Hutong Tour
Hutong Tour
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- Ping'anli • 7 min walk
- Beihai North • 9 min walk
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4.0
147 reviews
Excellent
53
Very good
57
Average
22
Poor
9
Terrible
6
Zhang F
2 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
Note: this review is for ALL the "Hutong Tours" around area of Houhai lake in the Dongcheng District Beijing. Meaning all the various "hutong tour" scammers that Houhai lake area is filled with.
Do NOT go. This entire area is a total tourist trap and you will NOT see any of the authentic ancient hutongs. All these claimed "hutongs" in the Houhai lake area are fake recently built streets that look nothing like the ancient hutongs. My wife just dragged our entire family on one of those 3-wheeled sedan bike tours. It cost 150 RMB per person and was completely worthless. What a waste of money
You have to ask your Beijing hotel concierge to tell you locations of the few beijing spots where you can actually see the amazing ancient hutongs. It is NOT in the Houhai lake area
Who am I? I've been traveling on business to Beijing and other cities of China for 25 years now. We owned and kept a condo in outer Beijing area for 10+ years I've seen the ancient hutongs in Beijing 20 years ago and they are amazing but you will not see them at tourist trap area of Houhai lake
Do NOT go. This entire area is a total tourist trap and you will NOT see any of the authentic ancient hutongs. All these claimed "hutongs" in the Houhai lake area are fake recently built streets that look nothing like the ancient hutongs. My wife just dragged our entire family on one of those 3-wheeled sedan bike tours. It cost 150 RMB per person and was completely worthless. What a waste of money
You have to ask your Beijing hotel concierge to tell you locations of the few beijing spots where you can actually see the amazing ancient hutongs. It is NOT in the Houhai lake area
Who am I? I've been traveling on business to Beijing and other cities of China for 25 years now. We owned and kept a condo in outer Beijing area for 10+ years I've seen the ancient hutongs in Beijing 20 years ago and they are amazing but you will not see them at tourist trap area of Houhai lake
Written 23 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maxine H
Caroline Springs, Australia114 contributions
Nov 2015 • Couples
Our guide organised a local guide to take us around the hutong areas. He had wonderful knowledge of the area. We had a short rickshaw ride through the narrow lanes (hutongs) and the guide explained how the wealthiest people lived there. Most of the homes don't have their own toilet they use a public toilet which there is usually one in each hutong.
We visited a local family and had a look around their home. It was a very interesting tour and would recommend to anyone visiting Beijing to spend a little time here.
We visited a local family and had a look around their home. It was a very interesting tour and would recommend to anyone visiting Beijing to spend a little time here.
Written 9 November 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Goop2709
London418 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
The Hutongs are a fascinating part of the old city. Incredibly narrow, mostly unclean streets, where the most expensive properties belong. A place which surely has no real future and yet poses as an intruiging and popular destination for tourists to ride a rickshaw.
We enjoyed a very special lunch in a family's home here with our tour guide and so our experience here is one I would absolutely recommend to tourists as the future of these neighbourhoods are increasingly uncertain for the future.
We enjoyed a very special lunch in a family's home here with our tour guide and so our experience here is one I would absolutely recommend to tourists as the future of these neighbourhoods are increasingly uncertain for the future.
Written 17 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul A
Wollongong, Australia2 contributions
Oct 2019
We did a rickshaw ride around the Hutong district it was fun going through the backstreets seeing how the locals live,visiting shops and seeing the sites around the lake. It gave us another side of Beijing and a fantastic experience.
Later that evening we enjoyed a typical Chinese dinner with a family in their Hutong which was over 500 years old. The meal was fantastic and it kept on coming. During the evening we were entertained by old and internationally acclaimed Chinese man who raises and trains crickets and grasshoppers. Cricket training goes back centuries. They were trained to fight and were part of everyday living centuries ago the Chinese and past Emperors also kept them not only for entertainment but also for gambling.
Later that evening we enjoyed a typical Chinese dinner with a family in their Hutong which was over 500 years old. The meal was fantastic and it kept on coming. During the evening we were entertained by old and internationally acclaimed Chinese man who raises and trains crickets and grasshoppers. Cricket training goes back centuries. They were trained to fight and were part of everyday living centuries ago the Chinese and past Emperors also kept them not only for entertainment but also for gambling.
Written 1 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beth C. C
9 contributions
Apr 2018
We planned a few classic tours and saw this Cricket tour and decided let's see something different! The Cricket man was it - he is passionate, funny and we learned a lot about the art and history of cricket fighting! You see a more rustic side of the Hutong, as well as a lovely Hutong family home. Storm Li was our guide and guardian. He added to the tour a tea experience at the Drum Tower, very well worth it. We learned so much about the custom and 8 kinds of major teas to take you thru your day. And I just made a cup this morning of the ladies jasmine tea, amazing. Storm was so gracious, he does pick you up at your hotel which is critical in this huge city. He also helped with other travel coordinating for our group of 7 and took care of us for 4 days. He made the trip smooth and easy and added other suggestions we should see on our free time. We are so truly grateful for finding this tour and Storm. (yes, his English is great) Beth - Colorado, USA
Written 19 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jodi M
Port Saint Lucie, FL24 contributions
Mar 2018 • Couples
This was our second time in China so we were looking for something a little different to do . This was an awesome tour in spite of the snow. The cricket man and lunch in a local family’s home was really fun . Stick with what’s on the original itinerary or the guide tries to sell you more .
Written 22 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Dear Jodi Morris,
Thanks for your feedback,sharing your experience with us.we feel very happy.and we will try our best to bring the best result to our customers.
Best regards!
Service Team
Written 23 March 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Emile Y
Ferney-Voltaire, France45 contributions
Oct 2016 • Couples
It was a very disappointing bicycle tour. They take you in narrow dirty stinking alleys. One surely needs to close the nose due to unbarabel bad smell during most of the rediculos tour. Then you will be taken into a small house to sell you overpriced painted sniff bottles. The tour ends visiting the drum tower which is the only interesting thing in this so called tour.
Written 26 October 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bottomshelfhockey
Richmond, Canada8,812 contributions
May 2016 • Couples
As part of the cultural / historical experience, our tour group visited a courtyard house.
The first order of business after arriving somewhat close to our end destination was to take a bicycle driven rickshaw ride through the hutong.
After our tour group of 31 were assigned rickshaws, we took about a 5 - 8 minute ride through the alleys to get to this house with a courtyard.
The owner of the house welcomed us, gave a brief history of the family, its social status and the ownership of the residence. This talk lasted about 10-15 minutes. Unlike some other hutong tours, this one did not offer tea or a lunch option. After the talk, our rickshaw drivers were waiting for us to take us back to the starting point.
It cost us a total of 20 yuan ($4) for the 2 rickshaw trips. As to the cost of visiting the residence, I cannot say as this was included as part of our tour package.
The alleys here are narrow – wide enough for one vehicle (and vehicles parked along one side of the alley ways) and maybe a bicycle and not much more. As mentioned in some other reviews, we saw a situation where 2 vehicles were going in the opposite directions and as a result there was standoff. Eventually, 1 vehicle backed up onto a side street or manoeuvred it in such a fashion that they were able to go on their way. It was kind of fascinating watching what was going on.
I would rate the attraction at 2.75 out of 5. Interesting but not for me even though I did learn a few tidbits. Others in our group found the talk interesting.
Notes and Tips
• What is a hutong? A hutong is another name for an alleyway that is formed by a series of courtyard residences. The wealthier the family, the nicer the courtyard residence and closer it is to the Forbidden City
• While on the rickshaws, I noticed that all the parked vehicles had pieces of cardboard covering the tires and / or wheel wells of the vehicles. I was told that this method was employed to prevent dogs from urinating on the tires and wheel wells.
• Each rickshaw can carry 2 persons
• Vendors were trying to sell us souvenirs where all the rickshaws were lined up. Some of the people bought caps of “Beijing” and the “Great Wall”. As I recall the cost of these baseball caps after bargaining was in the 5 – 10 yuan range ($1 - $2).
• We were part of a Sinorama Holidays organized group tour. Our group had 31 people from the USA and Canada.
• This was our first full day in Beijing having arrived yesterday afternoon. Our first day’s activities included the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. See my reviews.
The first order of business after arriving somewhat close to our end destination was to take a bicycle driven rickshaw ride through the hutong.
After our tour group of 31 were assigned rickshaws, we took about a 5 - 8 minute ride through the alleys to get to this house with a courtyard.
The owner of the house welcomed us, gave a brief history of the family, its social status and the ownership of the residence. This talk lasted about 10-15 minutes. Unlike some other hutong tours, this one did not offer tea or a lunch option. After the talk, our rickshaw drivers were waiting for us to take us back to the starting point.
It cost us a total of 20 yuan ($4) for the 2 rickshaw trips. As to the cost of visiting the residence, I cannot say as this was included as part of our tour package.
The alleys here are narrow – wide enough for one vehicle (and vehicles parked along one side of the alley ways) and maybe a bicycle and not much more. As mentioned in some other reviews, we saw a situation where 2 vehicles were going in the opposite directions and as a result there was standoff. Eventually, 1 vehicle backed up onto a side street or manoeuvred it in such a fashion that they were able to go on their way. It was kind of fascinating watching what was going on.
I would rate the attraction at 2.75 out of 5. Interesting but not for me even though I did learn a few tidbits. Others in our group found the talk interesting.
Notes and Tips
• What is a hutong? A hutong is another name for an alleyway that is formed by a series of courtyard residences. The wealthier the family, the nicer the courtyard residence and closer it is to the Forbidden City
• While on the rickshaws, I noticed that all the parked vehicles had pieces of cardboard covering the tires and / or wheel wells of the vehicles. I was told that this method was employed to prevent dogs from urinating on the tires and wheel wells.
• Each rickshaw can carry 2 persons
• Vendors were trying to sell us souvenirs where all the rickshaws were lined up. Some of the people bought caps of “Beijing” and the “Great Wall”. As I recall the cost of these baseball caps after bargaining was in the 5 – 10 yuan range ($1 - $2).
• We were part of a Sinorama Holidays organized group tour. Our group had 31 people from the USA and Canada.
• This was our first full day in Beijing having arrived yesterday afternoon. Our first day’s activities included the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. See my reviews.
Written 6 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review,we will make change to improve.maybe next time you can do by yourself,the group 's tour not good.
Written 8 June 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
einnob078
Naremburn40 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
Regrettably I could not recommend doing this tour. It was neither pleasant nor particularly enlightening. I felt uncomfortable looking into where the host family lived and sadly it was difficult to find anything of much interest to talk about with them, as hard as we tried. I cannot recall how much we paid for this tour but all of us had the same impression upon its conclusion ....that we would rather have not done it at all.
Written 15 December 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
elizabeth r
Brisbane, Australia10 contributions
Nov 2019
Thought this tour was extremely overpriced. The experience of having lunch prepared and served in a local home was quite good. The so called 'famous cricket man ' who provided the entertainment opening and letting out a couple of crickets was a waste of time. The best part was when the owner played his Chinese musical instrument outside after the lunch.
Written 8 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, and a thousand apologies as this is one question I cannot assist you with. We were extremely fortunate to have Amanda and she was our tour guide for the duration via 'Trip-a-deal'....Maybe someone out there can help you? I hope so!
L
Written 23 August 2019
who did you book with ? I am looking to do a tour in mid march !
Written 22 February 2019
BlazeToursandTravels
Mumbai, India
298 contributions
We recommend the Beijing Company called Hutong Tour. They can be found on Tripadvisor. They offer different Hutong Tour variations. We recommend choosing the one which offers a Hutong Tour with Tea Tasting and Encounter with the Cricket Man! You can read our review about the Tour we took and see photographs as well on Hutong Tour’s TripAdvisor page. Our guides Storm Li and Sunny were great. You can request for them.
Written 23 February 2019
Hi Noodle451
you wrote your feedback on a wrong place,we never served you ,your tour is Hutong food tour,we never do that kind of tour,please correct it.thanks a lot.
Written 6 April 2018
This is not my review, I am not Noodle451.
Written 6 April 2018
Hi, I just bought the tour on the tripadvisor but the voucher does not specify a tour start time. Besides calling a Chinese number, is there an email address that I can use to contact your company to find out when exactly my tour would start? Thank you!
Written 30 March 2018
Hi,
hutongtour 163 com is our company's email address.
Written 30 March 2018
Hi,there are many rickshaw company in Beijing,your trip are not happened in my company,please check and put your feedback in a right page.
Thanks!
Written 12 October 2017
sorry, the Hutong Tour page on TA is mainly to our company,and we are only doing the private tour,so please write your feedback on the Travel Forrum
Written 12 October 2017
Hi,
please check your review in a right page.what is the name of the tour guide,and what the tour company is. I am the manager of Hutong Tour.
I am sorry to hear your bad expericence, but you posted your review in the wrong page.please correct it.Thanks.
Storm Li
Written 10 February 2017
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