Meeting Point

Your hotel or Exit A of National Art Museum (Line 8)

Jingshan Park

First stop: the city's highest vantage point, tucked right behind the Forbidden City. Expect jaw-dropping views of old and new Beijing — and a heartbreaking dynasty story most tourists never hear.

Shichahai area

This area has almost everything you can imagine: natural view with far reaching lake, an ancient Taoist temple sitting beside the lake as well as all sorts of street food.

The Bell and Drum Tower

The birthplace of Beijing's Central Axis — and the ancient clock that kept the city's rhythm. Here, time wasn't told by machines, but by sunlight, shadows, and centuries of daily ritual.

Lunch

Qianmen Street

Beijing's oldest commercial street, where one of the city's two original surviving city gates stands overlooking the lively crowds and bustling shops below.

Sanlihe Park

Nestled deep within a 400-year-old hutong is one of Beijing's best-kept secrets — a tranquil pocket garden tucked along the water's edge. It's the kind of place that feels almost impossible in a city this vast and frantic.

The Hutongs

Hutongs are old residential neighborhoods in Beijing, made up of traditional courtyard houses, some dating back close to 800 years. This is where much of the city's history is tucked away. But as the city changes, old houses and modern lifestyles have gradually found their way into these ancient neighborhoods, creating an interesting mix of old and new.

Ending Point

Qiaowan subway station