China: The Great Wall Trekking
Activities: hiking, walking, culture tours
Route : Beijing-Huangyaguan-Jinshanling-Simatai West-Jiankou-Mitianyu-Huanghuacheng-Xishuiyu-Badaling-Shixiguan-Beijing
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It was first revealed to the west after the discovery of the Jade Gate and a series of guard towers, which stretched out into the Gobi desert. Englishman William Lindsay walked 2,470km along a route between Shanhaiguan and Jiayuguan, becoming the first westerner to do so. Your Great Wall adventure may not be as long, but can still be as rewarding.
First established by the Han dynasty, the wall was refurbished and improved by subsequent dynasties until it was no longer needed for defence. And claims that it can be seen from space, while flattering, are somewhat misleading. Really, such a masterpiece of engineering can only be fully realised by viewing it firsthand.
However, the wall is no continuous barrier; battering by the elements and the sands of time, have taken their toll. While represented to tourists in its tall brick construction of parapets, gates and guard towers, tourists will find it takes different forms. Most visitors see the parts created during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), when architects more commonly used stone and brick.
That said, such was the vastness of the project, architects often relied on local materials. Thanks to the diversity of terrain, the time span involved and the re-appropriation of materials – many local villagers took parts of the wall to help construct their own buildings – the size, shape, and height of sections vary considerably.
This was the wall that defended the Chinese Empire. It protected a proud people, took years to build and cost the lives of hundreds in its construction. Great Wall trekking is truly the best way to appreciate such a colossal feat of engineering; by trekking its sections, the story of the Great Wall of China comes alive!
- Beijing, Jing for short, is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of China. Beijing is regarded as the political, educational, and cultural center of China. With a history of more than 3,000 years, Beijing has been an integral part of China’s History. There is scarcely a major building that doesn’t have at least some national historical significance. Being the capital of China for about 850 years, it is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, offering China’s most wonderful array of attractions.
- The Great Wall of China is the largest defense construction on earth, and the subject of the most mythology. It’s built in the northern part of China in ancient times to prevent the Han Chinese from attacking by nomads like the Huns and Mogolians. The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east to Jiayuguan in the western Gobi desert. The Great Wall does not work as a defense system anymore, and is becoming a popular travellers site now. It was listed as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1987.
A Rahhalah representative will meet you up at Beijing airport and then transfer to your hotel. A welcome dinner will be organized in a local courtyard restaurant.
Accommodation: Hotel ( Prime Hotel/ Novotel Xinqiao or similar)
Beijing-Huangyaguan (3 hours, 4km hiking) (B, L, D)
Early in the morning we depart to Huangyaguan, a 2.5-hour journey. We will have our lunch before hiking for 2-3 hours on the wall from Taipingzhai to Huangyaguan.
The wall is completed unreconstructed at Huangyaguan section, so requires good negotiation and careful attention. It is quite solid and rough going scrambling through various scrubs and berry plants and scramble on the wall’s rubble. Originally built in 557 AD, the Huangyanguan Great Wall was repaired for the first time in Ming Dynasty with bricks and then restored again in 1985. It is 41 kilometres in length with its walls and towers built on mountain ridge with an average altitude of 738 metres. The name Huangyaguan translates to “Yellow Cliff Pass” and is named after the yellowish hills and rocks nearby. It is unique in that it has various different-shaped watchtowers. There are not many tourists in this area, as it is a remote and seldom visited location. The most unique feature here is the Street of the Eight Diagrams, an architectural wonder of the Ming Dynasty lying just below the pass. A labyrinth set up to confuse and entrap invading armies, this fortification design is based on the ancient trigrams of the Book of Changes. UNESCO placed Huangyaguan Great Wall on the UN list of the World heritage. In May each year marathon runners from around the world come here to participate in one of the world’s most demanding courses, with exhausting ascents, steep descents and more than 3,700 steps. We only walk this section once, rather than completing the circuit twice as is required of the marathon runners.
Note: the hike can be extended to 6 hours. We will continue walking after the Sky Stairs and finish the hike at a remote village. The extended 3 hours are mainly going through jungles and bushes and only a few ruins of the Wall can be traced though.
Accommodation: local farmer’s guesthouse at Huangyaguan (western toilet & shower)
Great Wall at Gubeikou – Jinshanling (5 hours, 10 km hiking)(B, L, D)
We drive for two hours to our next section of the wall, Gubeikou, from where we trek to Jinshanling.
Gubeikou is located 146 kilometres north of Beijing. It has the Panlong (Coling Dragon) and Wohu (Crouching Tiger) mountains in the background. In 1378 General Xu Da ordered this section of the Great Wall rebuilt. Gubeikou has probably seen more battles than any other part of the Great Wall including some of the most famous in Chinese history. On the southern slope of Gubeikou stands a temple dedicated to Yang Ye, a famous Great Wall garrison general of the Song Dynasty. There are quite a few temples in China dedicated to this general but this one is the oldest. Our trek takes us eastward along the old city wall passing numerous watchtowers and other parts of the wall that have not yet been restored.
After 3 hrs hiking on the wall of Gubeikou section, we have to get off the wall to avoid a military area nearby. Going through the path in the field for 1.5 hrs, and then we will come back to the wall again on the Jinshanling section. We will watch the sunset and then off the wall to have fresh Chinese dishes in a local farmer’s restaurant.
We will drive back to Gubeikou village and base ourselves here tonight.
Accommodation: local farmer’s guesthouse at Gubeikou village (western toilet & shower)
Great Wall at Jinshanling – Simatai West (3 hours, 6km hiking) (B, L, D)
Get up at 7am and finish breakfast by 8am and we will start the hiking today. It will take about 3 hours hiking on the wall. We will get off the wall at Kylin Tower, and cannot walk to Simatai East direction due to the recent closure of Simatai Great Wall. We may continue walking toward Simatai East if it opens again in May. It will then take 4 hours on the Wall.
This section offers arguably the finest hiking anywhere on the Great Wall. It is extremely photogenic, with over 15 watch-towers, and steep gradients that give constantly changing perspectives and wide, open views. There is fascinating variety in the watchtowers here. Some have two storeys, others three. Some have flat roofs, others rounded and others again are pitched with upturned eaves. The walkway along the top is paved with square bricks providing a level surface wide enough to construct or erect batteries. This section of the wall is wild, ruined, preserved and original. On a clear day, it is difficult to fail to take good photographs here.
We will base us at local farmer’s guesthouse at the relocated village at Simatai.
Accommodation: local farmer’s guesthouse with private facilities at New Simatai Village (western toilet & shower)
Jiankou – Mutianyu (5 hrs, 10 km hiking) (B, L, D)
We will drive 2 hours to start the hiking at 10 am at Jiankou, and it will take 5 hours hiking on the wall. You will hike on both restored and original walls. We will have a picnic lunch on the Wall. We will drive 1 hour to Huanghuacheng and have dinner in a local restaurant.
Jiankou to Mutianyu section offers a wonderfully satisfying experience of the Wall. It has superb scenery, dense vegetation and many fine watch-towers in an excellent restored section which is about six metres broad. The brickwork is elaborate, with crenellations on both sides and finely curved eaves on some watch-tower roofs. There are decorative gables with animal statues, and tablets bearing calligraphy above some entrances. The first one hour is going straight up and reaches the wall, and then hikes unrestored towers. The wild Wall to the west is the original Ming Dynasty with fine stonework, and there are almost no other people. You will be rewarded when you approach Zhengbeilou Tower, where you will have a breathtaking view of Jiankou section. There will be a sharp contrast when you arrive at Mutianyu with the restored wall and towers.
Accomodation: local farmer’s guesthoue at Huanghuacheng (western toilet & shower
Huanghuacheng-Xishuiyu (4 hours, 6 km) (B, L, D)
We will finish our breakfast by 8am and then start the hike for 4 hours today. When we almost finish the hike and reach the highest watchtower, where we will have a panoramic view of the lakeside Great Wall. Today’s hike is a leisure one though we have to meander through jungles and bushes. Lunch will be organised at the village and then we drive for 1 hour to Juyongguan and base us at a courtyard hotel near the Wall. Dinner will be organised at this hotel restaurant.
You may walk more at Juyongguan this afternoon or next early morning as you like.
Accommodation: Hotel ( Prime Hotel/ Novotel Xinqiao or similar)
Badaling – Shixiaguan – Beijing (4 hours, 7 km) (B, L, D)
Finish breakfast by 8am and drive for 30 minutes to Old Badaling (instead of the well-known Badaling which can accommodate 10,000 people every day in May) to start our hike toward Shixiaguan. It will take 4 hours hike on the Wall. We will have lunch en route and then drive back to Beijing. Relax in the afternoon and dinner will be organised in a nearby local restaurant for Beijing Duck.
Badaling played a very important role to defense the capital from attacking by Mongols in the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD-1644 AD). The mountain slope is very steep and the roads are tortuous. These features made it a military stronghold. The wall is like a strong dragon winding its way along the mountain ranges. We will walk on the less-visited part of Badaling and finish the hike at Shixiaguan.
Accommodation: Hotel ( Prime Hotel/ Novotel Xinqiao or similar)
Beijing (B, L)
Visit Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven.
- Forbidden City,lying at the city center and called Gu Gong in Chinese, it was the imperial palace for twenty-four emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was first built throughout 14 years during the reign of Emperor Chengzu in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Ancient Chinese Astronomers believed that the Purple Star (Polaris) was in the center of heaven and the Heavenly Emperor lived in the Purple Palace. The Palace for the emperor on earth was so called the Purple City. It was forbidden to enter without special permission of the empeor. Hence its name ‘The Purple Forbidden City’, usually ‘The Forbidden City’.
Accommodation: Hotel ( Prime Hotel/ Novotel Xinqiao or similar)
Beijing (B, L, D)
Visit Summer Palace and Hutongs (rickshaw and lunch in a local family), last minute shopping at Silk Street or free exploration in the afternoon.
Farewell dinner with imperial banquet.
Accommodation: Hotel ( Prime Hotel/ Novotel Xinqiao or similar)
Departure (B)
After breakfast airport transfer for departure.
2436 USD per person in a group of minimum 2.
Notes:
- The above rate is based on Double Occupancy. Single Supplement applies.
- The above rate is valid till 15th Dec 2013.
- Budget Option Available with 3 * Hotel is Beijing( 2146 USD per person in a group of min 2)
- Full payment should be made 30 days prior the departure
- All services stipulated above are subject to availability at the time of booking / reservation. All prices are subject to change
- Air-conditioned cars/vans/buses with experienced drivers during the whole trip
- Twin-shared accommodation as listed in itinerary
- Entrance fees to all sections on the Great Wall
- Fully-escorted English-speaking hiking tour guides and local guides on sections of the wall
- Unlimited bottled water stored in our buses for the whole trip
- Trekking poles are available upon request
- Meals as described
- International Airfare and Airport Taxes
- Visa fees
- Travel Insurance
- Single Room Supplement.
- Sightseeing not listed in the itinerary.
- Meals not listed in the itinerary.
- Personal expenses such as laundry, drink, fax, telephone call, optional activities, etc.
- Gratuities, tips to guides, drivers, bellboys, etc.
- Excess baggage charge
