Beijing food tour
BEIJING FOOD TOUR - Tucked away in the southwest of the old city, Niujie, or Ox Street, is the beating heart of Beijing's Hui Muslim community and one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the capital. For more than a thousand years, Muslim traders, scholars and cooks have gathered around the street's ancient mosque, turning lamb, beef and wheat into some of the most beloved snacks in northern China. The air hangs heavy with cumin, chilli and toasted sesame, and the queues start forming long before the sun goes down.
Over four hours and 19 tastings, we're eating our way along Ox Street, from time-honoured halal butchers and bakeries to bustling street stalls and a classic copper pot hotpot.
First, warm up with huangmi mian zhagao, a sweet fried millet cake filled with red bean paste, and a flaky, layered sesame shaobing. Hold on to that bun. You'll need it later. Next, we'll visit Yue Sheng Zhai, a Beijing name for braised meats for more than two centuries, for slices of five-spice braised beef to stuff inside your shaobing, alongside a cumin-dusted lamb skewer hot off the grill. Then tear into niurou shaobing, a spiral-layered beef pastry that's crisp to the very last flake.
Then it's time for the main event. Pull up a chair at Bai Ji for old Beijing's favourite way to eat: shuan yangrou, copper chimney hotpot. Swish paper-thin slices of lamb and beef through bubbling broth, then dunk them into rich majiang xiaoliao sesame sauce. Add lotus root, a mixed mushroom platter and fresh prawns, and don't forget the sweet pickled garlic. Locals swear by a single clove between bites.
Back on the street, watch the masters at work on a jianbing, Beijing's iconic crispy filled pancake, washed down with warm doujiang soy milk. Then sink your teeth into a soft, juicy niurou baozi stuffed with beef, before braver eaters tackle kao yang yaozi, grilled lamb kidney skewers, alongside punchy sauced fermented tofu.
Still hungry? Good. We're not finished yet. Snack on crispy gezhihe mung bean rolls, then grab a mending roubing, a beef and spring onion "doornail pie" named after the studs on Beijing's old city gates. Finish with lΓΌ dagun, or "rolling donkey", sticky rice rolled with red bean paste and dusted in toasted soybean flour, and sugar-dusted naiyou zhagao fried cream cakes from the legendary Jinfang Snacks.
Why this tour is awesome
Over four hours and 19 tastings, we'll explore Niujie, the historic heart of Beijing's Hui Muslim community, from time-honoured halal butchers and bakeries to buzzing street stalls.
Expect cumin-dusted lamb skewers, braised beef stuffed into sesame shaobing, crispy jianbing and a classic copper pot hotpot. Along the way, discover the Silk Road traditions and centuries-old recipes that shaped the neighbourhood's food, before finishing with sticky donkey rolls and sugar-dusted fried cream cakes.
Taste your way through Niujie with 19 tastings, from cumin-dusted lamb skewers to copper pot hotpot.
Sesame-crusted shaobing, fresh from the oven.
Yue Sheng Zhai, a time-honoured Beijing name for braised beef.
Cumin-dusted lamb skewers, hot off the grill.
Flaky, spiral-layered beef pastry, crisp to the very last bite.
Step inside Bai Ji for a classic Beijing hotpot.
Paper-thin slices of lamb and beef, ready for the pot.
The food heroes of Niujie.
Jianbing batter spread thin across a sizzling griddle.
Crispy jianbing, packed with herbs, egg and crunchy cracker.
Towers of steaming beef baozi, stacked high in the steamer.
A soft, juicy beef baozi, still warm from the steamer.
Spiced lamb kidney skewers for the adventurous eater.
Sauced fermented tofu, punchy and full of flavour.
Dumplings crisping up on a hot griddle along Ox Street.
Beef and spring onion doornail pies, crisped in a giant pan.
Lu dagun, sticky rice rolled with red bean paste and soybean flour.
Jinfang Snacks, home of the famous Beijing fried cream cake.
Conclude on a sweet note with sugar-dusted fried cream cakes.
Includes
- Price US $69 per person
- Language English
- Small group Maximum of 8 guests (private tours or groups of 9+, please contact us)
- Tastings 19 tastings
- Drinks Bottled water and local drinks
- Duration 4pm - 8pm
- Guide Led by one of our superb Beijing food hosts
- Cancellation Cancel up to 48 hours before departure for a full refund
- Family friendly Families welcome on all our tours. Children 50% discount.
- Transport Walking tour through the lanes of Niujie
- Instant confirmation Book now to secure your space (before we sell out!)
- Pick up / drop off Our guests come from all over the city, so to save time we have a meeting point. Your guide can help you find transport back at the end of the tour
Dietary information
- General advice Many local eateries specialise in signature menus, and may not have alternatives. It is not always possible to cater for all dietary requests at every stop
- Vegetarian Limited, as meat or seafood is used in 9 tastings (out of 19 total), with backup tastings available for 4 of them
- Vegan Unsuitable as meat, seafood or dairy is used in 11 tastings (out of 19 total)
- Pescatarian Limited, as meat is used in 8 tastings (out of 19 total), with backup tastings available for 5 of them
- Pork Suitable, all vendors are halal and no pork is served
- Halal Suitable, all stops are halal and located in Beijing's historic Muslim quarter
- Gluten intolerance / Celiac Unsuitable as gluten is present in 9 tastings (out of 19 total)
- Lactose intolerance Possible, though dairy is used in 1 tasting (out of 19 total)
- Tree nut / peanut allergy Possible, though nuts are used in 2 tastings (out of 19 total)
- Seafood / Shellfish allergy Possible, though prawns are served in 1 tasting (out of 19 total)
- Severe allergies Due to the nature of street food cooking, we can never guarantee any dish to be 100% free from allergens, as there is always the risk of traces and cross-contamination. It is unsuitable for severe allergies. Contact us: info@achefstour.com
How to book
To join our Beijing food tour, use the calendar above to select your preferred date, and secure your tour with your card. For special requests, private bookings, or dietary requirements, please contact us. Safety of our customers is our first priority, so if you have any food allergies, please contact us before booking.
What to expect
This tour is designed for adventurous eaters with an interest in discovering the food locals eat. Itβs a walking tour, but the pace is gentle, and there are plenty of rest (eating) stops along the way. Join us on the best Beijing food tour in the city, you won't regret it.
Meeting point
Meet outside theΒ Niujie Zhan Subway, which is easy to reach from most parts of the city via the subway itself. There will be more details on your booking voucher.Β
Cancellation Policy
Why you should book with us
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99% 5 star reviews across our tours -
Secure payments through provider Peek
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No hidden charges - all food tastings included in the price
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Authentic food experience, escape the tourist traps