk straight in.

Alternatively, continue towards the Bell and Drum Towers. Their setting helps explain the northward line of the old city, while the surrounding streets offer places to stop for tea or lunch. A tower climb adds stairs and should be optional. Visiting the area from street level can be a good choice for anyone who prefers a gentler route.

Trying to tour the mansion, climb both towers, ride a pedicab and visit the Lama Temple in one day makes this a checklist. Pick the experience you care about and preserve time for the lanes themselves.

Lunch and the Lama Temple

Have lunch before the transfer east to the Lama Temple, also known as Yonghegong. This is a religious site as well as an architectural attraction. Move quietly through its courtyards, follow posted guidance on photography and be considerate of people worshipping. Allow time to look at the buildings and their decoration without interrupting ceremonies.

Visitors in front of Yonghe Palace hall at Beijing’s Lama Temple

Yonghe Palace hall within the Lama Temple. Photograph: Tour Beijing.

If there is time afterwards, a short walk around the nearby historic streets is preferable to adding another distant monument. Keep the final stop flexible when the first part of the day runs longer than expected.

Pedicabs and hosted experiences

A pedicab can shorten some street walking, but confirm its complete route and total charge beforehand. It does not guarantee an accessible journey or entry to a private home. Anyone interested in a courtyard visit should ask for an agreed host, duration and explanation of what is included.

Tour Beijing, the operator associated with Beijing Page, can discuss a private version through its hutong programme. Share your interests, comfortable walking distance and whether stairs are suitable. Confirm entry tickets, lunch and any ride or hosted visit in the current proposal, keeping the afternoon adaptable rather than accepting a fixed list of promises.

Route and price reference — October 2026

Related option, not the full combination above: BHRT-01 covers the hutongs and hosted food experience. Lama Temple admission and its transfer must be priced as an added stop; do not assume that the table includes them.

A practical sequence

A useful neighbourhood-only alternative begins at Nanluoguxiang, includes a confirmed hosted lunch and continues through Drum Tower, Yandai Byway and Qianhai. This gives a concrete comparison with the hutong-and-Lama-Temple day described above.

Time allowance: about 6 hours, published 09:00–15:00. These are the operator’s approximate example timings; reservations, walking pace, weather and traffic can change the order.

Published reference price

Beijing Page is associated with Tour Beijing. Rates below are the operator’s published reference checked on 13 October 2026; they are not a guaranteed booking price. No validity year or end date is supplied. Confirm travel date, children’s ages, hotel/pickup area, final inclusions and cancellation terms before payment.

BHRT-01 operator itinerary lists USD per person, based on the number of people travelling together on a private tour. The lowest figure applies only to its stated party-size band.

Travelling party	USD per person
1	209
2	119
3	99
4–5	89
6–9	79
10+	69

Included: Private air-conditioned transport, an English-speaking guide, admission to the stated stops and Chinese lunch; the source describes a pedicab and hosted lunch.

Not included / conditions: Guide/driver gratuities and travel insurance. Forbidden City, Lama Temple and Olympic Park are not part of this quoted neighbourhood route.

The source’s daily-departure wording is a requestable pattern, not confirmed capacity or admission for your date. Other languages, different hotels/pickup areas and route changes require a separate quotation.