Beijing Contemporary Art Tour

Our contemporary art expert will lead you on a controlled freefall into the world of modern art as you explore the galleries lining the streets of Beijing's art districts. Once deserted factory spaces in the middle of China's dynasties-old capital, the conversion started with Ai Wei Wei creating a small space for a select group of artists and has spread to encompass two districts: Caochangdi & 798.

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Trip Length 2 Days

from USD

$645 /person

Private Tour

春 spring

夏 summer

秋 fall

冬 winter

Art & Architecture , Relaxation

What we love

Exploring Ai Weiwei's studio with WildChina's contemporary art expert
Visiting Beijing's 798 art district, once a series of deserted factory spaces
Discussing the works on show at Yang Art Museum, a non-profit institution dedicated to providing a platform for contemporary artistic creation

Basic Itinerary

About This Trip

Days of galleries, miles of paintings, photographs, and sculpture, Beijing's art scene is an unexpected banquet for the eyes. Housed in former factories and other buildings fallen into disuse, the galleries and businesses that surround them do more than please art lovers, they have brought new life to their neighborhood. Following the lead of WildChina's contemporary art expert, stroll through the Caochangdi neighborhood, home to Ai Weiwei's studio, among others. Just a short distance down the road, discover 798, home to galleries and AT café and then end your artistic deep dive exploring works housed on less well-traveled routes city-wide.

Detailed Itinerary | Featured Hotels

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

- Caochangdi
- Street Art
- 798 Art District

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1

Beijing

Begin your day in Beijing's Caochangdi neighborhood, a growing art district developed by Ai Wei Wei • Follow the lead of WildChina's contemporary art expert and explore the galleries in the area •Visit Beijing's 798 art district, once a series of deserted factory spaces, designed and built in cooperation with East Germany during the 1950's • Stroll through hidden installations, discuss avant-garde paintings and stumble across multimedia works • Enjoy afternoon tea at At Café, owned by artist Huang Rui.
Day 2

Visit Yang Art Museum, a non-profit institution dedicated to providing a platform for contemporary artistic creation • Learn more about modern art in Beijing at Red Gate Art Gallery, the first private contemporary art gallery to be established in China • Spend the afternoon in Yishu 8. Formerly the Sino-French University, these historic buildings now host collaborations of Chinese and French artists.

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FEATURED HOTELS

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

What's Included:

All overland transfers with private chauffeur and in-transport refreshments
All admission fees and activity expenses, as noted in the itinerary
All meals as noted in the itinerary with complimentary drinking water
All services of WildChina English-speaking guide(s)
All accommodations, based on double-occupancy and including breakfast, service charge, and government tax
Private chauffeur service to and from airport at start and end of your trip
Art gallery entrance fee

What's Not Included:

International & domestic flights and relevant taxes
Chinese tourist visa, which is required for most foreign passport holders
Travel, health and trip cancellation insurance
Meals apart from those included in the itinerary and alcohol
Expenses of a personal nature
Excursions and activities not included in the itinerary
Discretionary gratuities for guides and chauffeurs

Tour Reviews

WildChina gave our family (party of 4 with two 20 something children) a truly memorable, first class touring adventure around China, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we will remember and treasure forever. This was our first private tour anywhere. We tend to research a place and do it "our way." This trip changed my view of traveling—so much of what we did and saw could not have been accomplished on our own, and certainly without any knowledge of Mandarin. And throughout the trip, we luxuriated in the knowledge we were in the safe and savvy hands of WildChina. They made the trip extraordinary—I never could have arranged what they did and as seamlessly. We would highly recommend WildChina to anyone who is thinking about taking a trip to China and would not hesitate to book another tour with them again!
For more reviews, head to TripAdvisor

MMHLondon-Madison, Jan 2020

We had the most wonderful experience with WildChina! First, working with WildChina to plan our trip was a pleasure. They listened to where we wanted to go and the type of experiences we wanted to have, and then formulated a trip tailored to exactly what we had envisioned... I cannot say enough about our local guides and could not begin to choose which one we liked the best, because they were all fantastic. Each guide was very knowledgeable, fluent in English, and very helpful if we had a specific thing we were looking for or wanted to do in their city. The guides were amazing, the hotels were great, and, in short, our trip was perfect from start to finish, mainly because WildChina took care of all the details, large and small... If you are looking for a tour company for an amazing trip to China, I highly recommend WildChina. Cannot think of a single negative aspect of our trip. Thank you, WildChina, for orchestrating our amazing trip to China.
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Sheryl M, Oct 2019

My wife and I are vegan and were pretty worried about our ability to find decent food, but our guides were very helpful at identifying appropriate restaurants and checking with restaurant staff to make sure the dishes we ordered were vegan. Shelly in particular was the perfect combination of knowledgable, fun, flexible, kind, interesting, and accommodating. We were truly sad to say goodbye to her at the airport, and I suspect my wife is already thinking about making another trip to Yunnan province to visit her again!
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Rallanah, Jul 2019