Walking the Great Wall
9 Days Starting and ending in Beijing
Visiting: Beijing, Huanghuacheng Great Wall, Mutianyu Great Wall, Jiankou Liang, Gubeikou, Jinshanling, Panlongshan, Majiagou, Crouching Tiger Cave, Niangniang Temple
From:
$1948
$1860 (USD)
Operator discount: -$88
NB: Prices correct on 20-May-2024 but subject to change.
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.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrive Beijing; Free Afternoon And Beijing Duck Dinner
Location: Beijing
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Dong Fang Hotel (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
After arriving into Beijing, the afternoon is free to relax after the
overnight flight. There is a welcome dinner organised for the group allowing
us to sample one of the cities most famous dishes: Beijing duck. Vegetarians,
do not fear - there will be an array of different dishes on a lazy Susan to
choose from.
Day 2 : Drive To Huanghuacheng Great Wall Section; Afternoon Begin Trekking.
Location: Huanghuacheng Great Wall
Accommodation: Huanghuacheng Guesthouse or similar
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.
Day 3 : Morning Trek From Mutianyu To Jiankou, Passing Many Watchtowers.
Location: Mutianyu Great Wall, Jiankou Liang
Accommodation: Hai Yan Guesthouse or similar
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. We trek to
Jiankou and then transfer a short distance to enjoy the hospitality of a
local guesthouse.
Day 4 : A Challenging But Beautiful Morning Trek At Jiankou’S ‘Wild’ Wall; Transfer To Gubeikou And Explore This Section.
Location: Gubeikou
Accommodation: Mr Liu's Guesthouse or similar
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 before transferring to Gubeikou where we
walk or about another 4 km.
Day 5 : Hike The Great Wall Jinshanling Section; Transfer Back To Gubeikou.
Location: Jinshanling, Gubeikou
Accommodation: Mr Liu's Guesthouse or similar
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
Zhuandoukou Tower to Eastern Five Window Tower), which is renowned for being
the best-preserved part 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.
At the end of the day, we descend to a village and transfer by road to
Gubeikou for the night.
Day 6 : The Most Challenging Walk Today Along The Panlongshan Section; Return To Gubeikou For The Night.
Location: Panlongshan
Accommodation: Mr Liu's Guesthouse or similar
Accommodation Name: Yeshufang Guesthouse at Gubeikou (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we hike along Gubeikou's Panlongshan Section. 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 (3 level tower). Once here, we will have a late picnic lunch on
the watchtower, and then double back on ourselves for about half the way,
following the stone steps past a communal playground to meet our driver who
will transfer us back to the guesthouse.
Day 7 : Majiagou Hill Walk With Views Of Crouching Tiger Great Wall; Drive To Beijing Via Niangniang Temple.
Location: Majiagou, Crouching Tiger Cave, Niangniang Temple, Beijing
Accommodation: Hotel, Dong Fang or similar
Accommodation Name: Dong Fang (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Today you will discover the part of Gubeikou's Great Wall known as, Majiagou
Hill. Gubeikou's GW was first built in the 6th century and has not been
reconstructed since 1644. It is somewhat dilapidated but it still retains its
original beauty. Your steep ascent will start from the northern gate and once
you reach the top watchtower you will enjoy some great views of Crouching
Tiger Great Walll. We retrace our steps back to today's starting point and
drive to Niangniang Daoist Temple for a visit before continuing to
Beijing (approx. 3 hours).
Day 8 : Beijing City Tour Visiting Hutongs, Tiananmen Square And The Forbidden City.
Location: Beijing
Accommodation: Hotel
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.
Day 9 : Our Trips Ends Today In Beijing After Breakfast.
Location: Beijing
Meals Included: Breakfast
Our trips ends today in Beijing after breakfast.
What's Included
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Meals
9 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 dinners.
* All breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 dinners included
* All accommodation
* All transport and listed activities
* Tour leader throughout
* Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)
* Arrival & departure transfers
What's Not Included
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Vaccinations
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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
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 are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any
special dietary requests. Please note that in China the availability of
certain specialized products for restricted diets, e.g. gluten-free or
dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring
these specialized dietary items from home. Strict vegetarians may find the
diet rather limited to stir fried vegetables and eggs as all the soups are
made with meat stock.
Accommodation
You will spend 3 nights in a well located comfortable hotel in Beijing and 5 nights in basic guesthouses whilst on trek. Please be aware that accommodation options are limited on trek and the guesthouses are basic mountain accommodations but rooms are twin share and have en suite bathrooms. The bathrooms are equipped with Western toilets and there is hot water (although 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 and the guesthouses usually have a few electric heaters, which are available upon request. There is electricity but there can occasionally be power cuts so a torch may come in handy.
Check out our Q&As
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes, our local guides are English speaking.
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Are flights included in this tour?
International flights are not included with this tour.
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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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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.
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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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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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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.
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Dates & Availability
Saturday - Sunday
May 25, 2024 - Jun 02, 2024Saturday - Sunday
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Exodus allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus, 43 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Exodus requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus charges.
Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
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