Take an entire day to explore two sides of Beijing: the old and the new. Visit the modern Beijing landmarks in the form of the Beijing Zoo and the Olympic Green. While catch glimmers of the ancient side of the city at the Lama Temple, along hutongs and at Jingshan Park.
Your friendly local tour guide will pick you up from your downtown Beijing between 7 am - 8 am and get you settled in a comfortable coach to start the full-day Beijing sightseeing.
First, head on to the Beijing Zoo. The site is comprised of 16 different exhibition areas and halls, but the most popular one is the Panda Hall, which houses the lovely giant pandas. Afterwards, visit the Olympic Green and witness firsthand the grand designs of the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube, instantly remarkable from the 2008 Olympics.
Continue to the Lama Temple (Yonghe Lamasery). The temple is considered the largest and the best-preserved lamasery in China. This exceptional temple is a glittering attraction, where layered roofs, fabulous frescoes, tapestries, carpentry and Tibetan prayer wheels guarded by a pair of Chinese lions mingle with dense clouds of incense.
Then enjoy a traditional Chinese cuisine lunch in local restaurant, and move on to hutong tour. Hutongs are the ancient alleyways made by the traditional courtyards. These reflect ways of the old, but are rapidly being demolished to make way for new roads and buildings. However, some are designated as protected area and some others are packed with various boutique stores offering a lively atmosphere.
Later go to Jingshan Park, a former imperial garden, and get the best and the clearest view of the Forbidden City.
Finally, complete your full-day guided tour with a visit to a silk shop, browse through some Chinese traditional silk arts and get gifts for your relatives back home. You will be then transferred back to your hotel.
