My wife, two kids (ages 12&14) and I went on this four-hour tour with our guide Dean on 12/26/2019. He picked us up at our hotel, and we took a DiDi to the Bell and Drum Towers. En route, he pointed out many interesting historical and contemporary sites.
Despite it being a bit chilly, the Drum Tower was amazing, and we got to see the drummers in action. After, since the rickshaws were unavailable, we biked though the hutong, stopping to see many interesting points we would never have otherwise known about.
Finally, we stopped at a personal residence. We learned some basic calligraphy and did a paper cutting activity. Very fun. Then, a home style lunch (best so far on the trip according to my son) and dumpling making!
Dean then took us to the subway and walked us through how to get to our hotel and the National Art Museum. He was a superb guide with excellent English and insight. Definitely recommend this outing!