Beijing Layover Tour: Explore More in Forbidden City, Hutong and Paper-cutting

1. The Palace Museum
   4h · Admission ticket included
   Your tour guide will meet you at exit of Beijing Capital International Airport with the welcoming board on which your name will be written at 08:30 a.m.. Then, we will transfer to Forbidden City and start the layover tour.
   Forbidden City(故宫), also known as the Palace Museum, is recognized as the largest wooden architectural complex in the world. Once served as the imperial palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it has 9,999 rooms in flourishing period. For five centuries, this palace functioned as the administrative center of the country.
   The Treasure Gallery(珍宝馆) consists of six gallery rooms displaying pieces from the imperial collection and extant accoutrements for palace life. All of these exquisite items are made of precious materials, such as jade, jadeite, gold, silver, pearls, and other precious and semi-precious stones. The superb craftsmanship and inestimable value of each piece is aptly summarized in the title of the gallery.
   Then, you will enjoy local food for lunch (Peking duck or vegetarian options are available).
2. Hutong Tour
   3h · Admission ticket included
   After lunch, we will walk into Hutong to visit a local home and gain insight into ancient Chinese customs, enjoy a cricket show and learn paper-cutting.
   Hutong(胡同) is the name given to a narrow lane, alley, or small street between rows of single-storey Siheyuan(四合院) dwelled by Beijingers in the past. People say that the real culture of Beijing lies in the culture of Hutong and Siheyuan. They give an insight to the old lifestyle of ordinary Beijingers and have special appeal to tourists.
   
   Cricket Show 蟋蟀表演
   In Beijing, cricket refers to a kind of insect and its Chinese name is Qu Qu(蛐蛐). Keeping cricket has a history of more than 1500 years in China. People like to keep the cricket and watch the cricket fighting. The lifetime of the cricket is only 100 days. It may seem strange that such a little insect could bring great popularity to a place, but the crickets are indeed an extraordinary and indispensable feature.
   
   Paper-Cutting 中国剪纸
   Paper-cutting(剪纸) is a very distinctive visual art of Chinese handicrafts. It originated from the 6th century when women used to paste golden and silver foil cuttings onto their hair at the temples, and men used them in sacred rituals. Today, paper-cuttings are chiefly decorative. They are pasted on the walls, windows, doors, columns and lanterns to express people’s hopes, gratitude and other emotions.
   
   Afterwards, enjoy comfortable transfer back to Beijing Capital International Airport to catch your flight or your hotel, and your layover tour ends.

Pickup details

We can also pick you up from any location within Beijing 5th Ring Road

• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Vegetarian and Local Speciality options are available, please advise at time of booking.