Shichahai, the Drum Tower and Nanluoguxiang in Half a Day
Turn Prince Gong’s Mansion, Shichahai, the towers and Nanluoguxiang into one walk without backtracking. The ticketed sights close early while the lanes improve later, so the order matters more than squeezing in every stop.
The short answer
Prince Gong's Mansion at 8:30 (Line 6 Beihai North, Exit B) → out to the Qianhai east bank and north to Silver Ingot Bridge → Yandai Xiejie → the Drum Tower on a show hour → east 600 m to Nanluoguxiang's north end, down the side lanes, out at the Line 6/8 station.
Only Prince Gong's Mansion must be booked: real-name, online only, from 20:00 ten days before your date, with a passport accepted - and no tickets sold at the gate. The towers sell full price on the '北京钟鼓楼' WeChat official account; the lakes, Yandai Xiejie and Nanluoguxiang need nothing.
Prince Gong's Mansion is closed (open on public holidays); the Drum and Bell Towers have no closing day in their notices. Start at the Drum Tower on a show hour instead and give the saved time to the full lake loop, about 3.5 km.
Shows are on the hour from 10:00 to 17:00 in season, none at 12:00, and off-season the 17:00 show is dropped. Buy the ¥30 combined ticket before 16:30 in season - single tickets stop at 17:00, before the last show starts.
The Houhai banks become a bar strip with touts at the doors and no posted prices, Silver Ingot Bridge is a scrum after 19:00, and pedicabs have no fixed tariff. Walk the lake edge, ask for a priced menu before ordering, and agree any pedicab's total and end point before sitting down.
Side by sideEach cell ends with the date of the notice it was checked against
Swipe sideways; the first column stays put
Prince Gong's Mansion
恭王府Open the place →- What you see · how long
- A Qing prince's mansion and garden: the halls first, then the garden with the 'Fu' character stele in the grotto. Allow 2-3 hours (our observation) · 2023-07-24
- Ticket
- ¥40; over-60s and students half; under 6 or under 1.2 m free; overseas youth get the student half-price, ¥20 · 2023-07-24
- Hours · closed days
- 8:30-17:00; tickets to 16:00, last entry 16:10. Closed Mondays (open on public holidays) · 2026-09-11
- Booking & passport
- Online only, real-name, from 20:00 ten days before (mall.pgm.org.cn / WeChat), no walk-up sales. Passports accepted online; on the day, swap the booking for a voucher at the service desk; 010-83288149 · 2023-07-24
- Metro, exit, walk
- Line 6 Beihai North, Exit B (northeast), then 200 m along Sanzuoqiao Hutong or 300 m along Longtoujing St to Gate No. 1 · 2023-07-24
- Crowds · when to go
- Gone for most weekends and holidays - book the moment you know your date; the queue for the 'Fu' stele is the slowest point inside (our observation) · 2023-07-24
- Don't get this wrong
- The queue at Gate 1 is for voucher exchange and entry, not for buying; the two 'Prince Chun's Mansions' nearby are other mansions · 2026-09-11
Shichahai lakes (Qianhai, Houhai)
什刹海（前海 · 后海）Open the place →- What you see · how long
- The lakes and their banks: the full loop from the Lotus Market to Silver Ingot Bridge, round Houhai and back is about 3.5 km, 1.5-2 hours with stops (our estimate); the Qianhai east bank alone is the half-day version · 2026-03-15
- Ticket
- Free public park; boats and skating priced separately - platform figures ¥80 a head per half hour for the rowed boat, confirm at the dock · 2019-11-29
- Hours · closed days
- Open ground, 24 hours; boats 9:00-18:00 in season, tickets to 17:00; night boats only 'according to weather' · 2026-03-15
- Booking & passport
- Nothing to book for the lakes; boats are scan-to-pay on the dock; boat hotline 010-66125717 (Chinese) · 2026-03-15
- Metro, exit, walk
- Line 8 Shichahai for the Yandai Xiejie / Silver Ingot Bridge end - the lake is a 5-minute walk west; Line 6 Beihai North for the Qianhai west bank and Prince Gong's Mansion · 2026-09-11
- Crowds · when to go
- Daylight for the lakes; after 19:00 the bridge is a scrum and the Houhai banks are a bar strip with touts. Dawn from around 6:00 is swimmers, tai chi and choirs · 2026-09-11
- Don't get this wrong
- Beihai, the lake with the White Dagoba, is a ticketed park south of Di'anmen West St - not one of Shichahai's free lakes; 'official hutong tour' pedicabs are private operators · 2026-09-11
Yandai Xiejie
烟袋斜街Open the place →- What you see · how long
- The connector, not a sight: 232 m of shops from Silver Ingot Bridge to the Drum Tower, 5 minutes without stops; Guangfu Guan at No. 37 is its one stop with something to read · 2026-09-11
- Ticket
- None (public street) · 2026-09-11
- Hours · closed days
- Street open 24 hours; shops roughly 10:00-22:00, not published · 2026-09-11
- Booking & passport
- Nothing to book; small stalls take cash, WeChat or Alipay, and most will not take a foreign card · 2026-09-11
- Metro, exit, walk
- East end on Di'anmen Outer St, 100 m from the Drum Tower; west end at Silver Ingot Bridge; Line 8 Shichahai about 380 m · 2026-09-11
- Crowds · when to go
- Before 10:00 or after the towers shut; between 15:00 and 21:00 you walk at the pace of the person in front · 2026-09-11
- Don't get this wrong
- Not Nanluoguxiang - that is the longer, busier shopping hutong 1 km east across Di'anmen Outer St · 2026-09-11
Drum Tower and Bell Tower
钟鼓楼Open the place →- What you see · how long
- Two towers across one square, each climbed by a single steep stone staircase, no lift. Drumming shows on the Drum Tower's second floor; the Bell Tower has no show - about 30 minutes there · 2026-03-23
- Ticket
- ¥30 combined Bell-and-Drum ticket; single-tower prices are not in the notice; concessions only at the Drum Tower window with your own ID · 2026-03-23
- Hours · closed days
- From 26 March: 9:30-17:30, combined ticket sold to 16:30, single to 17:00; off-season 9:30-16:30. No closing day in the notices · 2026-03-23
- Booking & passport
- Full-price tickets on the '北京钟鼓楼' WeChat official account; whether it takes a passport, or the window sells full price, is not stated · 2026-03-23
- Metro, exit, walk
- Line 8 Shichahai, or 100 m from the east end of Yandai Xiejie; ticket window and entrance on the Drum Tower's south side · 2026-09-11
- Crowds · when to go
- Time it to a show: in season at 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00 (none at 12:00); the 17:00 show comes after single tickets stop at 17:00, so buy first · 2026-03-23
- Don't get this wrong
- Line 2/8 Guloudajie is 700 m north - Line 8 Shichahai is closer; there is no free drum show outside, and the Bell Tower sells no tickets itself · 2026-09-11
Nanluoguxiang and its side lanes
南锣鼓巷及支巷Open the place →- What you see · how long
- A 786 m main lane with 16 side lanes, eight each side - the value is in the side lanes (Ju'er, Mao'er, Yu'er), not the snack strip; the best of them take about 40 minutes on foot · 2026-09-11
- Ticket
- Public lanes, no ticket; Mao Dun's former residence (Houyuan'ensi Hutong 13) is the one courtyard you can enter, hours unpublished · 2026-09-11
- Hours · closed days
- Open at all hours (city page); shops about 10:00-22:00 (our observation) · 2026-09-11
- Booking & passport
- Nothing to book; the courtyards are private homes - stop at the threshold · 2026-09-11
- Metro, exit, walk
- Line 6 / Line 8 Nanluoguxiang station opens onto the south end; from the Drum Tower, the north end is 600 m east · 2026-09-11
- Crowds · when to go
- Weekend afternoons the police run one-way flow on the main lane and station exits close at times - on a Saturday come before 11:00 or after 19:00 · 2026-09-11
- Don't get this wrong
- Not Beiluoguxiang, the quieter lane north of Gulou East St; and the 'hutong tour' rickshaws sell a loop round Houhai, not these lanes · 2026-09-11
| Compare | Prince Gong's Mansion | Shichahai lakes (Qianhai, Houhai) | Yandai Xiejie | Drum Tower and Bell Tower | Nanluoguxiang and its side lanes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you see · how long | A Qing prince's mansion and garden: the halls first, then the garden with the 'Fu' character stele in the grotto. Allow 2-3 hours (our observation) · 2023-07-24 | The lakes and their banks: the full loop from the Lotus Market to Silver Ingot Bridge, round Houhai and back is about 3.5 km, 1.5-2 hours with stops (our estimate); the Qianhai east bank alone is the half-day version · 2026-03-15 | The connector, not a sight: 232 m of shops from Silver Ingot Bridge to the Drum Tower, 5 minutes without stops; Guangfu Guan at No. 37 is its one stop with something to read · 2026-09-11 | Two towers across one square, each climbed by a single steep stone staircase, no lift. Drumming shows on the Drum Tower's second floor; the Bell Tower has no show - about 30 minutes there · 2026-03-23 | A 786 m main lane with 16 side lanes, eight each side - the value is in the side lanes (Ju'er, Mao'er, Yu'er), not the snack strip; the best of them take about 40 minutes on foot · 2026-09-11 |
| Ticket | ¥40; over-60s and students half; under 6 or under 1.2 m free; overseas youth get the student half-price, ¥20 · 2023-07-24 | Free public park; boats and skating priced separately - platform figures ¥80 a head per half hour for the rowed boat, confirm at the dock · 2019-11-29 | None (public street) · 2026-09-11 | ¥30 combined Bell-and-Drum ticket; single-tower prices are not in the notice; concessions only at the Drum Tower window with your own ID · 2026-03-23 | Public lanes, no ticket; Mao Dun's former residence (Houyuan'ensi Hutong 13) is the one courtyard you can enter, hours unpublished · 2026-09-11 |
| Hours · closed days | 8:30-17:00; tickets to 16:00, last entry 16:10. Closed Mondays (open on public holidays) · 2026-09-11 | Open ground, 24 hours; boats 9:00-18:00 in season, tickets to 17:00; night boats only 'according to weather' · 2026-03-15 | Street open 24 hours; shops roughly 10:00-22:00, not published · 2026-09-11 | From 26 March: 9:30-17:30, combined ticket sold to 16:30, single to 17:00; off-season 9:30-16:30. No closing day in the notices · 2026-03-23 | Open at all hours (city page); shops about 10:00-22:00 (our observation) · 2026-09-11 |
| Booking & passport | Online only, real-name, from 20:00 ten days before (mall.pgm.org.cn / WeChat), no walk-up sales. Passports accepted online; on the day, swap the booking for a voucher at the service desk; 010-83288149 · 2023-07-24 | Nothing to book for the lakes; boats are scan-to-pay on the dock; boat hotline 010-66125717 (Chinese) · 2026-03-15 | Nothing to book; small stalls take cash, WeChat or Alipay, and most will not take a foreign card · 2026-09-11 | Full-price tickets on the '北京钟鼓楼' WeChat official account; whether it takes a passport, or the window sells full price, is not stated · 2026-03-23 | Nothing to book; the courtyards are private homes - stop at the threshold · 2026-09-11 |
| Metro, exit, walk | Line 6 Beihai North, Exit B (northeast), then 200 m along Sanzuoqiao Hutong or 300 m along Longtoujing St to Gate No. 1 · 2023-07-24 | Line 8 Shichahai for the Yandai Xiejie / Silver Ingot Bridge end - the lake is a 5-minute walk west; Line 6 Beihai North for the Qianhai west bank and Prince Gong's Mansion · 2026-09-11 | East end on Di'anmen Outer St, 100 m from the Drum Tower; west end at Silver Ingot Bridge; Line 8 Shichahai about 380 m · 2026-09-11 | Line 8 Shichahai, or 100 m from the east end of Yandai Xiejie; ticket window and entrance on the Drum Tower's south side · 2026-09-11 | Line 6 / Line 8 Nanluoguxiang station opens onto the south end; from the Drum Tower, the north end is 600 m east · 2026-09-11 |
| Crowds · when to go | Gone for most weekends and holidays - book the moment you know your date; the queue for the 'Fu' stele is the slowest point inside (our observation) · 2023-07-24 | Daylight for the lakes; after 19:00 the bridge is a scrum and the Houhai banks are a bar strip with touts. Dawn from around 6:00 is swimmers, tai chi and choirs · 2026-09-11 | Before 10:00 or after the towers shut; between 15:00 and 21:00 you walk at the pace of the person in front · 2026-09-11 | Time it to a show: in season at 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00 (none at 12:00); the 17:00 show comes after single tickets stop at 17:00, so buy first · 2026-03-23 | Weekend afternoons the police run one-way flow on the main lane and station exits close at times - on a Saturday come before 11:00 or after 19:00 · 2026-09-11 |
| Don't get this wrong | The queue at Gate 1 is for voucher exchange and entry, not for buying; the two 'Prince Chun's Mansions' nearby are other mansions · 2026-09-11 | Beihai, the lake with the White Dagoba, is a ticketed park south of Di'anmen West St - not one of Shichahai's free lakes; 'official hutong tour' pedicabs are private operators · 2026-09-11 | Not Nanluoguxiang - that is the longer, busier shopping hutong 1 km east across Di'anmen Outer St · 2026-09-11 | Line 2/8 Guloudajie is 700 m north - Line 8 Shichahai is closer; there is no free drum show outside, and the Bell Tower sells no tickets itself · 2026-09-11 | Not Beiluoguxiang, the quieter lane north of Gulou East St; and the 'hutong tour' rickshaws sell a loop round Houhai, not these lanes · 2026-09-11 |
Bell Tower：Shut from 10 May 2026 for bell-frame reinforcement and reopened on 27 July 2026; on the same ¥30 combined ticket, bought at the Drum Tower window or the WeChat official account, with no bell-ringing show in the 2026 notice and a longer, steeper stair than the Drum Tower's. the second half of the combined ticket - 30 minutes for the structure and the view.
Fire God Temple (draft entry)：Draft entry: free on the tourism-bureau page, hours not published; gate on Di'anmen Outer St just south of the Drum Tower, backing onto the lake - three small courtyards and a working altar, ten minutes if the east gate is open. anyone walking past between the Drum Tower and the lakes.
Wudaoying Hutong：A café lane by the Lama Temple, not by the lakes - east end 200 m north of the temple's archway, west end on Andingmen Inner St; twenty minutes and a coffee if you are doing the Lama Temple half of the old city instead. a different half day: Lama Temple, Wudaoying, then south to Nanluoguxiang.
Yonghegong Lama Temple：The other half day, not this one: ¥25, April-October 9:00-17:00, Line 2/5 Yonghegong; full-price online tickets need no name or ID number, so a passport holder enters on the QR code. Busy on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month; no photography inside the halls. a second old-city half day, paired with Wudaoying and Nanluoguxiang's north end.
One by one
Prince Gong's Mansion
恭王府The one stop you cannot improvise: no ticket window, real-name online tickets released at 20:00 ten days ahead, and most weekends sold out. Put it first, at 8:30, because it is the longest visit of the half day. On a passport, book with the passport document type and allow time at the service desk for the voucher - ID-card holders swipe straight through. Cancel properly before 16:00 on the day if plans change: three no-shows in 60 days block booking. For anyone who booked ten days ahead - first thing in the morning.
Open the place →Shichahai lakes (Qianhai, Houhai)
什刹海（前海 · 后海）Two Shichahais: water and hutongs by day, the Houhai bar strip and the pedicab touts by night. For half a day, walk from the mansion out to the Qianhai east bank and north to Silver Ingot Bridge; save the full loop for a slower day. Boats run only from spring to autumn and the rinks open in January, so November and December have neither. Agree any pedicab's total price and end point before sitting down - no official page lists a fare. For everyone, by daylight; the dawn walk for the jet-lagged.
Open the place →Yandai Xiejie
烟袋斜街Walk through it because it is the way from the lakes to the towers; do not schedule it. It is the reason the Drum Tower and Silver Ingot Bridge are one walk. Skip the 'old Beijing snack' stalls if you are going on to the Drum Tower area, and agree the price before changing clothes at a costume-photo studio. For everyone on the route - five minutes between the bridge and the tower.
Open the place →Drum Tower and Bell Tower
钟鼓楼Buy the ¥30 combined ticket and time the climb to a drumming show, or do not climb at all - between shows the drum hall is a bare room and the stairs are the steepest in central Beijing. The Bell Tower, reopened on 27 July 2026 after its bell frame was reinforced, is the quieter of the two. If stairs are a problem, the free square between the towers is the best view of both. For anyone arriving on the hour between 10:00 and 17:00 with legs for the stairs.
Open the place →Nanluoguxiang and its side lanes
南锣鼓巷及支巷A shopping street, not a sight - the main lane is a food court in period costume. Give it the side lanes or skip it: Ju'er Hutong's 1990 'new courtyard' housing, which won a World Habitat Award in 1992, is the one to look at, from the lane. Walk it north to south from the Drum Tower and finish at the metro; on a weekend afternoon, skip it regardless. For the end of the walk, on a weekday or a weekend morning.
Open the place →