10-day Great Wall Trek from the East Coast to the Capital
Full-on wilderness treks. Spectacular landscapes.
The eagle can hover over the steep mountains
The long and steep Great Wall
Dancing a vigorous dragon
The years
You are a barrier against foreign invasion
This program has been crafted for serious Great Wall enthusiasts. In addition to being a test of strength and endurance, this tour shows you the best sections of the Great Wall in northeast China.
BRIEF ITINERARY
Day 1: The Great Wall by the Ocean
Drive 4 hours to the Old Dragon's Head, the eastmost of the Great Wall by the ocean. The eastern part of the Great Wall into the sea, into the sea stone wall, is like a dragon's head poking into the sea, making the waves dance, thus the name "old dragon head." Explore the First Pass of the Great Wall atShanhaiguan. Stay in a beautiful courtyard hotel in the ancient town of Shanghaiguan.
Day 2: Jiaoshan
Walk 4 hours to hike Jiaoshan. It is an imposing and rolling mountain, which is the first mountain encountered by the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty through Shanhaiguan, climbing from southeast to northeast, regarded as "the first mountain of the Great Wall" and is the natural barrier of Shanhaiguan. Stay in the same ancient town hotel in Shanghaiguan.
Day 3: The East Qing Tombs and Huangyaguan
We'll spend a 3-hour tour to the East Qing Tombs, the best-preserved and most enormous of China's extant royal tombs complexes. It is one of the largest imperial tomb complexes in China, with perfect architecture. The mausoleum area is built according to the mountains and the local conditions, achieving a harmonious unity of the "mausoleum system and landscape." It is definitely worth a tour. In the afternoon, walk at Huangyuan Pass (Yellow Cliff Pass) for 1 hour. Lodge at Huangyaguan hotel.
Day 4: The Huangyapass and the Skyladder
Trek four hours from the Peace Fort to Huangyaguan (Yellow Cliff Pass) and the Sky Ladder, famous for its steepness and splendor. The slopes of the Yellow Cliff Pass are very steep, exposing yellow rock walls, which is where the name Yellow Cliff Pass is known. Transfer to Jinshanling Great Wall. Overnight in a courtyard hotel by the Wall.
Day 5: Jinshanling and West Simatai
Hike 3 hours from Jinshanling to West Simatai. See both the Wall in the deteriorated wild state to the restored. Jinshanling Great Wall can be called the Great Wall's essence, "text bricks, barrier wall, horse wall, Qilin shadow wall" can be called the Great Wall of the four best. Camp in the General's towers, the headquarters in every battle.
Day 6: The Battlefield Gubeikou
Trek 4.5 hours at Gubeikou from where you camp last night to Jinshanling. The Gubeikou is the gateway to the eastern Liaoning Plain and Inner Mongolia. It has always been a hotly contested area, especially during the Five Dynasties of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, when battles over the Gubeikou never ceased. Here is the battlefield where the Chinese army fought against the Japanese invasion in the 1930s. Stay at a hostel at Gubeikou village.
Day 7: The Crouching Tigers Mountain
Climb the Great Wall on the "Crouching Tiger" mountain at Gubeikou for 4 hours. The mountain's steepness is due to the summit's shape resembling two tigers on one side and one on the other, giving it its name. The Great Wall of Crouching Tiger Mountain is a masterpiece in the history of Great Wall architecture, with its long age, many changes, ingenious layout, and full facilities. Stay at a hostel at Jiankou.
Day 8: The Magic Jiankou
Challenge yourself at Jiankou for four hours. Called "Arrowhead," Jiankou is known for its dangerous peaks. It's hard to be awestruck by the magnificence of the Great Wall without climbing here. Jiankou, with its unchanging steep majestic buckles visitors to the soul. The Jiankou Great Wall greets all those who love it with its inherent culture, thrilling and magnificent landscape. Stay at the same hostel as last night.
Day 9: Jiankou and Mutianyu, and Camping on the Great Wall
You will cross over onto Mutianyu, a section of the Wall that has been largely restored and popular for visiting foreign leaders and celebrities. The Great Wall at Mutianyu has a spectacular view of the Great Wall stretching into the distance and is super beautiful. Try the toboggan slide at the end to go down. Camp on the Great Wall again at the lakeside Huanghuacheng.
Day 10: Lakeside Huanghuacheng
Walk Huanghuacheng, the only lakeside Great Wall around Beijing. Take in a panorama of the Wall diving into the water. This section of the Great Wall not only guards the northern gate of the capital but is also an essential gateway to the Ming Tombs' "Thirteen Tombs," a stone structure. The majestic, precipitous, magnificent, and ancient Great Wall is the Ming Dynasty's essence. Return to Beijing in the afternoon to end this 10-day adventure.
MEMORABLE TIME
DETAILED 10-DAY TREK ITINERARY
Day 1: Beijing to Old Dragon's Head
Day 3: East Qing Tombs to Huangyaguan
Day 1: Beijing to Old Dragon's Head
We will make the 4-hour drive the Old Dragon's Head and Shanhaiguan Pass, the First Pass Under Heaven. We will start our hike at Old Dragon's Head, also known as Laolongtou. We will enter the Shanhaiguan Great Wall Museum, where we will learn about this section of the wall's history and military strategy and display military relics. After dinner, you will tour the Old Town of Shanhaiguan.
INCLUDED
Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Shanghaiguan Hotel or similar
Day 2: Jiaoshan Great Wall
Day 3: East Qing Tombs to Huangyaguan
Day 1: Beijing to Old Dragon's Head
The Jiaoshan Peak is two miles away from Shanghaiguan. Though relatively diminutive in size, this is the first actual mountain the Great Wall passes heading west, and known as “the first mountain of the Great Wall.” Jiaoshan ancient wall provides you a sense of historical vicissitude. The wall appears more and more crumbled and deformed as you forge ahead. We will drive to Dongjiakou Great Wall and overnight there.
Walk: 9 kms
Hours: 4
INCLUDED
Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Shanghaiguan Hotel or similar
Day 3: East Qing Tombs to Huangyaguan
Day 3: East Qing Tombs to Huangyaguan
Day 4: Peace Fort to Huangyaguan and Sky Ladder
We will make the short trip to the East Qing Tombs, which is among the finest, best-preserved, and the largest of China's extant tomb complexes. Five emperors, four empresses, five imperial concubines, and one princess are arrayed based on the traditional concept of placing the most senior and most distinguished in the center.
We will also walk the Huangyaguan Great Wall and the fortress where there is a Bagua pattern, a specially designed labyrinth designed to confuse and entrap the enemy.
INCLUDED
Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Huangyaguan Hotel or similar
Day 4: Peace Fort to Huangyaguan and Sky Ladder
Day 4: Peace Fort to Huangyaguan and Sky Ladder
Day 4: Peace Fort to Huangyaguan and Sky Ladder
Today we'll start with Peace Fort (Taipingzhai) that begins from Banlagang Mountain in the east and arriving at Guafu Tower (Widow Tower) in the west. There are six watchtowers, one battlement, and one shortcut leading to the wall.
Waking westward, we will get to the steepest segment of this section, the Huangya Sky Ladder. This long stairway stretches to the top of the ridge, seemingly leads to the sky. We will reach the primitive Great Wall built in the Northern Qi Dynasty, marking the hike's end today.
We will drive to Jinshanling to sleep tonight.
Walk: 9 kms
Hours: 4
INCLUDED
Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Huangyaguan Hotel or similar
Day 5: West Simatai to Jinshanling
Day 4: Peace Fort to Huangyaguan and Sky Ladder
Day 5: West Simatai to Jinshanling
Our hike will start from Simatai, and we will make our way west along the Wall into Jinshanling. The Great Wall is the best-preserved section of the Ming Great Wall and is called the Ming Great Wall's essence by experts. Set up dangers by the mountains and stop by the water, the city undulates like steel walls. There are many carved buildings, like armored soldiers guarding them.
Tonight, we will camp on the Great Wall in an ancient watchtower.
Walk: 8 km
Hours: 3.5
INCLUDED
Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Camping on the Wall
Day 6: Jinshanling to Gubeikou
Day 4: Peace Fort to Huangyaguan and Sky Ladder
Day 5: West Simatai to Jinshanling
Gubeikou is mostly Wild Wall. It was first built during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-557) and rebuilt in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The entire Gubeikou Great Wall has not been repaired in modern times. It has a sense of vicissitudes, and the broken walls and bullet holes make people feel like they are in the era of war. In the setting sun, people shed tears.
In 1933, the Chinese army fought against Japanese invasion troops at Gubeikou. In the four-month-long battles, over 5,000 Japanese soldiers were killed while 9,000 Chinese soldiers died. You can see that Gubeikou is not merely a relic, but it remained a battlefield in the modern world.
We will spend the night at Gubeikou today.
Walk: 11 km
Hours: 4.5
INCLUDED
Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Miss-U-Much Hostel
Day 7: Crouching Tigers Mountain
Day 7: Crouching Tigers Mountain
Day 7: Crouching Tigers Mountain
Crouching Tigers Mountain is located on the left side of Gubeikou. Down the ground, their village called River West populated with about five hundred households. The name of Wohu in Chinese means "crouching tigers" from the shape of the mountain of a pair of tigers with one pushing up and one is pushing down, as two giant intrepid guards of the capital city of Beijing. The Great Wall's ancient status and magnificent views remain perfectly despite age change for hundreds of years from the Ming Dynasty.
We will transfer to Jiankou to sleep.
Walk: 10 kms
Hours: 4
INCLUDED
Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Laohe's Inn
Day 8: Jiankou
Day 7: Crouching Tigers Mountain
Day 7: Crouching Tigers Mountain
Jiankou is the part where the mountain's shape looks like an arrow, with the collapsed ridge opening as its arrow nock. It is known for its ruggedness and wild beauty, and you will be in awe of the marvelous views it affords. As soon as we reach Jiankou, we will see a deserted watchtower that gives you a panoramic view of the entire valley.
Once we descend from the Great Wall, we will spend the night at a farmer's inn.
Walk: 10 km
Hours: 4
INCLUDED
Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Good Fortune Inn
Day 9: Jiankou to Mutianyu
Day 7: Crouching Tigers Mountain
Day 10: Huanghuacheng Lakeside
From Jiankou, we will cross over onto Mutianyu, a section of the Wall that has been largely restored. Although it has gotten a face-lift, it avoids the army of tourists that plague Badaling. Mutianyu offers some breathtaking views of the valley and the Wall. You’ll see a large sign engraved in the side of the mountain, encouraging you to “Cherish the teachings of Chairman Mao.” Mutianyu has also become famous for visiting foreign leaders and celebrities.
We will transfer to Huanghucheng to sleep.
Walk: 11 km
Hours: 4.5
INCLUDED
Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Good Fortune Inn
Day 10: Huanghuacheng Lakeside
Day 10: Huanghuacheng Lakeside
Day 10: Huanghuacheng Lakeside
Huanghuacheng is the only section that sits beside the lakes, so it is called Lakeside Great Wall. Since the lake breaks this section of the Great Wall into three segments naturally, its uniqueness might surprise you. The Hanghuacheng Reservoir lies here, shaped like a curved moon. The Wall's highest point is a broken watchtower, and from there, you will have a broad panoramic view of the whole valley. From this summit, the Wall dives steeply downwards into the valley.
We will drive back to Beijing in the late afternoon.
Walk: 11 kms
Hours: 4
INCLUDED
Meals: B, L
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express or similar
Complimentary Airport Drop-off
Day 10: Huanghuacheng Lakeside
Complimentary Airport Drop-off
We will transfer you to the airport from your hotel in Beijing for free. It's our appreciation to you for having chosen us for your lifetime Great Wall experience.
Farm Kitchens
Day 10: Huanghuacheng Lakeside
Complimentary Airport Drop-off
From a farm-to-table lunch to a morning breakfast watchtower delivery, we offer a dining experience that reflects the unique ingredients and creativity of every part of the Great Wall we travel. After an active day on the Wall, it's time to see what other great choices are on the menu.
Have a food allergy or a restricted diet? Just let us know, and we'll make sure there are meal options available to you
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