About Us

Chris Rowthorn

Born in the UK and raised in the United States, I’ve made my home in Kyoto, Japan, since 1992. In 1995, I started working as a Regional Correspondent for The Japan Times, a national English-language newspaper published in Tokyo. In 1996 I started writing for Lonely Planet Guidebooks, and since then I have worked on 17 guidebooks to Kyoto, Japan, Tokyo, Malaysia, Southeast Asia and Victoria (Australia).

I spend part of every year in Beijing, working with my guides to find the best places to eat, stay, shop, and have fun.

When I’m not traveling, I enjoy seeking out new restaurants, bars, and hot springs in and around Kyoto.

My Guides

I have a small group of professional guides who are either Chinese nationals or foreign experts on Chinese culture living in Beijing. All of my guides speak fluent English and Chinese and know the culture inside and out. I have personally interviewed, trained, and worked with each of these guides. Basically, I want them to give the kinds of tours that I myself would enjoy taking: informative, comfortable, and special. In short: the exact opposite of what you’d get on a bus tour of the city. My guides function as personal assistants as well as tour guides. Their goal is to make your trip as smooth and painless as possible, while ensuring that you find what it is you’re looking for in Beijing. Please consider them as your close friends in Beijing.