China · CITY TOURS
115 reviewed
Good city tours fill up around the Chinese public holidays and stay full for a fortnight either side. Below are the 15 best, with current prices and what separates them, so you can book before the calendar closes.
Guided English tour of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City with included tickets, expert stories, and optional Coal Hill Park views.
“My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Our tour guide, Jimmy, was very knowledgeable and friendly and did an excellent job. Highly recommend”
Guided Beijing tour of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, with group or private options, reserved entry, and expert stories.
“It was really good, our guide was super interesting and informative, and I really enjoyed his stories and explanations of what everything was when we were walking through. He was also super nice, offering to take photos for us, which was good for me as I was there by myself. Ultimately, I really enjoyed it.”
Hotel pickup to Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, and Mutianyu Great Wall. Lunch and tickets plus cable car or chairlift for $128 pp.
“We had an excellent day trip covering Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, a jade factory, lunch, and the Badaling Great Wall. Everything was well organized and flowed smoothly throughout the day. Lucy was a fantastic guide—very informative, engaging, and great at adapting to the pace and interests of everyone in the group. That really stood out, especially since some people on our tour had actually done a previous tour with Lucy and chose to join her again. Highly recommend booking this excursion—you’ll enjoy it!”
A small-group half-day tour to the Forbidden City with prebooked entry, story-first guiding, and smart options for Tian'anmen Square or Jingshan views.
“Vivian was a very good tourist guide, professional, giving us all information about site and where to take a beautiful photo of the site. Very recommended”
Small-group Beijing tour covering Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, and Mutianyu Great Wall, with hotel pickup, skips, lunch, and guide tips.
“Helen was an amazing guide! She made sure that all of our needs were met and did a great job explaining the sites and the history as well as adding in funny anecdotes along the way. She did an incredible job facilitating with all the official interactions; she made sure that our type stayed on schedule while still providing all the time needed for hydration (super hot), rest (we walked 18000 steps) as well as photo opportunities (she even take on great photo duties to ensure you have dinner great family photos); made great recommendations for shopping and meals. My family (which included a 10 and 12yo) highly recommend Helen…”
Mini group Xi'an day tour with Terracotta Warriors, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, City Wall, and a Muslim Quarter drop-off, plus lunch and tickets.
“It was nice, and well organized. Carol was a great guide. It was well paced without any outside hassle”
Reserved entry to the Forbidden City with Tiananmen Square context. English or Spanish guided tours, Royal Treasures Museum, easy meeting point.
“The meeting point could be closer to the entrance, because it's a lot of walking inside the palace anyway.”
Skip long lines to the Forbidden City using your passport near Tiananmen Square, choose morning or afternoon, and upgrade with a guide.
“Marco was a fantastic guide, he was funny, thorough, knowledgeable and super friendly. My friends and I had a wonderful visit with him!”
Private day trip pairing Zhujiajiao’s canals with Shanghai’s top sights, including Yuyuan Garden, the Bund, Shanghai Tower, and lunch.
“We really enjoyed our tour with Snow. We were a family of 3 (mom, dad, and teenage son). Snow was friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating to our schedule & dietary needs. I would highly recommend this tour.”
A small-group walk through Temple of Heaven, Tian’anmen Square, and the Forbidden City, with guaranteed entry and expert guidance.
“Huan was super nice and was explaining everything , i recommand !!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻”
Small-group tour covering Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Treasure Gallery with skip-the-stress tickets, audio guide, and flexible timing.
“I was late due to driver and they came and found me… all the staff very supportive and accomodating but Linda was WORLD CLASS with knowledge and patience”
Private Shanghai full-day tour mixing the Bund, Yu Garden, Old Town, French Concession, Jade Buddha Temple, and Shanghai Tower.
“We did a full-day tour with Annie and loved every minute of it. She tailored the day according to what we wanted. It was the perfect way to get to know the city — we covered so many iconic spots in a short time, all while hearing local stories and insights you’d never get on your own. It felt easy, fun, and so thoughtfully planned. Exactly what we were hoping for in a local guide. Couldn’t recommend Annie more!”
Passport entry to Beijing’s Forbidden City, with optional add-ons for Tiananmen Square and Mutianyu Great Wall plus helpful support.
“Although it was extremely busy (due to the anniversary parade) once in it was an extraordinary tour, I enjoyed most the palaces and the explanation from our tour guide Mina of the buildings, their symbolism, purposes and history. Definitely bring lots of drinks and snacks!”
Two-day Beijing highlights with small group: Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Hutong rickshaw, Summer Palace.
“On day 1 we had Lucy, she was great, very informative, helpful and flexible. On day 2 we had Kevin who was very informative but totally inflexible: apparently getting 5 minutes to visit a gift shop was impossible etc. His attitude was just Read more”
Private half-day Forbidden City walk with Tiananmen Square, hotel pickup, timed entry, and a guide to cut through crowds and confusion.
“The guided tour was very interesting and our guide Jack explained a lot about history and architecture of the forbidden city! Highly recommend!”
