Beijing Walking Tour With Smartphone Audioguide

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Qianmen Gate is one of Beijing’s historic city gates. Built during the Ming dynasty, it once guarded the southern entrance to the Inner City on the central axis leading toward the imperial palace. Its gatehouse, arrow tower, and position near Tiananmen Square reflect Beijing’s fortified past and ceremonial urban planning.

   30 min

2. Chairman Mao Memorial Hall stands at the southern end of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Built after Mao Zedong’s death in 1976 and opened to the public in 1977, it serves as his mausoleum and a major national memorial. Its monumental form and central position reflect the political symbolism of Tiananmen Square in modern Chinese history.

   Passes by

3. The Great Hall of the People stands on the western side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Completed in 1959, it was built as one of the major public buildings of the early People’s Republic of China. Its vast halls, monumental façade, and role in national meetings and state ceremonies reflect the political centre of modern China.

   30 min

4. The National Museum of China stands on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Formed from earlier museums of Chinese history and revolution, it presents the country’s past from ancient civilization to modern state history. Its vast galleries, monumental façade, and national collections reflect China’s cultural memory and political symbolism.

   Passes by

5. The Forbidden City is the former imperial palace at the heart of Beijing. Built in the early 15th century during the Ming dynasty, it served as the residence and political centre of Chinese emperors for nearly five centuries. Its gates, courtyards, ceremonial halls, and red walls reflect imperial power and classical Chinese palace planning.

   Passes by

6. Huabiao are ceremonial stone columns associated with imperial architecture. The best-known Beijing examples stand beside Tiananmen, with carved dragons, cloud-shaped crossbars, and mythical beasts on top. Their form, symbolism, and position on the imperial axis reflect the ceremonial order and political imagery of historic Beijing.

   20 min

7. Pudu Temple is a historic Buddhist temple near the Forbidden City in Beijing. Its site belonged to the Ming imperial precinct and later became associated with Prince Rui Dorgon before being converted into a Qing-era temple. Its raised platform, surviving halls, and quiet courtyard setting preserve a rare fragment of imperial Beijing outside the palace walls.

   20 min

8. Huangchenggen Ruins Park is a linear park along the former eastern wall of Beijing’s Imperial City. Created on the site of historic wall remains, it follows the edge of the old palace precinct near the Forbidden City. Its preserved fragments, trees, pathways, and sculptures reflect the memory of imperial Beijing within the modern city.

   20 min

9. Wangfujing Street is one of Beijing’s best-known shopping streets. Its name refers to princely mansions and an old well once associated with the area. Department stores, pedestrian zones, snack streets, and historic storefronts reflect Beijing’s mix of traditional commercial life, modern retail, and everyday urban energy.

   30 min

10. St. Joseph’s Church is one of Beijing’s historic Catholic churches. First founded by Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century and later rebuilt after periods of damage, it stands near Wangfujing Street. Its Romanesque Revival façade, open square, and long religious history reflect Beijing’s encounter with European Christianity and modern urban life.

    30 min

11. Lao She Memorial Hall is the former Beijing residence of the writer Lao She. He lived in this courtyard house after returning to China in 1949, and many of its rooms preserve the atmosphere of his later life and work. Its exhibitions, manuscripts, personal objects, and hutong setting connect modern Chinese literature with everyday old Beijing.

    30 min

12. Beijing People’s Art Theatre is one of China’s leading spoken-drama institutions. Founded in 1952, it became closely linked with modern Chinese theatre and works by playwrights such as Lao She and Cao Yu. Its repertory tradition, stages, and location near Wangfujing reflect Beijing’s role in literature, performance, and cultural life.

    20 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 1 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Beijing

• Its from-price is 93% below the median of the 521 city tours we list in Beijing.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 230 of 521.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Beijing

Beijing, China's capital for centuries, holds imperial palaces, sacred temples and stretches of the Great Wall within reach of its modern boulevards.

At the city's heart, the Forbidden City spreads behind vermilion walls, a labyrinth of halls and courtyards that housed the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Tiananmen Square lies to its south, and the hill of Jingshan Park to its north gives the finest view over its golden roofs. The Temple of Heaven, set in a park where locals practise tai chi and dance, is a masterpiece of imperial design.

Top-ranked sights in Beijing: Mutianyu Great Wall, Forbidden City (Palace Museum), Tiananmen Square (Tiananmen Guangchang).

See all 3624 experiences in Beijing