Top 15 History Tours in China

Between Capitalism & Communism: Hong Kong History Tip Based Tour - Court of Final Appeal: where the political question begins

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

Explore Hong Kong’s colonial past, feng shui banking wars, and current politics on a lively two-hour walk from Central to Man Mo Temple.

“We really appreciated the info provided by Alice. Listening to her personal story and life in Hong Kong really put things into perspective and helped us get a clear picture of what we were seeing and visiting. The places visited were also tellinRead more”

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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

Review of Beijing’s Lama Temple, Summer Palace, pandas, lunch, and silk stop, with practical advice on value, timing, shopping, and guides.

“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

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

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

Review of Beijing’s 7-hour tour covering Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Temple of Heaven, with lunch, guide, and hotel transport.

“Guide was ok at English, however she was quick and knew how to avoid the crowds. So shes perfect.”

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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

Explore Jewish Shanghai with an expert guide, from the Bund and Ohel Moishe Synagogue to wartime refugee sites in Hongkou.

“Superb, knowledgable, highly recommend this window into a story not often heard about Shanghai's history.”

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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

Walk Beijing’s hutongs, guild hall, Liulichang, Dashilan, and Qianmen with a local guide, plus calligraphy and street food insights.

“It was a huge group and it wasn't what I expected, but I'm glad I went. I thought we'd do all the big stuff like Tiananmen Square, etc. and instead we went to a Hutong neighborhood but it was good, because I learned about that instead!”

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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

Brew Chinese tea, play the ancient Guqin, and practice calligraphy in a small, thoughtful Beijing workshop led by cultural masters.

“Unlike museums where you just look at artifacts, here you touch the culture. You write with a brush, drink the tea you brew, and feel the strings of a thousand-year-old instrument. Totally unforgettable.”

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All inclusive Two-Day Xi’an private Heritage Tour

7.All inclusive Two-Day Xi’an private Heritage Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 33 reviews · from $250

Review of a two-day private Xi’an tour covering both terracotta armies, cave homes, the City Wall, Muslim Quarter, and local food.

“This is a comprehensive tour of Xian China. Most of the major attractions are included. Our guide, Judy, and driver were fantastic. They are local to Xian and provided great historical information at each location. My husband has some mobilitRead more”

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

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · from $80

See Beijing’s Forbidden City with a private English-speaking guide, hotel pickup options, key palace halls, and practical Tiananmen Square advice.

“This was one of the best, if not the best tour we have taken, because of our guide, Albert. He was extremely well spoken in English and quite knowledgeable about everything we saw. I would recommend anyone wanting a great educational tour of Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City to select him as your guide.”

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

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

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

Review of Xi’an’s private full-day tour covering the Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, city wall, Great Mosque, lunch, and hotel transfers.

“The tour guide was knowledgeable and polite, and the stops were interesting. However, at the time we visited the Shaanxi History Museum was extremely crowded, and at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda we were taken to an "art gallery" where we felt that there was an expectation to buy something (although we were told that proceeds went to the temple). Furthermore, the included lunch was not very good.”

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Private Historical Tour: Guangzhou City Sightseeing Including Lunch

10.Private Historical Tour: Guangzhou City Sightseeing Including Lunch

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

Explore Guangzhou’s royal tombs, temples, Cantonese art, Shamian Island, and local lunch on an 8-hour private city tour.

“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

11.Bell and Drum Towers Entry Ticket—Historic Landmark

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

Explore Beijing’s Bell and Drum Towers, see the 63-ton ancient bell, and catch a five-minute drum performance with flexible entry.

“Una torre de tambores frente a un campanario. No está mal si ya has hecho todo lo que podías hacer en Pekín y te apetece saber cómo daban la hora en la ciudad antigua. Sin más”

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Hong Kong Heritage – Past to Present

12.Hong Kong Heritage – Past to Present

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 22 reviews · 3 hours · from $65

Walk Hong Kong’s Central district from Statue Square to old Soho, with colonial buildings, footbridges, architecture, and expert local insight.

“Mel was amazing at setting the pace that suited us best. She talked through Hong Kong’s history and culture and what makes it a one world city today. Great tour!”

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Beijing:Tiananmen Square Entry Reservation – Iconic Landmark

13.Tiananmen Square Entry Reservation – Iconic Landmark

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

Reserve Tiananmen Square entry in advance, receive a map and visual guide, and plan around long security queues in central Beijing.

“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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Guangzhou Tours, Historical Tours, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours

UNESCO Watchtowers World Heritage Ancient Villages Private Tour

14.UNESCO Watchtowers World Heritage Ancient Villages Private Tour

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

Explore Kaiping’s UNESCO diaolou, old villages, Li Garden, and Chikan from Guangzhou on a private countryside day tour.

“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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