Tour Overview
Stepping out across the peaceful semi-ruin of a section of the Great Wall is like walking in the footsteps of the past. Far from the tourist crowds we are able to get a great sense of the scale and majesty of this remarkable piece of engineering without rushing through in a big group. We trek along various contrasting sections of the wall, both dilapidated and rebuilt stretches. The old portions have a romantic feel, but the new ones may look odd to people who are used to seeing their ancient monuments in a poor state, though since the wall was constructed over a 2000 year period, the new sections are just a continuation of that process. We will get closer to day-to-day life in rural China before returning to Beijing, a city steeped in history yet plunging headlong into modernity. ...more ...less
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrive Beijing; free afternoon and Beijing duck dinner
Location: Beijing
Accommodation Name: Dong Fang Hotel (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Today is free to allow for arrival on various different flights. We meet for a welcome dinner 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.
Free arrival transfers are available for all customers arriving into either Beijing’s Capital airport (PEK) or Daxing airport (PKX). Transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts.
Accommodation: Dong Fang Hotel (or similar) ...more ...less
Day 2 : Drive to Huanghuacheng Great Wall section; afternoon begin trekking.
Location: The Great Wall
Accommodation Name: Fengfuyuan Guesthouse, Huanghuacheng (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This morning we leave the capital and head into the countryside to the Great Wall, a 2-2.5 hour journey to the north west of the city. We reach the lesser-visited section at Huanghuacheng, which has an incredibly picturesque location by a lake. The name Huanhuacheng translates as ‘Yellow Flower City’, as during the summer the surrounding mountains are swathed in yellow as the local wild flowers come into bloom. The walk today is relatively challenging and with uneven topography, but the views are worth every effort! We will spend the night in a guesthouse close to this section of the wall.
Accommodation: Fengfuyuan Guesthouse, Huanghuacheng (or similar)
Day 3 : Morning trek at Mutianyu, passing many watchtowers.
Location: The Great Wall
Accommodation Name: Mr Zhao Guesthouse at Jiankou (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we take a short drive (1-1.5 hours) to Mutianyu. At this lesser-visited section, the Wall is an impressive sight indeed, snaking off across mountains and valleys into the distance. As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, the Mutianyu section used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs. There are 22 watchtowers (20 of which are open to the public) on this 2,250-metre-long section. After Mutianyu section, we transfer to Jiankou village to enjoy the hospitality of a local guesthouse.
Accommodation: Mr Zhao Guesthouse at Jiankou (or similar)
Day 4 : Trek at Jiankou's "Wild Wall"
Location: The Great Wall
Accommodation Name: Mr Zhao Guesthouse at Jiankou (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The Jiankou wild wall section was built along a mountain edge and remains completely wild, with towers clinging impossibly to the steepest of ridges. Highlights of the day include “Spiderman Wall”, or “Sanshibadeng” in Chinese; an optional short vertical climb to the top of the wall for a panoramic view (those who are not a fan of climbing/heights can walk around and regroup at the viewpoint). This area is the most photographed section of the Great Wall due to the unique construction style combined with stunning scenery. We walk along this portion for approx. 4 km in the morning, returning to the guesthouse for lunch, then walking about another 4.5 km in the afternoon. We have the option of seeing sunset from the wall.
Accommodation: Mr Zhao Guesthouse at Jiankou (or similar)
Day 5 : Transfer to Jinshanling; Hike the Great Wall Jinshanling section.
Location: The Great Wall
Accommodation Name: Xiaocui Guesthouse at Jinshanling (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we walk the length of the Jinshanling Great Wall section (from Erchi Tower to Zhuandoukou Tower), which is renowned for being one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall and dates from the Ming Dysnasty (1368-1644). This section reaches seven metres high and six metres wide and incorporates five main passes, sixty-seven watchtowers and two beacon towers as it zig-zags its way through the Big and Small Jinshan Mountains (the Big and Small Jinshan Watchtowers are the highlight). The construction is of huge bricks, each weighing around 12 kilograms (26 pounds) and this section features various structures which were used for an array of functions ranging from weapon stores to soldiers’ bedrooms.
Accommodation: Xiaocui Guesthouse at Jinshanling (or similar)
Day 6 : The most challenging walk today along the Gubeikou section
Location: The Great Wall
Accommodation Name: Yeshufang Guesthouse at Gubeikou (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we hike from Zhuanduokou Tower along the Gubeikou section of the wall to Panlongshan. This portion keeps the original essence of the wall and will transport us back to the time of the Han Dynasty. We will pass many watchtowers until we reach the unique 24 Window Tower (three level tower).
Accommodation: Yeshufang Guesthouse at Gubeikou (or similar)
Day 7 : Panlongshan section of the Great Wall
Location: The Great Wall
Accommodation Name: Dong Fang (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
We will walk from Panlongshan north gate to the main entrance.
Following our walk along this part of the wall we’ll drive for about three hours back to Beijing.
Accommodation: Dong Fang (or similar)
Day 8 : Beijing city tour visiting hutongs, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
Location: Beijing
Accommodation Name: Dong Fang (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
We take a morning walking tour of the city's hutongs (narrow alleys) to see what is left of old Beijing and its traditions. We also visit Tian’anmen Square; the largest in the world and able to hold over a million people. Later in the day, we visit the Forbidden City with its innumerable courtyards and temples.
This evening, recommended optional activities include the amazing Beijing opera or a Kung Fu show, or you may prefer to opt for a foot reflexology treatment to sooth your weary feet! The leader will also arrange a farewell dinner (optional).
Beijing is a fantastic place to explore at your own pace; if you wish to add on any additional time please speak to your sales consultant at the time of booking.
Note
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, maximum numbers of daily visitors to the Forbidden City have been significantly reduced, impacting availability of tickets. Our local team aim to secure tickets for the Forbidden City, but if unable to do so, we’ll visit the Ancestral Temple (used during the Ming and Qing Dynasties to offer sacrifices to ancestors, and architecturally quite similar to the Forbidden City) and the Temple of Heaven. You will be advised at the start of the trip if this change needs to be made.
Accommodation: Dong Fang (or similar)
Day 9 : End Beijing
Location: Beijing
Meals Included: Breakfast
Our trips ends today in Beijing after breakfast.
Free departure transfers are available for all customers departing from either Beijing’s Capital airport (PEK) or Daxing airport (PKX). Transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts.
What's Included
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All breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 dinners included
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All accommodation
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All transport and listed activities
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Tour leader throughout
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Arrival and departure transfers
What's Not Included
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Travel insurance
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Single accommodation (available on request)
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Chinese Visa - GBP201 with Travcour or GBP151 plus GBP18 special delivery direct with embassy
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Vaccinations
Food
All breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 dinners are included. Food is cheap in China and you can avoid the spicier regional food if you wish. The cuisine on this trip is fantastically varied with lots of new flavours and 'things' to try.
Gastronomically the trip can be divided into two parts: 'tourist hotels' and 'local hotels'. In tourist hotels the breakfast is normally a buffet, with a huge spread of Chinese and western food, including coffee, juice, breads, cakes, fruit, eggs, bacon and a wide variety of noodle and stir fried dishes. Dinners are normally taken in the hotel or local restaurants, serving rice with assorted vegetables, pork, fish, chicken and duck dishes with flavours roughly approximating those you would find in a Chinese restaurant in the UK. In the local hotels, breakfast includes rice porridge, dumplings, eggs, noodles, etc, however, we tend to augment this with fruit and cakes where available. Dinners are taken in local restaurants where the food is heavily flavoured with ginger, garlic bamboo shoots and chilli. Lunches are taken in local village restaurants and will normally consist of noodle soup or stir fried vegetable noodles. Expect an audience most lunches as the locals crowd around to watch the 'big noses' trying to master the use of chopsticks!
Vegetarians can be accommodated, though options are often quite limited. Vegans will find options are very limited. Not all food allergies and intolerances are well understood in China. Options that contain no gluten at all are very limited (soy sauce contains gluten and is very widely used). Peanut oil is also used widely.
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Accommodation
You will spend three nights in a well located hotel in Beijing and five nights in simple guesthouses whilst on trek. Please be aware that accommodation options are limited on trek and the guesthouses offer simple mountain accommodation. Rooms are twin share and have en suite bathrooms. The bathrooms are equipped with Western toilets and there is hot water (although this can be erratic and somewhat unreliable). It can get cold in the mountains and the guesthouses have no central heating but sleeping bags are not required as blankets are provided. There are usually electric heaters available upon request. There is electricity but there can occasionally be power cuts so a torch will come in handy.
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Check out our Q&As
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
The minimum age for this tour is 16 years old.
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Are flights included in this tour?
International flights are not included with this tour.
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Who is Exodus Travels?
At Exodus Travels, we've been exploring the world for nearly 50 years. From Walking and Trekking, Cultural and Cycling, Responsible Wildlife, to Polar and our new Premium Adventures, we are proud to offer award-winning small group and self-guided tours to 100+ countries worldwide. ...more ...less
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Is there a supplement for solo travellers?
If you would like to be paired with a tour member of the same gender, there is no additional charge. A single supplement can be requested if you would like your own room.
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes, our local guides are English speaking.
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Can you assist with pre or post tour accommodation?
We are happy to assist with pre and post tour accommodation. Please enquire for detailed information.
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
Reviews from travellers on this tour
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Book with Confidence
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Free Date Changes
CTS demo white label allows you to make 20 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 0 days before the start of the tour.
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Low Deposit
CTS demo white label requires a minimum deposit of 55% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 30 days before departure.
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Terms and Conditions
Walking the Great Wall
9 Days Starting and ending in Beijing
Visiting: Beijing, The Great Wall
Tour operator:
Tour code:
TCW
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
5 - 16
Age range:
16-99
Special diets catered:
Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements
