Walk the Great Wall of China
Experience Overview
Take on the iconic Great Wall of China on this 10-day walking tour. Explore some of the most interesting and picturesque sections of the sprawling wall, starting at the Dragon's Head, where the wall meets the sea, and concluding amongst the rolling hills of Jinshanling. Bookended with nights in Beijing, our itinerary balances culture, history and unparalleled landscapes.
Beijing - Explore China's capital, visiting iconic sites from Tiananmen Square to the Forbidden City.
Panjiakou - See the Great Wall from the water on a boat trip on this picturesque reservoir.
Eastern Qing Tombs - Visit the stunning Imperial Tomb Complex of the Qing Dynasty.
Highlights
Hike the iconic Great Wall of China and discover rural life and great scenery|Explore Beijing's Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square|Visit Old Dragons Head the point where the Great Wall meets the sea
Trip Details
Product Code: 20459
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: BusBoat
Guide Language: English
Tour Operator:
Explore Worldwide
Supplier Code: WG
Starts: China
Finishes: China
Duration: 10 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
- Explore Tour Leader
- Driver(s)
- Local Guide(s)
Accommodation
- Xiao Xiang Hotel
- Shanhai Jiari Hotel
- Tangshan Beiguo Lanting Wenhua Hotel
- Qing Feng Hotel
- Ming He Guesthouse
- Rui Xiu Shan Zhuang Guesthouse
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $3,080 ($308 /day)
Itinerary
Our tour starts today in Beijing, China's vibrant capital. A hub of culture and politics, the city blends the ancient and the modern with historic sites sitting alongside cutting-edge architecture. The city has been the capital since the late 1200s when Kublai Khan set up his mighty Asian Empire. Interestingly, all clocks in the country are set to Beijing time, despite the westernmost regions being 5,000 kilometres away. Our tour leader will meet us in the hotel reception for a welcome meeting at 5pm this afternoon. For those that wish, there is the chance to go out for a group dinner afterwards. There are no other activities planned for today, so you're free to arrive at any time. If you miss the welcome meeting, your tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into either Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) or Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). Due to the traffic congestion in the city, you should allow up to 90 minutes to get from the airport to our hotel. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, you might like to head out on foot and explore Beijing's central district with its many parks, temples and restaurants. Beijing is a sprawling metropolis and there's plenty to explore but luckily our hotel is centrally located within walking distance of Tiananmen Square (40 minutes) and the Temple of Heaven (15 mins).
We start today with a visit to Tiananmen Square. One of the largest squares in the world, Tiananmen was the site of major events from the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China in 1949 to the tragic pro-democracy protest of 1989. After visiting the square we'll cross to the Forbidden City, the one-time home of the Ming and the Manchu (Qing) emperors. The palace complex was given its name as it was off-limits to all but a privileged few for nearly 500 years. Today, it's the largest and best-preserved collection of ancient buildings in China, covering an area of 720,000 square metres and containing over 900 buildings. The rest of the day is free for you to explore solo. You might like to take the opportunity to explore the alleyways (locally known as \ hutongs') that make up the older and rapidly disappearing residential quarters of this sprawling city. This evening, you might like to catch the Beijing Opera or an acrobatic display (optional).
This morning, we leave the capital and head to Shanhaiguan (a four-to-five-hour drive). This is the spot where the Great Wall of China reaches the Bohai Sea. The meeting point is called Laolongtou (or the 'Old Dragon's Head') thanks to the legendary carved dragon's head that once faced the ocean. Shanhaiguan was a garrison town with a large square fort, which still stands to this day, with huge gateways facing the four compass points. The east gate is an impressive structure known as 'First Pass under Heaven'. It has these words inscribed at the top signifying the ancient Chinese perceived division of the world into 'civilised China' and the 'barbarians'. After visiting the Old Dragon's Head, we'll drive to the First Pass where we get our first opportunity to walk on the wall and visit the Great Wall Museum. Over the next six nights, we'll stay in simple-grade local guesthouses and hotels. We stay in twin-share rooms with en-suite bathrooms. It's worth noting that service standards might not meet those back home and that electricity and plumbing can be erratic. Today's 4-kilometre/2.5-mile walk is expected to take around two-and-a-half hours.
As we walk the Great Wall, we plan to head out early to make the most of the day and catch a glimpse of local rural life in action. Today, we'll walk out of town and join an old section of the wall, continuing on foot to the impressive Jiaoshan Pass where the wall heads into the mountains for the first time. If you have the energy, and the weather allows it, you might like to continue up to a high point for spectacular views. Our walk returns the same way. There are a few things to note today. A large visitor centre and car park are being built that intersects the wall and we may need to navigate around the site. Along our route, we might encounter sections that pass through gorse bushes so trousers are recommended. The terrain today is generally stable but we'll come across rocks, concrete slops, a short vertical metal ladder and there are some large steps along the route that might challenge those with knee issues. Please note, the Jiaoshan Pass is closed each year until the 1st of May due to fire concerns. Departures before the 1st of May will walk the Jiumenkou section of the wall instead, a 40-minute drive from our original start point. This route is a bit shorter at around 2.5 kilometres/1.5 miles long, taking around two hours to complete. This afternoon we'll drive to Sahe near Panjiakou reservoir where the wall crosses beneath the waters. Today's 4.5 kilometre/2.8-mile walk is expected to take around two-and-a-half hours.
This morning, we drive to Panjiakou reservoir for a boat excursion on the water. The surrounding scenery is stunning, with the wall following undulating ridges across the rugged hills before plummeting into the water at two points, Panjiakou and Xifengkou. Joining our vehicle again, we'll continue to Luowenyou (around 90 minutes away) where we'll walk for approximately 5 kilometres/3 miles on a rugged and steep section of the wall with sweeping views across the surrounding area. Our ascent will be scrambling at times as the terrain turns to gravel and is overgrown with trees at some points. From Luowenyou, we'll continue by bus (a journey of around 90 minutes) to our hotel on the grounds of the Eastern Qing Tombs near Zunhua. Today's 8.5-kilometre/5.3-mile walk is expected to take around five to six hours.
Making a reasonably early start this morning, we hope to have this lovely site to ourselves. The Eastern Qing Tombs are the largest and most complete of the Imperial Tombs in China with five emperors, 15 empresses and 136 concubines all buried here. The surrounding mountains contain the tombs of hundreds of lesser nobles such as princes and dukes. We'll be able to enter a few of the beautifully carved tombs which date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. After our visit, we'll drive to a point on the Great Wall where we can begin our walk into Huangyaguan. This section of the wall is more restored, with generally stable, concrete terrain and some hand rails. It can be relatively quiet and offers some great views. The first part of the walk is an ascent up to a prominent tower before descending down to another tower near the river. From here, we'll cross the river and walk into town and our hotel for the night. Today's 3.5 kilometre/2.2-mile walk is expected to take around two to three hours.
This morning, we'll from Huangyaguan to Gubeikou (a two-hour journey). From here, we'll walk up onto the wall along a mountain path. This section of the wall takes us past 16 beacon towers where we spot a section of the wall in the distance that's usually obstructed from view. We'll leave the wall at Jinshanling and head to the hotel where we spend the next two nights. Today's 10-kilometre/6.2-mile walk is expected to take around five to six hours.
Today we'll walk one of the most stunning sections of the wall between Jinshanling and Simatai. Our walk includes some ruined sections as well as some steep ascents and many steps. In 2010, Simitai was closed to the public, so we'll walk as far as is permitted before returning to Jinshaling. En route, we'll pass 18 watchtowers, which offer the only shade on our walk - we'll take each opportunity to pause and take in the views. Today's 6-kilometre/3.7-mile walk is expected to take around five hours.
Today we head back to the capital (a three-hour journey, traffic depending). We should arrive in the early afternoon and have the late afternoon free. You might like to take an excursion to the Summer Palace or the Temple of Heaven in Tiantan Park.
Our trip ends this morning at our hotel in Beijing. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart from Beijing at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from either Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) or Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). Due to the frequent traffic congestion in the city, you should allow up to 90 minutes for this journey.
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Tour Operator
Explore Worldwide
A prominent adventure travel company with over four decades of experience, this business that offers a comprehensive array of unique and thrilling experiences worldwide. Catering to various interests, they provide small group journeys, walking and cycling trips, solo holidays, and family adventures.
In Business Since 1981
Reviews
Albert - Traveled, April 2025
Walking on the Great Wall far exceeded my expectations. The photos in magazines do not compare to the magnitude of actually seeing the Wall in person as it extends for hundreds of miles in many directions spanning numerous ridges. It is an engineering marvel. My guide, Olly was outstanding. His knowledge, sense of humor and overall company contributed to my excellent experience on this trip. If you decide to walk the Great Wall of China, you will not be disappointed.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/08/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2024
Our tour leader wanted to do a good job, but his English skills are not that good. He often failed to communicate clearly or sufficiently with us. He didn't tell me - or didn't iterate to the group- that we should have our passports all the time. Sometimes he also rushed us which could be unpleasant. The weather was uncooperative that we had to cancel our boat ride. Just wondering if there could be a plan B?
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/03/2024
Andrew - Traveled, May 2024
China is a phenomenal destination and everyone should go to dispel all the negative stereotypes that are thrown at us by a right wing media. The Wall reminds one that China has always been the world's biggest economy and that it is only now recovering its natural position. Walking the wall is a great experience though it isn't for the faint hearted. With the wall linking watch towers on the peaks of mountains, it is more vertical than flat. As one American companion said it's a tougher walk than his experience walking to Everest base camp. Don't miss a life enhancing experience if your knees can stand it.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/03/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, April 2020
Jon our guide really brought the trip to life and went above and beyond expectations. The fellow companions were like minded and we bonded well.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/30/2020
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2019
This is a very well thought out tour visiting restored and unrestored parts of the wall. Our guide Key was excellent and very informative about the wall, it's history and all aspects of Chinese life. The food was excellent everywhere we went.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/02/2019
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2019
Well organised tour with extremely knowledgeable and proficient English speaking local guide. 7 day tour trekking the Great Wall was planned in such a way that scenery became more beautiful by the day. Dinner choice by tour guide excellent, 70 to 75 Yuan per person per night (excl drink) Expect to give tour guide 200 Yan per person to tip local guides, driver, luggage handler etc. for the week. Itinerary said free afternoon or option of excursion but guide had already organised a full day sightseeing and evening show in Beijing without consultation (cost around 250 Yan pp) (would have been better if this was part of itinerary as difficult to refuse and also its in middle of day on other side of town (full day of walking) so would have agreed to it anyway. Tip: bring coffee bags and tissues
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/03/2019
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2019
The views were breathtaking. Food was great. Accommodation quite reasonable.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/03/2019
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2019
Need to be fairly fit, and have a good head for heights in a few places. The 'basic' hotel was as described from the general viewpoint, but had not been adequately cleaned. Food was excellent throughout, though breakfasts were 'different' if you are cereals and toast person be prepared for a surprise. Overall an excellent trip with a really informative leader, Jenssen.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/03/2019
Anonymous - Traveled, April 2019
So many 'wow' moments! Great walking, amazing scenery, spectacular views, wonderful local food and an excellent guide. Overall great value for money!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/20/2019
Anonymous - Traveled, April 2019
This was a fantastic trip. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and looked after everyone. The scenery on many sections of the wall was breathtaking. I would definitely recommend.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/09/2019
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