Guided 7 day Great Wall of China

Arrive at Beijing, where we have arranged a private transfer from the airport to your awaiting hotel on the day of arrival. Here you meet your guide and fellow travellers.  If you wish to stretch your legs there is an orientation walk near the hotel, followed by a welcome dinner and briefing of the tour ahead.

Accommodation: Beijing Dongfang Hotel
Meals: Group dinner

Today, you will see some of Beijing’s most famous sights. Tiananmen Square, one of the world’s largest public squares, is home to the Monument of the People’s Heroes and the Great Hall of the People. From there, enter the Forbidden City (built 1406-1420), which has been a ceremonial and political centre for 500 years. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 and is listed by UNESCO as the most extensive collection of preserved ancient wooden structures worldwide. After the Forbidden City, you will stroll through alleys formed by lines of traditional courtyards known as Hutong and experience the local lifestyle of Old Beijing. There is an afternoon visit to the Temple of Heaven and Jinshan Park.

Accommodation: Beijing Dongfang Hotel 
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Walking: 7-10km

Today, you transfer by private vehicle to the Great Wall (approx. 3 hours). After lunch, you will get to enjoy an introductory walk to familiarise yourself with the terrain encountered on the days ahead. The Gubeikou area of the wall includes a vital mountain pass that dates back to the 16th century, and this section of the wall is divided into two parts. Today’s hike will start from the Wohushan section;  the name Wo Hu means crouching tigers. Winding our way uphill, we reach the Great Wall at the top of a rise, from where you will enjoy views of the wall stretching across the countryside. We descend next to the wall, then through a forest to a small town and to our first guesthouse at Gubeikou.

There are many watchtowers along the wall, and the Wohushan sector remains a masterpiece in the history of the Great Wall for its ingenious construction.

Accommodation: Yeshufang Guest House
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (local restaurant) and Dinner at local farmers’ guesthouse
Walking: 9km (5-6 hrs)
Ascent: 400m/Descent: 400m

This morning, we continue to explore the Gubeikou section. This section was built in the Ming Dynasty and is famous for its precipitous geography. It is completely original, challenging, and one of the lesser-visited sections. It is believed to have seen more battles than any other part of the Great Wall and has long been a place of military significance and an important passage to the capital city. The start of the walk today is up a part of the wall, which is almost completely worn away.

Accommodation: Yeshufang Guest House
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Walking: 12.5km (5-6hrs)
Ascent: 630m/Descent: 550m

Today, you set off from the guesthouse to hike up to a section of the wall known locally as the ‘dragon standing on the beautiful golden mountain. ‘ It’s easy to see how the wall resembles a dragon as it weaves across the land. The views are stunning, and you will have hundreds of great photographic opportunities. Unlike other wall sections, this area has seen little restoration, and many of the stairs and turrets have crumbled away to leave steep stone slopes between each watch tower. Along the way, you will enjoy the lush vegetation and see how this part of the wall has crumbled. You’ll pass through a local village and walk around the inner circle of the wall, which was the second defence in case the main wall was breached. Once we leave the Wall, we descend through forests and past farmland before transferring to our guesthouse in Jinshanling. We will join our host for tonight’s dinner and learn how to make Chinese-style Dumplings.

Accommodation: Jianxia Guest House
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Walking: 13.5km (7-8hrs)
Ascent: 1200m/Descent: 1500m

Enjoy a home-cooked breakfast in the guesthouse this morning before continuing your hike from Jinshanling to Simatai West. Today’s walk takes us along a restored section of the wall built in the 15th century. In contrast to the unrestored sections of the previous days, here you can see how the wall looked when it was built centuries ago. Here you will gain an appreciation of not only the incredible effort in building the wall, but the meticulous attention to detail, tactical wisdom and also subtle beauty in its construction.  Along this route, you will see both original and restored sections of the Wall and enjoy the classic postcard views of watchtowers snaking across the mountain, so keep your camera handy. In the afternoon, we transfer back to Beijing in your private transport.

Accommodation: Beijing Dongfang Hotel 
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Walking: 9km (5km and 4km) 2 sections (8hrs)
Ascent: 1130m/Descent: 1200m

After a final breakfast, we bid farewell, leaving you to further explore Beijing and all China has to offer.

Meals: Breakfast