Trip Overview
When: September (shoulder season, pleasant weather)
Duration: 3 days
Travelers: With friends
Budget: ~1,500-2,000 RMB (~$210-280 USD) including accommodation
Transportation: Walking + taxi/Didi within Beijing
Essential Foreigner Info
Getting There: Fly into Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) or Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). Take airport express to city center, then taxi or Didi to Shichahai area.
Money Matters: WeChat Pay and Alipay dominate—even small vendors rarely take cash. Bring a Chinese phone number to set up mobile payment. Some traditional shops near the hutongs still accept cash.
Language: English is limited in hutong neighborhoods. Learn these key phrases: 民宿 (mínsù - homestay), 胡同 (hútòng - alleyway), 餐厅 (cāntīng - restaurant). Show Chinese characters to taxi drivers or locals when addresses fail.
Transportation: Beijing's subway is efficient but doesn't reach deep into hutong areas. Walking is the best way to explore narrow alleys. Didi (China's Uber) works perfectly for longer distances.
Finding Hidden Gems in Beijing's Hutongs
When travel restrictions eased after COVID, my friends and I started exploring our own city—Beijing—through a new lens. Why fly elsewhere when urban staycations could feel like real getaways? Months earlier, suburban homestays were impossible to book. This weekend, we tried our fourth urban homestay this year.
We found "Yinhai" (隐海) on Tujia.com, a platform for unique accommodations. I'd been browsing for months, bookmarking countless hutong homestays across Beijing—each with distinct character. Some sit boldly on main streets; others hide deep within alleyways. Some share spaces with restaurants.
Foreigner tip: Booking platforms like Tujia, Airbnb, or Ctrip offer English interfaces. Look for places in Xicheng District (西城区) near Shichahai for the most authentic hutong experience.
Yinhai Homestay (隐海)
Last year, I visited Yinhai's restaurant twice—a Michelin-starred chef's venture that's practically a local institution. This time, I wanted to try their homestay. Yinhai isn't a conventional hotel occupying one building or courtyard. Instead, they manage about 20 courtyard properties across the Shichahai area—scattered through Xisi, Xinjiekou, and Shichahai neighborhoods. That's how they got their name: hidden (隐) near the sea (海, referring to Shichahai).
Our room, Limu Living Room (理木客厅), sits on Banqiao Toutiao Lane (板桥头条) in the Xinjiekou area—surrounded by local Beijing residents going about their daily lives. Convenience stores, small shops, and restaurants line the streets. Perfect for experiencing real hutong life.
The Courtyard: Limu Living Room
Limu Living Room contains three guest rooms: two standard double rooms and our choice—the Yansu Duplex Suite (妍秀复式套房). We arrived in the afternoon. Light filtered through the courtyard's trees, casting dancing shadows on the walls. An unbelievably beautiful moment.
Guest Rooms
The Bedroom: 60 square meters—spacious and bright with floor-to-ceiling windows in every room. The main bedroom features a comfortable double bed equipped with electric mosquito repellent, air purifier, and TV. This is what I call authentic Beijing homestay culture.
The Loft (Second Bedroom): A single tatami window area on the second floor. The stairs are steep—better suited for children than adults.
Living Area: Downstairs features a lazy sofa, books, and an antique vanity—inviting guests to slow down and embrace the laid-back lifestyle.
Bathrooms: Two full bathrooms—one attached to each bedroom—preserving privacy for all guests.
Reality check: The rooms could use more color and decorative touches. The wall decor feels sparse, lacking the design polish that would elevate the space from good to great.
Kitchen and Courtyard
Breakfast isn't included—buy your own or cook in the kitchen. The western wing houses a fully equipped kitchen with all utensils and appliances. A thoughtful touch: four bottles of Beijing's iconic Beibingyang soda await you. The homestay also offers BBQ services—enjoying grilled meat in the courtyard is absolutely delightful.
We slept in, woke naturally, set up tables and chairs in the courtyard, ate street pancakes, drank Beibingyang, and looked up at the blue sky and persimmon tree. This grounded lifestyle was once our everyday normal—now it's a precious偶尔 escape.
Yinhai Culture Space Homestay (Beijing Xinjiekou Branch)
Booking: Tujia App or Tujia.com
Address: Yard 6, Banqiao Toutiao, Xicheng District, Beijing (北京市西城区板桥头条6号院) — West of North Gate, Jishuitan Hospital
Yinhai operates 20 courtyard properties in the Shichahai area with 50 homestay units, plus 2 Chinese private kitchen restaurants and 3 cafes. I haven't tried the cafes yet—next time!
Nearby Recommendations
Fu Rong Ji (福荣记)
Baochao Hutong (宝钞胡同) is a hidden gem—commercial development is perfectly balanced, maintaining strong local atmosphere. Residents go about their lives as always. During quieter periods, I used to wander here frequently. It's also popular with expats who know how to explore Beijing.
Walking past Lan Hua (兰花), you'd never guess that behind this unremarkable Chinese restaurant facade hides one of Beijing's hottest Hong Kong-style tea restaurants: Fu Rong Ji (福荣记). Opening in 2018, it's captured the hearts of anyone who loves authentic dim sum with old Beijing soul.
The L-shaped space feels clean and bright during the day, warm at night. White tiles, black grout—classic Hong Kong café style. Further inside, two large round tables sit near a hidden micro-bar, accessible only to those with similar taste.
Fu Rong Ji blends traditional Hong Kong dim sum techniques with modern flavors. Their New Cantonese menu overflows with options—I wanted to order everything. These recipes were developed through research trips to Shunde and Chaozhou. I can't stand mall food courts or stiff upscale restaurants. This place has neither. It's real life—the atmosphere comes from neighbors passing by outside.
Watch children's expressions when eating—you know they're genuinely loving it. My personal favorite: Steamed Chicken Feet in Dried Scallop Sauce (干贝汁凤爪)—super tender, deeply flavorful. One basket isn't enough. But save room for other dishes—the Clay Pot Rice (煲仔饭) contains chicken feet too, called Steamed Pork Ribs and Chicken Feet over Rice (凤爪排骨蒸仔饭).
Other must-tries: Fu Rong Ji Wonton (福荣记拌云unt), Steamed Broccoli with Fermented Tofu (腐乳蒸西兰花), Curry Mochi (咖喱麻团儿), Fresh Spring Rolls with Wasabi (鲜虾春卷 with wasabi inside), Char Siu Soup Noodles (叉烧汤粉), and Chen Village Beef Offal Rice Noodles (陈村牛腩肠粉).
The Fu Rong Ji Soda is excellent—big ice cubes, lightly sweet.
Pricing by portion size: Small 18 RMB, Large 26 RMB, Premium 36 RMB, Extra 48 RMB, Deluxe 58 RMB.
Fu Rong Ji (福荣记)
Average spend: 105 RMB (~$15 USD)
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11:00-21:00
Address: 63 Baochao Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing (北京市东城区宝钞胡同63号)
BAOJIAN (包间)
Hutong nightlife is uniquely special. Those in the know head to the back of Fu Rong Ji, pushing through a dark wooden door to discover a hidden gem of a bar called BAOJIAN (包间)—which literally means "private room."
BAOJIAN is a speakeasy bar hidden between the hotel and two restaurants—acting like the central axis of the entire building. It's positioned in the elevator well between different dimensions, requiring you to push through two doors and cross other areas to "discover" this independent space. The search itself is part of the exploration fun.
BAOJIAN aims to deliver fun, creative cocktails, a comfortable modern environment, and endless possibilities for the night. The Turkish bartender sources unique base spirits and whiskies from around the world to create innovative drink menus.
Pro hack: Try the signature "Persimmon Tree Next Door" (隔壁的柿子树)—a sour cocktail that captures the essence of persimmon. The bartender Joel created it using coffee candy brought back from his travels in Mexico, combined with whisky infused with woody spices.
Climbing the dark, narrow spiral staircase from the cozy little bar feels like Mario finding the magic tree—climbing to another world above the clouds to collect coins. At the tree's top connects one of Beijing's most popular bakeries: The Bake Shop.
2017 saw the birth of The Bake Shop, a handheld American-style fresh bakery. It started as a home-based operation by two American artists living in Beijing—baking fresh daily in small batches. Naturally fermented sourdough, chewy bagels, classic American butter cookies and pastries—they wanted Beijing residents to taste the bread Americans eat at home.
But it had no physical store until 2019, when this bakery finally got its body—The Bake Shop married The Orchid. At this tiny offline experience store, you can get American-style soft cookies, pastries, dip sauces, open-faced sandwiches, pressed sandwiches, and more. They offer more interesting ways to enjoy bread, presenting fresh ingredients and creative combinations. Bagels sell out daily—be quick! Note: They close at 6 PM.
At 5 PM, BAOJIAN opens—this is the best time for sunset. Autumn sunlight is no longer intense, filtering through the big persimmon tree and landing on the white stone house, layer upon layer of blue tiles, densely packed rooftops. Here, we've effortlessly captured the most beautiful Drum Tower skyline in Beijing.
BAOJIAN (包间)
Average spend: 140 RMB (~$20 USD)
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 17:00-24:00
The Bake Shop
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00-18:00
Address: 63 Baochao Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing (北京市东城区宝钞胡同63号)
Toast at The Orchid
Walking past lonely hutong streetlights, using the public toilet and corner store as landmarks, finding our way back to the room. This experience gives even a local like me the illusion of being a tourist.
What made The Orchid famous is its rooftop terrace restaurant, Toast at The Orchid. Originally just a breakfast spot for hotel guests, it became so popular that in 2015, it opened to everyone as a Middle Eastern Mediterranean-style restaurant.
To protect guests' privacy, the restaurant uses a separate entrance—no more back courtyard stairs. Instead, climb straight up through winding vines, revealing space after space.
Standing on the high terrace, looking far into the distance—the market chaos and scattered streets vanish from view. Soon, it will be persimmon season.
Since English entered our lives, the word "one of" has become a contradictory habit. I remember asking my middle school teacher back in first year: if something is already "the best," meaning there's only one, why do we need "one of"? Nobody has ever answered me. But I know this: Toast at The Orchid, rated as one of Beijing's most trendy hutong terrace restaurants, cannot be compared or replicated by those so-called rooftop terraces built on buildings.
Since you can't copy this beauty, you must sit on the garden terrace and order a brunch designed by Joel himself—fill your stomach before exploring. Toast also serves afternoon tea and formal dinners.
Foreigner tip: Reserve a table on the rooftop terrace in advance, especially for sunset views. This place books out quickly.
A Middle Eastern restaurant naturally serves Middle Eastern dishes. We tried the famous Israeli Shakshuka (沙卡蔬卡炖蛋)—eggs poached in tomato sauce—paired with Pita bread. The bread is made from organic black wheat flour from Shaanxi Province.
I still can't distinguish between English and American breakfasts. Toast's menu confirms this might confuse many people too: "What's actually in an English breakfast? Even Sherlock Holmes can't explain." So we just ordered whatever looked good. The plate with tomatoes, spinach, pork sausage, roasted potatoes, and a fried egg—that's English breakfast.
Other options include: Pan-fried Eggs, Sweetheart French Toast, Complete Sandwich Set, Concentrated Yogurt, Healthiest Choice, and more. Drinks can be refilled.