China1 day
Beijing Zoo, Hutongs & Confucius Temple — One Day
Giant pandas, rickshaw tour through Ming-era alleyways, and a dumpling cooking class in a local home
A single-day immersion into Beijing's layered past and present. The itinerary moves from the Beijing Zoo to see giant pandas, then transitions to the Bell and Drum Towers before boarding a rickshaw for a route through the Hutongs—the city's historic alleyway neighborhoods. A dumpling-cooking lunch takes place in a family home within these streets. The day concludes with visits to the Lama Temple, Confucius Temple, and the Imperial College, where local history and philosophical influence are explained by an English-speaking guide.
Highlights
- Giant pandas at Beijing Zoo
- Rickshaw journey through the Hutongs, Beijing's preserved Ming and Qing-era alleyways
- Dumpling cooking class in a local family home
- Bell and Drum Towers, central to Beijing's old timekeeping system
- Lama Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist structure in Han China
- Confucius Temple and Imperial College, centers of classical Chinese philosophy and education
Day by day
1Beijing Zoo, Hutongs & Confucius TempleBeijing Zoo · Hutongs · Confucius Temple · Bell and Drum Towers · family home · Lama Temple · Imperial College
Depart your hotel by private vehicle and arrive at Beijing Zoo to see giant pandas, China's national symbol. Transfer next to the Bell and Drum Towers, where you board a rickshaw for a guided tour through the Hutongs. These narrow alleyways, arranged in grids dating to the Ming and Qing dynasties, remain the city's oldest residential quarter. A cooking lunch in a family home introduces the technique for pleating and folding dumplings. The afternoon includes a visit to the Lama Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist structure with ornamented courtyards and religious sculpture, followed by visits to the Confucius Temple and the nearby Imperial College. Your guide explains how Confucian philosophy shaped Chinese society and governance for over two thousand years.
Where you go
- 1hutongs
Included
- Included:
- English speaking guide service
- Private transfer in air-conditioned vehicle
- Entrance fee
- Dumpling cooking lunch in a Hutong family
- Rickshaw ride in the Hutongs
Not included
- Do Not Include:
- International airfare
- China Visa
- Hotel accommodation