China · HISTORICAL TOURS

15 Historical Tours in China Worth the Day

24 tours  ·  from $3

This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 15 historical tours worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to settle before you commit.

Between Capitalism & Communism: Hong Kong History Tip Based Tour - Starting at the Court of Final Appeal
Historical Tours, Hong Kong Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Between Capitalism & Communism: Hong Kong History Tip Based Tour

1.Between Capitalism & Communism: Hong Kong History Tip Based Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 234 reviews · from $2Our pick

Walk from Central MTR to Man Mo Temple with a local guide such as Alice, Andy, Armie, or Wingman. Hear personal stories about Hong Kong, see the Court of Final Appeal, HSBC, St. John’s Cathedral, and ride the Mid-Levels Escalator. Street food tasting is included.

“Outstanding tour, great guide. An immersion into some of the specificities of HK with lots of engaging stories.”

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Beijing Historical Tour II including Summer Palace, Lama Temple & Panda Garden - Yonghe Lama Temple and the sandalwood Buddha
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Beijing Historical Tour II including Summer Palace, Lama Temple & Panda Garden

2.Beijing Historical Tour II including Summer Palace, Lama Temple & Panda Garden

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 187 reviews · from $93

Spend about seven hours visiting Yonghe Lama Temple, the Summer Palace grounds and Beijing’s Panda Garden, with hotel pickup, lunch, admission and an English-speaking guide. Guides such as William, Mary and Cathy are praised for clear storytelling, but silk, pearl and tea stops can add sales pressure and extra time.

“Tea ceremony was fantastic and very interesting. Michael was very helpful and polite. We had plenty of time to do all what was in the programme and more.”

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Beijing Historical Tour I - Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square & Temple of Heaven - Tiananmen Square and the weight of modern China
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Beijing Historical Tour I – Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square & Temple of Heaven

3.Beijing Historical Tour I – Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square & Temple of Heaven

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 120 reviews · from $93

Spend about seven hours seeing Beijing’s grandest imperial and political landmarks. Your English-speaking guide leads you through Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Temple of Heaven, with entrance fees, lunch, and central hotel transfers included. Book early, since late bookings may replace the Forbidden City with Jingshan Park.

“An excellent trip to see the amazing sights of Beijing, simply stunning, our tour guide Mary was excellent, very knowledgeable and good fun, overall highly recommended”

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Tour of Jewish Shanghai led by a Jewish History Expert - Entering Hongkou, the former Shanghai Ghetto
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Tour of Jewish Shanghai led by a Jewish History Expert

4.Tour of Jewish Shanghai led by a Jewish History Expert

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 106 reviews · from $96

Meet near Shanghai’s Peace Hotel for a four-hour tour led by a Jewish history expert such as Dvir, Andy, or Anfisa. Trace Jewish immigration, visit the former Ohel Moishe Synagogue, see the Huoshan Park memorial, and walk Hongkou’s lanes where refugees once lived.

“We have just completed the Jewish tour of Shanghai with Dvir and his knowledge is encyclopedic. We were a small group so it was easy to hear him I wish we could have had more time with him as I know he had so much more informatiRead more”

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Beijing Historic City Guided Walking Tour + Calligraphy Creation - Huguang Guild Hall and the first chapter of Beijing’s story
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Beijing Historic City Guided Walking Tour + Calligraphy Creation

5.Beijing Historic City Guided Walking Tour + Calligraphy Creation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · from $5

Spend 3.5 hours walking from Huguang Guild Hall through hutongs, Liulichang, Yangmeizhu, Dashilan, and Qianmen. Guides such as Kris and Hao explain Beijing’s past and present, with street-food tasting and calligraphy culture along the way. The $5 booking fee is separate from the suggested tip.

“Very knowledgeable and interesting stories of life past and present of Chinese lifestyle. We sampled street food and enjoyed the hustle of Qianmen pedestrian street a must if time is limited”

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Beijing Culture: Tea Ceremony, Heritage Instrument & Calligraphy - Tea ceremony: slow down and pay attention
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Beijing Culture: Tea Ceremony, Heritage Instrument & Calligraphy

6.Beijing Culture: Tea Ceremony, Heritage Instrument & Calligraphy

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · from $78

At a private venue in Beijing’s 813 Creative Park, an English-speaking guide with an M.A. in History and Sociology introduces you to tea ceremony, Chinese calligraphy, and the Guqin. You will brew tea, write characters, wear traditional clothing, and play a short melody in a group of no more than eight.

“I didn’t expect to feel so moved. Playing the Guqin while the master guided my fingers felt like stepping into another time. It was quiet, personal, and completely different from anything else in my itinerary.”

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2-Hour Beijing Private Forbidden City Tour: History & Highlights - Starting at your hotel in Beijing
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2-Hour Beijing Private Forbidden City Tour: History & Highlights

7.2-Hour Beijing Private Forbidden City Tour: History & Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · from $80

Explore the Forbidden City with a private English-speaking guide in about two hours. Guides such as Mina, Lily, Becky, Jay, and Albert explain the palace halls, emperors, customs, and symbols in clear English. Choose economy walking arrangements or comfort transport, with entrance fees included.

“My guide Jay was amazing. Great knowledge and always made me feel comfortable and informed. Be prepared to wait in many lines to get into the square and city.”

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Xi'an Full Day Sightseeing Tour - Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Ancient City Wall - Big Wild Goose Pagoda and its Tang-era story
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Xi’an Full Day Sightseeing Tour – Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Ancient City Wall

8.Xi’an Full Day Sightseeing Tour – Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Ancient City Wall

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 26 reviews · from $219

Spend about eight hours touring Xi’an with an English-speaking guide, private air-conditioned vehicle, lunch, and included admission. Visit the Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, ancient city wall, and Great Mosque. Guides such as Lily, Lucia, Alice, and Kimi have earned praise for clear explanations and friendly service.

“Nancy, our Tour Guide is very patient in answering all the questions we throw at her. I am happy with her service.”

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Private Historical Tour: Guangzhou City Sightseeing Including Lunch - The Nanyue King’s tomb, 20 meters below ground
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Private Historical Tour: Guangzhou City Sightseeing Including Lunch

9.Private Historical Tour: Guangzhou City Sightseeing Including Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 24 reviews · from $239

Spend eight hours exploring Guangzhou with a private English-speaking guide and driver. Visit the Chen Clan Temple, Nanyue King’s underground tomb, Six Banyan Temple, Shamian Island, and Shangxiajiu Street. Hotel pickup, entrance fees, air-conditioned transport, and a Cantonese lunch are included.

“This tour was great! Our tour guide and driver picked us up on time at our hotel. The tour company called us the night before confirming our pickup time. The tour guide Jan-Ming? was very friendly and enthusiastic in teaching us about her city and culture. Our driver was quiet, but polite and absolutely fearless in traffic. We visited the burial site of the Nanyue King, the Temple of Six Banyan Trees, the Chen Clan Academy, strolled the streets of Shamian Island and along the Pearl River, had a nice lunch at a downtown hotel restaurant, and walked along a busy shopping street maybe Beijing Road?. There were a few…”

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Beijing: Bell and Drum Towers Entry Ticket—Historic Landmark - Entering the Drum Tower and its 25 drums
Beijing Tours, Historical Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Beijing: Bell and Drum Towers Entry Ticket—Historic Landmark

10.Bell and Drum Towers Entry Ticket—Historic Landmark

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 23 reviews · 4 hours · from $13

Enter Beijing’s Bell and Drum Towers with a self-guided ticket and English PDF guidebook. Climb the Drum Tower, inspect 25 historic drums, see the 63-ton Yongle bell, and try to catch the daily five-minute drumming performance. Allow up to four hours.

“Easy tickets to use. Great communication from your company through WhatsApp.”

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Beijing:Tiananmen Square Entry Reservation - Iconic Landmark - Sending Your Passport Details
Beijing Tours, Historical Tours, Tiananmen Square Tours, Tour Reviews

Beijing:Tiananmen Square Entry Reservation – Iconic Landmark

11.Tiananmen Square Entry Reservation – Iconic Landmark

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 17 reviews · 2 hours · from $4

Book Tiananmen Square entry through Hua Hua Explore China, send your passport details, then receive reservation documents and an English visual guide by email or WhatsApp. Enter with your original passport and explore the square, nearby monuments, and surrounding landmarks at your own pace.

“I had no idea of the time it takes to visit this place. Standing in line for 2 hours is minimum, so it takes at least half the day, if you rush it. In the end I missed it because I had to leave for another tour, so I stayed in line 1h for nothing. I believe the preparation of time should be listed loud and clear. Because if I knew it, I would have planned accordingly.”

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UNESCO Watchtowers World Heritage Ancient Villages Private Tour - Jinjiangli’s rural setting and short visit
Guangzhou Tours, Historical Tours, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours

UNESCO Watchtowers World Heritage Ancient Villages Private Tour

12.UNESCO Watchtowers World Heritage Ancient Villages Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · from $255

Travel from Guangzhou to Kaiping in a private air-conditioned car with an English-speaking guide. Visit UNESCO-listed watchtower villages, Li Garden, Majianglong, Jinjiangli, and Chikan Movie Town, with time for farmland views and family-history research.

“It was a nice trip to visit beautiful historical old town & village. Location is not too far from Guangzhou city, we only spent 8 hours in total for this trip. It was also very quiet in weekdays.”

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Forbidden City&Hutong Private Tour w/Historic Site Add-ons - Tian’anmen Square and the realities of entry
Beijing Hutong Tours, Beijing Tours, City Tours, Forbidden City Tours, Historical Tours, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours

Forbidden City&Hutong Private Tour w/Historic Site Add-ons

13.Forbidden City&Hutong Private Tour w/Historic Site Add-ons

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 14 reviews · 5 - 6 hours · from $88

Meet an English-speaking guide at your downtown hotel for a private Beijing tour built around Tian’anmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Houhai Hutong. Choose walking, private-car, or rickshaw transport, or add the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, or Mutianyu Great Wall. Guides such as Aurora, Ranee, Sherry, and Lucy have earned warm praise.

“Ranee was a great tour guide, she was very knowledgeable and went above and beyond to make the day special for us”

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Guilin: 1-Day Iconic Landmarks & Cultural Tour - Elephant Trunk Hill and the river-shaped symbol of Guilin
1-Day Tours, Guilin Tours, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Guilin: 1-Day Iconic Landmarks & Cultural Tour

14.1-Day Iconic Landmarks & Cultural Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 1 day

Spend a full day with a private English-speaking driver-guide such as Molly, Rita, or Blues Lee. See Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, Daxu Ancient Town, and a cormorant fishing performance near Xingping, with transport from Guilin and room for tailored advice.

“L'agenzia mi ha contattata per essere sicura che l'itinerario fosse tutto quello che cercavo, e si sono anche proposti di organizzarmi il giorno successivo, secondo le mie esigenze (chiedevo di vedere qualcosa in più che purtroppo non si poteva visitare lo stesso giorno per la distanza). Soffro di mal d'auto ma mi è capitato il migliore autista che potesse capitarmi! Consiglio a tutti Blues Lee, una persona competente, gentilissima e disponibile che ha saputo rendere i miei due giorni a Guilin e dintorni perfetti, dandomi consigli e informazioni importanti sui luoghi che ho visitato. Non è un semplice autista, è molto di più! Lo consiglio a tutti”

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Beijing Hutong Walking Tour History, Architecture and Local Life - A Yuan Dynasty pagoda inside an old courtyard
Beijing Hutong Tours, Beijing Tours, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Beijing Hutong Walking Tour History, Architecture and Local Life

15.Beijing Hutong Walking Tour History, Architecture and Local Life

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $49

Spend about three hours with a local guide such as Lori or Dee, walking from Xisi Subway Station through old Beijing. See Xishiku Church, Guangji Temple, a Yuan Dynasty brick pagoda, Zhuanta Lane, imperial architecture, and the White Stupa, with water, a traditional drink, and practical city advice included.

“Lori was a great guide through the Hutongs explaining how they were laid out and significance of the doors. It was a fun sight seeing day and got me more familiar with the city.”

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Explore China

Pick a wall, a palace, a river or a table.

The Wall

Great Wall DaysMutianyuBadalingJinshanlingThe Ming Tombs

Imperial Beijing

The Forbidden CityTiananmen SquareThe Summer PalaceTemple of HeavenLama Temple

On the water

Canal TownsThe Li RiverHuangpu NightsThe YangtzeEvery Boat Day

Further out

The Terracotta ArmyThe Panda BaseThe Glass BridgeRice TerracesThe Leshan Buddha