Free walking tours in Beijing

Roy was a great guide. We learnt a lot from the tour. Thanks Roy!

April is a kind and knowledgeable guide, with a mature approach to the walking tour. She was able and willing to answer our questions as we walked the route, many of which focused on the modern-day life to people in Beijing. We visited the ghost market, viewed a pocket garden, a mosque and a Buddhist temple. These were interesting, but the 'Revolutionary Past' I had expected (since WW2, say) was not really covered as such, although we did talk about the early 1900s.

Roy is a really entertaining guide, and uses humour and a soft questioning technique to keep his walkers interested and engaged. We walked through many hutong streets, and he maintained a great rapport, telling us about the food we passed, and the buildings/amenities that were unfamiliar to us eg the water-filling stations outside some of the hutongs, celebrity ownership. He was happy and able to answer all of our questions. He made recommendations of restaurants, and shopping locations, and ended at the Drum and Bell Temples in time for the 1pm drumming. If I were to visit Beijing again, I would definitely try to catch up with him again. Highly recommended!

A fascinating, interesting & well paced walk through the Imperial City of Beijing. Roy spoke very good English & touched on many aspects on Beijing & Chinese history & culture. He looked after the group very well. You have to take the tour to appreciate how loveable he was! We learnt a lot! Thank you.

Roy was a fantastic tour guide, so knowledgeable, personable and entertaining.

We really enjoyed the tour with Roy Li, it’s our first time in Beijing, it’s perfect to understand the local atmosphere and culture. It was very interactive tour. Thank you for sharing the stories and information about China.

Roy Li was great!

Roy is super experienced and very easy to understand and joke with. He has a good sense of irony and knows his history. Super enjoyable!

This is the tour you should do once you've seen the Forbidden City at least. It goes into more "people's" history, lots of quirky trivia, and gives a broader context to what makes Beijing the city it is today. Roy's great, easy to follow in his breadth of knowledge, and we feel this really rounded up our trip to Beijing. Did not walk as much as i belive it was in the description, which is probably for the best, especially with a toddler in tow.

Roy is a wonderful guide, witty, helpful and highly professional. He told many interesting stories and gave helpful facts to keep the audience engaged. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour.

Incredible tour - Roy was very informative and entertaining! Would recommend to everyone coming to Beijing :)

Absolutely great tour by Roy, very friendly enthusiaati and engaging with the group, he provided a lot of intersting about China's culture and recent history

Beautiful experience discovering Beijing with Roy’s guided tour ❤️ Roy was an attentive, engaging, and friendly guide! The tour was extremely interesting, full of fascinating information and helpful recommendations ☺️ Highly recommended 🤗

April was a terrific guide with excellent English and a great willingness to answer all our questions with thought and consideration. Her tour is highly recommended for anyone wanting an excellent understanding of Chinese cultural history. Highly recommended!

A very informative tour. Taking in old Beijing never usually visited by tourists. He gave us a lot of information along the way and answered any questions we had.

We loved the tour with Echo so much that we asked her to organise our itenerary for all other days during our stay. She went above and beyond with information and assitance. Even when a girl from our group forgot sunglasses in taxi she contacted the driver and went to collect them. She reserved restaurants for us and helped with getting tickets for attractions we wanted to see. She is amazing

This is a must do walking tour. Roy Li was absolutely fantastic. So knowledgeable, entertaining and gave great recommendations. We are so glad we booked this tour around the hutongs!

Very nice and professional guide!

Roy is an incredible guide! He has been the best I’ve ever met. Thanks to him, we learnt everything about the hutong: history, culture, architecture… he also explained some other curiosities, always eager and with a smile. After the tour, he even sent us some recommendations for food, drinks, places… Hope to see you soon, Roy, thank you!

Don’t hesitate to book a tour with Roy Li. Really interesting and fun!

Thanks very much to Roy Li for this wonderful tour! We had a great time and really learned a lot!

Yan was incredible. She took us through the authentic hutongs, those traditional alleys full of life and history, showing not only the main highlights but also hidden corners we would never have found on our own. One of the most memorable parts was how immersive the experience was. We got to try local street food (delicious and authentic), practice Chinese calligraphy, and understand the cultural meaning behind it. These hands-on moments made everything much more meaningful than just listening to explanations. Yan’s knowledge was truly impressive. She explained Beijing’s history, culture, and daily life in a very engaging and clear way, always open to questions and she answered everything with detail and enthusiasm. On top of that, she gave us plenty of great recommendations (restaurants, places to visit, practical tips), which really helped us throughout the rest of our trip. We really recomend this freewalking tour.

Did the Beijing Imperial City Free Walking Tour with Roy and it turned out to be one of the most authentic experiences in the city. Roy is an excellent storyteller and brings the history of Beijing to life in a very engaging way. Walking through Nanluoguxiang and the surrounding hutongs didn’t feel like a typical tour — it felt like discovering hidden layers of the city with someone who truly understands it. What stood out most was how Roy explained the evolution of hutongs, from imperial times to modern-day contrasts. Visiting places like Houhai Lake and the historic alleys around it gave a real sense of local life beyond the usual tourist spots. He also shared fascinating stories about former residences, emperors, and everyday life in these neighborhoods, making each stop meaningful rather than just a photo point. The pace was comfortable, and he managed the group very well. This tour is perfect if you want to experience a more real, less touristy side of Beijing. Roy makes it insightful, enjoyable, and easy to follow throughout. For a deeper look at this experience, you can also check my YouTube channel travelwithshreya where I’ve shared more from this trip.

A nice mix of a look into daily life as well as some historic temples easily missed. Would highly recommend. April is very knowledgeable and has good tips for other places to visit in Bejing.

Roy is very knowledgeable and shares interesting facts and info during his tours. Highly recommended