Why would you want to leave China when there are so many incredible things to discover right here in your backyard? We’ve rounded up some of our favorite and best-rated local tour companies and guides that are just itching to take you and your family on an adventure…
B-Electric
B-Electric leads fun and educational tours around Beijing by electric bike, focussing on three distinct areas of the city: old Beijing, modern Beijing, and the hutongs. Both founders are educators, and their passion for learning and the city they have made home make their tours wonderful for the whole family.
Great for families because: Children under 12 ride for free, and although the minimum riding age is five (they sit on the back of the bikes), they have accommodated kids as young as two-and-half in the past.
Languages offered: English
Price range: RMB 400 per person. Private tours upon request.
Contact: WeChat ID: BElectric / Email: info@belectricbeijing.com / WhatsApp: 185-0108-5414
The Hutong
The Hutong is both a Beijing-based cultural exchange centre with a beautiful Hutong Courtyard base, and a leading provider of education programs across China. They offer a range of cooking classes, week-long cycling trips, summer camp experiences for kids and more.
Great for families because: With plenty of experience working with educators and running trips in Beijing, the Northern Hills, and across Greater China, The Hutong are experts at providing safe, reliable, and fun experiences for families.
Languages offered: English, Mandarin, and Spanish.
Price range: from RMB 300 per person for a cooking class, from RMB 4,000 for a week-long trip.
Contact: WeChat ID: TheHutong / Email: education@thehutong.com / www.thehutong.com / Ph: 159-0104-6127
Beijing Hikers
Beijing Hikers leads single and multi-days hiking and camping trips in the Beijing area (including the wild Great Wall far from tourists), and around China, making it easy for you to get away and reconnect with nature in the many incredible natural areas nearby. Just show up with your hiking gear and they’ll take care of everything else.
Great for families because: All hikes are rated by difficulty, so it’s easy to pick one to suit your family. Beijing Hikers also offer regular ‘Kid’s Club’ hikes aimed at ages 5-12 which include hiking, picnic, and lots of fun. Family discounts available.
Languages offered: English and Mandarin.
Price range: From RMB 350 per adult, from RMB 180 for kids under 12, lower for younger kids on the Kid’s Club hikes.
Contact: www.beijinghikers.com
Beijing Postcards
Beijing Postcards uses the cityscape of Beijing to explore Chinese thought and ideas. All of their tours and events are themed and the goal is to take you off the beaten path, in every sense, and to help you view and engage with Beijing in new ways.
Great for families because: Events such as “The Emperor’s Dream – A Scavenger hunt in the Forbidden City”, “Solve the Mystery of the Dragon Bones Scavenger Hunt” in the hutongs, “Journey to the West: Summer Palace through the Eyes of the Monkey King”, are specifically designed for children.
Language offered: English and Mandarin.
Price range: 300 RMB per adult, 150 RMB per child 16 and under.
Contact: WeChat ID: beijingpostcards / Email: info@beijing-postcards.com / www.beijing-postcards.com / Ph: 130-1107-8680
Newman Tours
Newman Tours lead informative and entertaining tours around China, with now more than thirty different tours under their belt in Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi’an. Their tours cover a range of unique angles like ghosts, warlords, religion, as well as visits to specific sites, and day-trips to the surrounding area.
Great for families because: Newman Tours bring Chinese history to life with fun interactive elements like chopstick pickpocketing demonstrations and money burning, as well as including iPads to reinforce illustrative elements.
Languages offered: English, French, German, and Mandarin.
Price range: From RMB 190 per person a public tour, from RMB 330 per person for a private tour.
Contact: WeChat: 159-0191-8346 / Email: info@newmantours.com / www.newmantours.com
Beijing By Foot
Beijing by Foot leads small group historical walking tours and educational programs exploring the heritage of Beijing. Proprietor Jeremiah Jenne uses archives, libraries, and extensive on-site research to bring alive compelling stories from China’s past, visiting both the famous sites and lesser-traveled byways.
Great for families because: Jeremiah strives to tell stories that will appeal to the intellectual curious whatever their age. He can also tailor their private walks and workshops for younger interests.
Languages offered: English.
Price range: From RMB 260 per person. From RMB 1,500 for private tours of up to five guests.
Contact: www.beijingbyfoot.com
Bespoke Travel Company
As the name suggests, Bespoke Travel Company eschews the usual package tours for customized creative, immersive, and educational experiences for all ages, both in Beijing and further afield in China. Known for their unusual twists on the standard tours, it’s Bespoke who brought us the Beijing TimeChase in vintage sidecars and the Midnight in Peking Walking tour.
Great for families because: Bespoke has a whole range of tours suitable for kids, from kung fu classes in the Temple of Heaven, to their brand new ‘do-it-yourself’ scavenger hunt in Beihai Park. Families also get a discount.
Languages offered: English, Mandarin, Spanish, and French.
Price range: From RMB 150 for a self-guided scavenger hunt, from RMB 50,000 for a full seven to ten-day tour including top hotels, customized itinerary, tour guides, experts, special experiences, etc.
Contact: WeChat ID: bespoketravelcompany / www.bespoketravelcompany.com / Ph: 151-0167-9082
UnTour Food Tours
UnTour’s small, passionate team of food lovers take guests off the beaten path to eat shoulder-to-shoulder with locals. Offering tours in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Hong Kong they discover China’s delicious food, explore authentic neighborhoods and learn the fascinating stories that make up 5,000 years of culinary history.
Great for families because: UnTours tours have options for foodies of all age, and kids love watching their food being made right in front of their eyes. Kids can have discounted tickets and babies tour for free.
Languages offered: English and German.
Price range: From RMB 465 per adult, RMB 340 per child 6-12. From RMB 2,785 for private tours for up to six guests.
Contact: WeChat ID: UnTour / untourfoodtours.com / Ph: 150-0021-5113
Lost Plate Food Tours
Lost Plate’s food tours get you off the beaten path, away from the tourists, to eat where the locals eat. In their breakfast, night-time, and restaurant tours, they take small groups to family-run shops where you can enjoy authentic and delicious food and drinks. As well as Beijing, they offer tours in Chengdu, Shanghai, and Xi’an; Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia; and Portland, Oregon in the US.
Great for families because: Kids learn about Chinese food culture and history in an interactive way, and parents can relax without worrying about getting from stop to stop and what to order.
Languages offered: English and Mandarin.
Price range: From RMB 350 per adult, from RMB 180 for children 4-15 years old. Kids get a further 20% off by mentioning beijingkids during booking. Valid until Aug 31, 2020, and cannot be uses in conjunction with any other promotion or discount.
Contact: WeChat ID: lostplate / www.lostplate.com / Ph: 156-9210-9030
WildChina Travel
WildChina is a private travel agency that offers sustainable, off-the-beaten-path adventures for leisure, education, and corporate clients. They work with the local communities to have a lasting positive impact, lowering their footprint and increasing socioeconomic opportunities wherever possible while offering guests A-Z planning and support.
Great for families because: Every WildChina journey can be fully customized for families. They also offer summer programs for students 9-17 years old.
Languages offered: English, Mandarin, and Spanish.
Price range: From RMB 1,500 per person per day for fully customized journeys.
Contact: Email: info@wildchina.com / www.wildchina.com / Ph: 6465-6602
This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue
