One of the tours we booked online beforehand was a tour of several sites in the city. The travel agency contacts you a couple of days before the tour to arrange for the pick up from your accommodation. The guide had Whatsapp so we were able to communicate with him without issues. We were picked up at 7 AM from our hostel on the pedestrian Dashilan street. We had to walk to the main road where the tour bus was waiting for us. After picking up some other people, we arrived at Jingshan Park at around 7.40 AM. The tour bus left us at the park entrance and we walked up to the main viewpoint. From here, you get a great view of the Forbidden City. We then headed back down and left the park at around 8.20 AM. The next stop is a short 10-minute drive away to Houhai lake for a rickshaw ride around the Hutongs1 in the area. Many were demolished when the city was modernizing but some survive and are now protected. There are several rickshaws lined up by the side of the roads waiting for tourists. The guide paired everyone up and gave the rickshaw driver instructions on where to take us. It was about a 30-minute ride and we went by the scenic lake and through the narrow roads of the residential area. The rickshaw had already been paid for but the guide said they expect a 10 RMB2 tip after.
The next stop was the Beijing Zoo which was a 15-minute drive away. We waited for about 5-minutes whilst our guide went to buy our tickets. The zoo is quite big and has lots of animals but our guide said we only had time to see the Pandas. So he took us straight to the area where the Pandas were. There was an indoor section where you could see some pandas behind a glass wall. Going past the indoor section, you get to the outdoor area where there are a couple of pandas lazing about in the shade. They don’t move much and just chill there. There was a young panda who was munching on some leaves and everyone flocked around him to take pictures. It was a quick 30-minute visit before heading back to the tour bus. We then headed to the Olympic Park arriving at around 10.15 AM. The tour bus leaves us at the entrance and we then walk with the guide throughout the complex. He gives us info on the complex and some of the buildings before giving us some time to wander around to take pictures. It was coming up to midday now and it was getting very hot. So we mainly stayed in the shade near the main stadium.
At around 11.15 AM, we left for lunch which was a home-cooked meal at a resident’s house in the Hutongs we visited earlier. The house was decorated with old traditional Chinese furniture and it was a great place for lunch. We were done with lunch at around 12.15 AM and then headed to the Lama Temple. The guide took us throughout the site telling us about its history and how it was originally a palace. We were given some time to roam around to take pictures and were back at the tour bus at 1.30 PM. This was the last tourist destination and we then continue to the shopping stops. First, we go to a textile store where they talk about the process of making their materials and products. The next and final stop is a silk store where we’re shown how the silk is sourced and how their products are made. At the end of the tour, we’re offered to be dropped off at Hongqiao Market or closer to the Qianmen area. We chose the market since the guide told us we could get some cheap souvenirs there.
