Highlights
Trek alongside mountains on lesser-visited parts of the wall
Guided tour or Beijing's 'hutongs', Tiananmen Square & the Forbidden City
Possibility to add Terracotta Warrior extension
Itinerary
Experience history beneath your feet as you trek the ancient stones of the world’s most iconic wall. The "Walking the Great Wall" tour is a challenging, nine-day hiking adventure starting and ending in Beijing, with forays through Huanghuacheng and Jiankou. Designed for experienced travelers, this journey takes you away from the crowds to quieter, semi-ruined sections, revealing the true scale and majesty of the Great Wall.
Each day offers a new perspective—from romantic, weathered stretches to meticulously restored segments, you’ll witness the evolution of this 2,000-year-old marvel. Along the way, immerse yourself in rural Chinese life, then return to Beijing to reflect on the dynamic blend of ancient history and modern energy.
The USP of this trip package is its focus on remote, atmospheric sections of the Wall, allowing for a profound, contemplative experience. Accommodation, transport, meals, and expert guidance are all included, ensuring a seamless adventure for those seeking a deeper connection with China’s legendary past.
day 1Adventure starts in Beijing; free afternoon and Beijing duck dinner
Our adventure begins in Beijing, the capital of China and home to world-renowned landmarks such as the Forbidden City. Free arrival transfers are available for everyone arriving into either Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) or Daxing Airport (PKX).
Around 6pm, say ni hao to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. Your tour leader then ensures a big welcome by arranging dinner at a local restaurant, allowing us to sample one of the city’s most famous dishes: Beijing duck. Vegetarians, do not fear – there will be an array of different dishes on a lazy Susan to choose from.
Want more time in Beijing? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.
day 2Drive to Huanghuacheng Great Wall section; afternoon begin trekking.
day 3Morning trek at Mutianyu, passing many watchtowers.
day 4Trek at Jiankou's "Wild Wall"
day 5Transfer to Jinshanling; Hike the Great Wall Jinshanling section.
day 6The most challenging walk today along the Gubeikou section
day 7Panlongshan section of the Great Wall
day 8Beijing city tour visiting hutongs, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
day 9Adventure ends in Beijing
What's Included
What's Excluded
Customer Reviews
A Great Experience Walking a Wonder of the World
This trip was a brilliant time; every day you're walking on the Great Wall of China, mostly in areas with few other tourists and amazing views. The weather was kind to us so the panoramas are spectacular. Our tour leader Stone was so organised and an incredible help in a country where most locals don't speak English (my Mandarin isn't too good either), and the food and hospitality at the local guesthouses was great too. Accommodation was better than expected having been described as basic!
Amazing views of the Great Wall of China
A great hiking holiday walking different parts of the Great wall, from fully restored to original bricks. A mixture of tourist areas and wilderness.
Walking the Great Wall
What a fab 10 days!! Great walking, excellent guide, fab food ..
Amazing Views and Fantastic Guide
Walking was moderate to challenging in places for some people, the very fit may have found the pace slowed down a bit but more time to take in the views! The less walked sections were the best and we met very few other people unlike the more tourist sections but it didn't feel too over crowded in May. The guest houses were mainly better than we had anticipated, all were clean and the hosts were exceptionally welcoming and the food was plentiful.
A lovely introduction to the Great Wall of China
The Great Wall is even more mind-blowing than in your imagination and doing this fantastic trip at the end of October is a great time to see it. We had beautiful autumn colours, with pleasant, warm days and slightly cooler mornings and evenings, and it's not crowded with visitors. It's suitable for people who are fit and enjoy walking, but it's most definitely not a trek, so if that's your thing you may not enjoy it as much as we did. You get to visit different parts of the wall - from the restored and more touristy, to completely wild and unrestored and we appreciated seeing these different facets. The toboggan at Mutianyou is a hoot so it's well worth giving yourself time to fit that in. The food was good quality and varied (though see below if you're veggie).The hotel in Beijing (Golden Sun Commercial Hotel) was very nice; a little away from the city centre but we enjoyed wandering the local hutongs, parks and temples and we easily got into town via the subway (Guang'anmennei station is an easy walk from the hotel).
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