Pingyao Tours

Pingyao Tours

Experience historical China on a Pingyao tour

Pingyao city is really something else in the realm of historical China. Come on one of our Pingyao tours and go back in time. Pingyao city is a destination where you can marvel at the business and administrative ingenuity that evolved from this ancient city – in trade, banking, government, and defense– that still hold value today. On a Pingyao tour, it’s entirely possible to imagine the lifestyle of prosperous leading families who drove business, when visiting their home compound that has formed the backdrop for the memorable Chinese film, Raise the Red Lantern.

Among its great appeal, Pingyao boasts one of the most complete examples of an ancient Chinese town. Within its still intact Ming and Qing dynasty City Walls, you will find a veritable treasure trove of culture, society, economy, and religion from an era long gone. It is possible to spend two or three full days exploring with a local bilingual guide on a Pingyao tour.

Our private, small group and custom Pingyao tours encompass all the must-see attractions, while also allowing ample time for relaxed ambling through the narrow historical streets to create your own unique travel memories in this curious destination, such as Pingyao Ancient Town, Qiao, the Wang Family mansion, and the primitive Zhangbi Castle.

Highlights of our Pingyao tours

Our Pingyao tours include memorable highlights.

  • Rishengchang Former Bank – Wonder at the march of financial progress emanating from the Rishengchang Former Bank, a forerunner of modern banking, believed to be founded in Pingyao in 1823 during the Qing Dynasty. “Sunrise prosperity” (translation of Rishengchang) certainly lived up to its name, at its peak spreading throughout major cities in China and some foreign countries until the Xinhai Revolution of 1914. Gain a firsthand view of the inspiration behind today’s banking in China preserved in its original style.
  • Ancient City Wall – A favorite Pingyao tours attraction. As the financial center of the region from the 16th century, Pingyao needed the wall for protection. Since becoming a World Heritage Site in 1997, restoration has continued on the 12 meters high, 4 meters wide wall, with a 6,163 meters perimeter, surrounded by a deep moat. The 72 watchtowers and more than 3,000 battlements are said to represent the number of Confucius’ disciples and other students.
  • Ming and Qing Street – Envisage trade of old in the bustling business center of Pingyao’s narrow, orderly Ming and Qing Streets, built in the traditional Ming and Qing style architecture of bricks with stone. Shops and houses of prosperous trading families line what was once the “Wall Street of China”.
  • Qiao Family Compound – Moviegoers may recognize the Qiao Family Compound as the main location in the film Raise the Red Lantern. Construction began in 1756 and was completed sometime in the 18th century to become the residential compound for a well-known financier. Architects believe the 9,000 square meters of the estate to be one of the finest examples of imposing private residences in northern China and a must-see on a Pingyao tour.
  • Shuanglin Monastery – Be surprised by the Shuanglin Monastery, located in Qiaotou village in the countryside about 7 kilometers outside Pingyao. Founded in the 6th century, the monastery is notable for its collection of more than 2,000 decorated clay statues dating back to the 12-19th centuries.

Experience more

A world away from China’s super-sized modern cities, Pingyao is a welcome and refreshing change. With its history reflecting China’s strong commercial pedigree, in Pingyao, we help travelers create their own unique experience of this destination.

We can make special arrangements to make your Pingyao tour truly memorable.

  • Imbibe history – On a Pingyao tour, it’s possible to dine as the Chinese did 300 years ago at Yunjincheng. Eat traditional Pingyao Beef served in the elegant blue and white porcelain tableware and you’ll be stepping back in time and taste.
  • Revive the old – Ancient Pingyao comes alive again at the Pingyao Night Show. Set in an old city scene from the Qing era, the show combines music, drama, dance, and performance. Be amazed by this not to be missed Pingyao tour attraction.
  • Visit Tongxinggong Escort Agency – Make a stop at the Tongxinggong Escort Agency which served as an ancient security firm for protecting businesses and individuals trading valuables. Here you’ll gain an appreciation of the necessity for such a service. The organization maintains characteristics of escort: vehicles, cases, equipment and a field for martial arts.

Private Pingyao tours

On each of our private tours, we provide our travelers the certainty of careful attention to detail. When you book a Pingyao tour with us, we’ll arrange your itinerary and provide you with a knowledgeable and enthusiastic bilingual tour guide. Understanding the importance of balancing structure with flexibility, our tours allow for ample time to explore at your own pace, while gaining firsthand knowledge of your destination.

Why not have a look at some of our other popular China tour packages as well, these tours too can be taken as private tours, just you and your family or fellow group of travelers.


Pingyao Tours

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Destination
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Tour Type
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Mayra C
Mayra C
Reviewed on April 19, 2026
Tripadvisor score Epic tour, exceeded expectations

April 2026

We planned a 2 week trip, 5 cities, 3-day Yangtze cruise, and mountains / forest national park. Our tour planner, Dora, was super flexible and helpful in building the itinerary to meet all our desires (via WeChat). The execution was perfect, with English speaking local guides at every city. Choosing a private tour worked great for us given everything we wanted to do. And we did more, besides planned top attractions (Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, temples, etc), we added a show, a cave with underground River and managed to do some shopping (note: ours was a NO shopping tour by design). All local guides were great, knowledgeable, kind and helpful. Special Kudos to Vivienne (Zhangjiajie) for climbing 999 steps with at Tianmen Cave. We loved our trip and fully recommend China Tours.
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Andrew L
Andrew L
Reviewed on April 10, 2026
Tripadvisor score Thank you China Tours for a wonderful holiday

Apr 2026 • Solo

Went to Lhasa, Tibet and Chengdu with China Tours and everything was well organised from airport pickup, hotel accommodation to the tour itself. The guides were friendly and helpful. They offered suggestions for me to explore Chengdu on my own in the evening. Overall, I had a fantastic experience with China Tours and would highly recommend them to others. Special thank you to Martha at the office and Robert the tour guide at Chengdu
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elainekennedy2201
elainekennedy2201
Reviewed on April 08, 2026
Tripadvisor score China Tours

Mar 2026 • Couples

We enjoyed a fantastic trip to China. We booked our land tour/hotel arrangements through Lora @ China Tours who was excellent. Great organisation and everything went according to the itinerary. We would definitely recommend China Tours to any future travellers.
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Steve L
Steve L
Reviewed on April 06, 2026
Tripadvisor score Great time in Xian with Mark as our guide

Apr 2026 • Couples

We had an excellent few days in Xian, Mark was very knowledgeable on Xian and knew all the good places. Suggested a great night time show as well , very happy and highly recommend.
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Janet Y
Janet Y
Reviewed on March 22, 2026
Tripadvisor score Only way to travel in China with China Tours

Mar 2026 • Friends

The best experience with a personal travel guide. Very accommodating. You will be spoiled by their over the top service. Very knowledgeable in every aspect of China's history. Expedient and best times and entrances to parks and attractions. Guides were very friendly and caring.
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Stefan B
Stefan B
Reviewed on March 20, 2026
Tripadvisor score Great experience!

Mar 2026 • Solo

I chose China Tours for an 11 day Beijing, Xi’an, Zhangjiajie tour and it was seamless. The travel agent, Lora, was attentive and committed to customer service throughout the planning stages.

Throughout the tour, I felt safe and comfortable with each driver and tour guide. The tour guides were knowledgeable, warm and so enthusiastic. I had such a lovely time - the Great Wall was one of the best days of my life.

Doing a tour in China is highly recommended as they have their own ecosystems (apps for purchases etc), and a tour made everything so much easier!
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Adam D
Adam D
Reviewed on March 17, 2026
Tripadvisor score First-class small group tour and customer care

Mar 2026 • Couples

Lora from China Tours provided us with a first-class experience from start to finish. Outstanding customer service and always accommodating to our needs. They made our holiday to China even more special by organising everything for us and even accomadated our additional day request to go to Three Kingdom Town in Wuxi.
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Fearless489773
Fearless489773
Reviewed on March 09, 2026
Tripadvisor score A Dream Come True

Feb 2026 • Couples

Following our recent retirement we wanted to fulfil our dream of seeing the Terracotta Army in Xi’an and Giant Pandas in Chengdu. We had a planned annual trip to Hong Kong over the Chinese New Year period so we wanted to add a trip to China by train. We knew it can be difficult to navigate around China for non mandarin speakers, but we also did not fancy being part of a large tour group, therefore we explored the possibility of a private tour. We did some online research and came across China Tours Xi’an. From the moment of our first contact, we were so impressed with the care and professionalism of our travel consultant Dora. She understood the key places we wanted to visit and she built a recommendation itinerary for us around them and to our amazement, we wouldn’t be just seeing giant pandas but would be keepers for the day at the Panda Base. A quotation was received promptly which covered the costs of hotel, private guide, private car/driver, admission costs, as well as train tickets between Xi’an and Chengdu. The booking was secured with a deposit payment with balance payable a month before the trip. Both of our tour guides Jenny at Xi’an and Andie at Chengdu were knowledgeable, friendly, and enthusiastic. Our dedicated drivers and transports were excellent. Of course, we were not disappointed with the Terracotta Army, but Jenny’s useful hint in forgetting about personal space to get to the front for the best view ensured that we did get the best view even with the huge crowds! The giant pandas were the highlight, we fell in love with these fluffy bears, such delightful and gentle creatures. Thank you China Tours for making our dreams come true, a particular big thanks to Dora for coming to the rescue when our return journey to Hong Kong which was not organised by China Tours didn’t go as planned, your help and professionalism is so appreciated by us. We would highly recommend China Tours for visitors to China.
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