North China
Beijing
The monuments are the easy part of Beijing, and the least interesting. What takes local knowledge is the other city — the lanes behind the walls, the parks at seven in the morning, the family kitchen that agrees to have you.
Beijing is a city of walls, and the good things are behind them.
Days in Beijing
-
Chinese Medicine and Qigong in Beijing
One day, roughly 08:00 to 18:00
A day inside Chinese medicine — pulse reading, a working clinic, a herbal pharmacy, and a table built on the same principles.
-
A Private Day in Beijing's Hutong
One day, roughly 08:00 to 20:00
Morning park life, a studio session with a maker, lunch cooked in a courtyard home, and the lanes at the pace people actually live them.
-
Private Forbidden City Morning
Half day, roughly 07:30 to 14:00
The Forbidden City at opening with a specialist, read as architecture and court routine rather than a list of halls — then lunch and the view from above.
Questions
How many days do I need in Beijing?
Three is the honest minimum for a first visit — one for the big sights, two for the lanes, the studios and the food. Guests who cut it to two usually say they rushed.
Can I visit a family home in Beijing?
Yes. Our Beijing days include lunch cooked in a courtyard home, arranged with families we have worked with for years rather than a set-up kitchen.