Walking the Great Wall

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!

A great hiking holiday walking different parts of the Great wall, from fully restored to original bricks. A mixture of tourist areas and wilderness.

What a fab 10 days!! Great walking, excellent guide, fab food ..

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.

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).

Excellent trip from beginning to end and thoroughly recommend it. This was my third Exodus trip and I can not recommend Exodus enough as a travel company!

Another well organised and memorable trip by Exodus. Varied activity and ran very smoothly including transport, accommodation and food. Guide very knowledgeable and passionate about his country. Would definitely recommend.

Fantastic holiday walking the Great Wall .... great group leader and lovely group of people. We both found The Wall absolutely amazing and China is such an interesting country to visit. Would love to go back to visit another part.

An excellent overall experience, really enjoyed the walking, especially the less touristy parts of the wall. The hotel rooms in Beijing and Xi'an were looking a little tired but, they were clean with comfortable beds and good showers. The homesteads were fine with very welcoming hosts. The food overall was very good, although breakfast was a little limited if you like your traditional "English" style to start the day.

Walking the Great Wall in the less touristy sections (in fact almost no other people at all) together with the Xi'an extension to see the Terracotta Warriors surpassed my expectations. It also opened my eyes to a whole new positive side of China that my preconceived ideas had not imagined. A wide range of walking from the flat in Beijing to the undulating and steep on the Wall, on even paths to shingle and scrambling. Delicious food throughout, far superior and less salty than in the UK and friendly, curious locals. Topped off by an absolutely superb Leader/Guide Jerry, whose infectious enthusiasm, wide knowledge of all things Chinese, sense of humour and ability to tell jokes in English made for a truly memorable experience.

Fabulous trip but, as with all Exodus holidays, the success is dependent on the tour guide. We had Jerry and he was faaaantastic! What a guy! Knowledgeable, committed and with a wonderful sense of humour. Thank you Jerry - you made the trip gloriously memorable.

Walking the great Wall of China is invariably on lots of Intrepid travellers wish lists or objectives - simply just do it. You will not regret making the decision. If you have not been to China before it is both an introduction to the country (especially Beijing) and walking one of the most documented locations in the world. The majority of the meals are inclusive but this is a bonus as it includes both restaurants in Beijing and and more authentic Chinese cuisine in the Home stays. I do not think I will not bother with a Chinese restaurant again in the UK.

I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the trip. The scenery - the wall and the surrounding mountains - was stunning and constantly changing. The weather was perfect with mostly warm sunny days with cool evenings. Everywhere we stayed from good quality hotels to basic rural homestays provided great food and hospitality. Our group leader, Jerry, was excellent and I felt very lucky to be away with such a lovely group of fellow travellers. Finally and perhaps most importantly the Chinese people I met were warm, welcoming, interesting as well as curious about us and almost without exception delightful.

Space, and the (temporary) frontier abound provided that you go boldly, up, more up, and even more up; cast aside fears of teeming hordes, and remember, the people, and the people alone, are the motive force in the making of world history. At times, you become the 'attraction' - videoconferencing a chap's wife on her drive home so she could practice her English (at the top of the Wall, naturally). That was a first. High fiving hundreds of school kids, while teachers convulsed with laughter (on the wall too), in a society where physical contact is not a thing, also a first. Underpinning it all, a long past with, to quote a fellow traveller, "zero history of democracy". And the kittens really do want their fluffy tummies tickled, oh yes they do.

What a great trip ! 6 hiking days and 2 days seeing the sights in Beijing with Pemma our Tibetan guide and our mixed bunch of 16, comprised of couples and solos making for a great trip to China. ( I didn’t book the Xian extension ) the hikes are tough as they are up and down the many ridges that the wall sought to protect and most are on the “Wild Wall” where we had the fantastic views all to ourselves, so expect some tender knees and sore calves as the days progress. Accommodation in the country is in friendly and comfortable homestays and Don Fang in Beijing is about 30 minutes walk to the Forbidden City and Tianenmen square etc. China is a real mix of old and new and the vibrant colours are a treat for the eyes. Ticking the Great Wall box with this Exodus trip was memorable and as is the case on many a trip there were only minor things that could be improved but take it from me, if you’re thinking of booking then take the leap, you’ll love it.

spent 6 days walking the great wall of china and then a walking tour of beijing. we then went on a sleeper train to xian where we saw the terra cotta army

spent 6 days walking the great wall of china and then a walking tour of beijing. we then went on a sleeper train to xian where we saw the terra cotta army

First time I have done something like this before but it has been one of the best trips I have done. Wish I could of been out there longer

Fantastic jam packed trip, from trekking up long steep challenging slopes to witnessing the stunning views from the great wall. A journey well worth the undertaking. I was a first timer to trekking, and a single traveller. The trip was well planned and executed. The organisation was second to none, from co-ordinating hot savoury pancakes on the great wall for lunch, to organsing shows and Tai Chi classes everything was done with a smile, a sense of humour and professionalism. A lifetime of memories, a personal achievement and a hunger for more. If you are thinking about it- think NO MORE, just book it - you will not regret it!

We recently returned from the Great Wall tour and the extension trip to the city of Xi'an to see the terracotta warriors (14th-26th April). The Great Wall experience opened our eyes to the hinterland of Beijing where we trekked the rugged sections of the wall, some of them challenging, staying in local homestays along the way. The families who run the homestays provided authentic hospitality in the most fantastic locations in and around national parks. Throughout our trip, under the inspirational leadership of our guide Jerry (who looked after our every need with inexhaustible attention to planning and detail) we learnt about China's fascinating history and culture as well as entertaining asides on the economics of China. The weather was brilliant. Following the tour of Beijing (mainly Forbidden City) at the end of the walk, we took the extension to Xi'an, under a new guide. The sleeper train from Beijing was an extra experience (it was fine!) not to be missed. The terracotta warriors are housed in a purpose-built heritage site; the numbers and scale are massive; you feel you are right back in the 2nd century BCE during emperor Qin's rule. Xi'an is also worth exploring, including the city wall, which is in perfect condition. Food on the Great Wall was excellent - invariably eating in local restaurants along the way - all food freshly cooked and washed down with the ubiquitous "cold beer"; always with fast and friendly service. This review is just a snapshot of a truly memorable holiday. Well done again Exodus.

Overall, we LOVED this trip and would highly recommend it. Just a few minor complaints, many of which are unavoidable (but some could be addressed): - Air pollution was pretty bad on some of the days (though not all). Obviously, Exodus can't do much about this, but future travelers should be aware. I had heard the air quality had improved significantly since the 2008 Olympics, and that might be...but it was still pretty bad. - Plumbing! Other than the Beijing hotel, every single guest house we stayed at had plumbing issues (and it wasn't just our rooms - the other travelers in our group had the same issues). You name it - scalding/freezing shower water, no water pressure, drainage issues. It seems like these SHOULD be pretty easy to fix, and yet.... - WIFI - there are many sites that are banned in China, but others (CNN, EPSN, local news sites) are accessible...when you can get a signal. Most places we stayed at *claimed* to have wifi, but the networks were slow at best, and in most cases unusable. - Food - generally pretty good at the guest houses, but there was not much variety (suprisingly). - Tai Chi - it was nice to have a Tai Chi lesson, but the instructor stood in the front of the group which made it difficult for those of us in back to see her. She should have been in the center, or if possible elevated on a platform or stage so everyone could see her. - Crowds - on the final day we went to the Forbidden City in Beijing at what seemed like the worst possible time: Sunday afternoon. The crowds were ridiculous. If possible, Exodus should try to arrange this tour early on a weekday morning to avoid (or at least lessen) the crowds. Again, all these complaints are minor. Overall, we loved our experience and would recommend it to anyone considering it!

Truely wonderful, the Great Wall was full of twists and turns, ups and downs , it’s more than I expected. The food was amazing , and we were made very welcome by all. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who loves mountains as the scenery is second to none , I did the Xi’an extension; great fun seeing the 8th wonder of the world something I won’t forget! To top off this trip we were blessed with WEE WON English name JERRY. He is a true ambassador to his country. He was there 24/7 , full of energy and a graduate in economics, history, and tourism! Thank you exodus.

Great Trip. Hiking the wall was the highlight of this trip. The group got on really well together. The hotel hosts were great. Jerry the guide was fantastic. He knew his job so well. Great guy. The walking was tough at times. The extension to Xian was also good. I would recommend this trip.

I loved this holiday. I'm missing being outside all day, walking surrounded by great scenery, lovely company, apricot blossom, learning about a culture I knew very little about, the food..... I hadn't travelled with Exodus before, but would definitely do so again. I'm really glad that I was able to do the Xi'an extension. After walking the wall and sightseeing in Beijing I really wanted to see more, and was not disappointed.