A Beijing Hutong Citywalk: Yangmei Zhu Slanted Street to Dong Jiao Min Xiang

This hutong walk runs from Yangmei Zhu Slanted Street (杨梅竹斜街) east to Dong Jiao Min Xiang (东交民巷) and takes a full day without wearing you out — one visitor called it relaxed rather than tiring. Go on a clear day and start in the morning so you have the whole day to spend.

One thing worth sorting before you set off is where you sleep; staying inside the old city saves you a long commute at either end. It's worth comparing rates early, and you can compare all the main booking sites in one go.

1. Yangmei Zhu Slanted Street (杨梅竹斜街) — The starting point, and the reason the day works at all. You walk the lane itself rather than passing through it, which is where the hutongs give you the culture half of the trip. Two people did this route and described the shopping along the way as a highlight: you can pick up souvenirs here that actually mean something, rather than the usual airport fare. Give the street real time before moving on — it sets the pace for everything after.

2. Dong Jiao Min Xiang (东交民巷) — The route's ending point. Going from Yangmei Zhu Slanted Street all the way here in one day is the plan, and it works best finished at a relaxed pace rather than rushed. The appeal of the day is the combination: hutongs in the morning and a genuinely useful stop for gifts along the way.

The autumn route: Drum Tower to Shichahai

If you have a second day in autumn, the classic Drum Tower to Shichahai (鼓楼到什刹海) route is the one to take. It is described as 100% autumn scenery concentration — meaning that at the right time of year, essentially everything you look at is turning. That is the whole reason to walk it in autumn rather than any other season.

The two routes do different jobs. The hutong walk from Yangmei Zhu Slanted Street to Dong Jiao Min Xiang is the relaxed full-day one, with shopping built in. Drum Tower to Shichahai is the seasonal one, and its value is entirely in the timing.

Walk the hutong route on a day when you want to be out for hours and come back with gifts; save Drum Tower to Shichahai for the peak of the autumn colour.