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Peregrine Travel Centre

Walking the Great Wall of China

Walking the Great Wall of China

From $ 1,920 AUD

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Description

Challenge yourself on an eight-day adventure along one of the Seven Wonders of the World – the Great Wall of China. First, explore Beijing, China’s capital, and visit iconic sites like Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Then, with your expert leader by your side, you’ll hike several sections of the Great Wall, from Mutianyu to Jinshanling, taking in expansive views as the wall winds along the mountain ranges into the horizon. Travel between local guesthouses, enjoying delicious home-cooked meals, and visit the Big and Small Jinshan Watchtowers. Soak in the history of the area as you see parts of the wall still in its original condition and learn about the rich history of the area from local experts.

Trip Name
Walking the Great Wall of China
Last Updated
1970-01-01
Days
8
Capacity
12
Highlights
  • Hike different sections of the Great Wall of China, like the Mutianyu, the 'wild' Jiankou and Gubeikou sections. See the Great Wall in its original form and learn about its longstanding history from a local expert.
  • Watch the sunrise and sunset from the Great Wall over the surrounding mountains, farmlands and rivers – a once in a lifetime experience.
  • Sit down to home-cooked meals at local guesthouses after your daily hikes. Then, learn how to make one of the most popular foods in China with a local host (dumplings, of course!).
  • Pick up rubbish (not mandatory) as you walk along the ‘wild’ Great Wall and help to preserve original sections, unmaintained by the government.
  • Visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in Beijing. Explore the narrow Hutong Alleyways and learn about Beijing’s city formations and local neighbourhoods.

Itinerary

ITINERARY CHANGES Our itineraries are updated regularly throughout the year based on customer feedback and to reflect the current situation in each destination. The information included in this Essential Trip Information may therefore differ from when you first booked your trip. It's important that you review this information prior to travel so that you have the latest updates. Due to weather, local conditions, transport schedules, public holidays, political unrest or other factors, further changes may be necessary to your itinerary once in-country. Your group leader or local representative will keep you up to date with any such changes once your trip is underway and has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if deemed necessary due to safety concerns. , OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES A selection of optional activities that have been popular with past travellers are listed in the day-to-day itinerary. This isn't an exhaustive list and should be used as a guide only for some of what might be available. Prices are approximate, are for entrance fees only, and don’t include transport to and from the sites or local guides unless indicated. All activities are subject to availability, and maybe on a join-in basis. It may not be possible to do all the activities listed in the time available at each destination, so some pre-planning for what you are most interested in is advised. When it's recommended that travellers pre-book these activities, look for a note in the Special Information section of the day-to-day itinerary. For most, they can either be organised independently on the day, or let your group leader or local representative know you are interested at the Welcome Meeting and they can assist. Where activities are considered medium or high risk, we work with operators whose safety and credentials we have sighted and assessed. Although it is possible that you may find the same activity cheaper with another operator on the ground, we cannot vouch for the safety or quality of that operator. Medium and high-risk activities not listed above have not been assessed by us and as such our staff and group leader or local representative are unable to assist you with organising these activities. Activities that contravene our Responsible Travel policies are also not listed. Please remember that the decision to partake in any activity not listed is at your own discretion and risk., PASSPORTS USED FOR ENTRY TO TOURISM SITES AND TRAIN STATIONS International visitors will have their passport scanned upon entry to tourism sites and at train stations in China. The passport acts as an entrance ticket and it takes 1-2mins for scanning and entry. This means that it can take 20-30mins for our groups to enter some locations, depending on group size and processing capacity in each location. Chinese nationals have their ID cards scanned at these locations and these are processed instantly.

Day 1 - Beijing
Ni Hao! Welcome to China. Your adventure begins in Beijing with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. The capital of the most populous country on earth, Beijing is a food-centric city with ancient sites and modern architecture around every corner. If you arrive early, maybe explore the city at your own pace and wander through the Summer Palace’s beautiful gardens, visit the Lama Temple or try some local cuisine like peking duck or jianbing. After the meeting, settle into your accommodation and maybe get together with your travel crew and head out for dinner – your local leader will have a couple of great recommendations.
Day 2 - Beijing
This morning, set off on a walking tour with your leader around Beijing. Visit Tiananmen Square – this downtown square is the symbolic centre of Chinese power. Framed by the Gate of Heavenly Peace, Mao’s Mausoleum and the Great Hall of the People, it's a place of pilgrimage for Chinese tourists who consider it the heart of their nation. From here, you’ll enter the Forbidden City, which was built more than 500 years ago. Explore the halls and courtyards and see the grandeur of the Imperial Chinese Court during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Then, continue through Hutong (alleyways or small street between rows of courtyard residences). These narrow alleyways surrounding the Forbidden City are lined with traditional courtyard houses representing the layout and lifestyle of the old Beijing city and local neighbourhoods. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to explore at your own pace.
Day 3 - Jiankou village
Make your way to the first section of the Great Wall of your journey. This incredible piece of engineering stretches 6000 km west of Beijing. It was initially constructed to protect Chinese empires from invaders from the north. Even though it failed, it's still one of the country's most remarkable achievements and an iconic destination. Your hike starts at the Mutianyu Great Wall – this section of the wall is one of the more popular and well-maintained sections. As you hike, take in the scenery, snaking through the hills into the distance. Tonight, you’ll stay at Jiankou Village.
Day 4 - Gubeikou village
The Jiankou section of the Great Wall is commonly considered the ‘Wild Wall’ as it was built along a mountain edge with towers clinging to steep ridges and remains completely untouched. Maybe take on the short vertical climb at Sanshibadeng (Spider-Man Wall) for panoramic views of the original construction and surrounding scenery. As you walk along the sections that aren't maintained by the government, maybe help to protect the local environment and pick up any litter you see. After your hike this afternoon, drive to Gubeikou Village and maybe catch the sunset from atop this magnificent structure.
Day 5 - Gubeikou village
After breakfast, drive to the Simatai section of the Great Wall. Like the Jiankou section, the Simatai Great Wall retains much of its unrestored character. You'll hike the footpath to the top, then follow the wall to Tower 10, passing steep ridges, uneven stonework and sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and Gubeikou Reservoir. This afternoon, head back to your guesthouse in Gubeikou Village and try your hand at making dumplings with your host.
Day 6 - Panlongshan Great Wall to Jinshanling Village
Today you’ll hike from Panlongshan along the Gubeikou section of the wall to Zhuanduokou Tower in Jinshanling. This part of the wall preserves its original history, dating back to the Ming Dynasty, when it was expanded and reinforced to defend China’s northern borders. Along the way, you’ll pass many watchtowers, including the three-level 24 Window Tower. Parts of the trail are steep and uneven and at times, you’ll leave the wall to walk along country paths through villages and farmland. As you go, take in the scenic views of mountains in the distance. Tonight, you’ll stay in Jinshanling Village.
Day 7 - Beijing
If the weather is nice, you’ll wake up early this morning to catch the sunrise over the Great Wall before setting off on your final day of hiking. After breakfast, continue from Zhuanduokou Tower to the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall. This section is 7 m tall and 6 m wide, built from large bricks that weigh about 12 kg each. As you hike through the Big and Small Jinshan Mountains, you’ll see the Big and Small Jinshan Watchtowers. This afternoon you’ll head back to Beijing. When you arrive, maybe head out for a farewell dinner with your group to celebrate your journey.
Day 8 - Beijing
With no activities planned for today, you are free to leave at any time. This doesn’t mean your adventure has to come to an end! If you'd like to spend more time in Beijing, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
11-04-202618-04-2026AUD $ 2,295-
18-04-202625-04-2026AUD $ 2,160-
09-05-202616-05-2026AUD $ 2,150-
16-05-202623-05-2026AUD $ 1,980-
23-05-202630-05-2026AUD $ 1,920-
06-06-202613-06-2026AUD $ 2,180-
29-08-202605-09-2026AUD $ 2,130-
05-09-202612-09-2026AUD $ 1,990-
12-09-202619-09-2026AUD $ 2,080-
19-09-202626-09-2026AUD $ 2,140-
10-10-202617-10-2026AUD $ 1,990-
10-04-202717-04-2027AUD $ 2,070-
17-04-202724-04-2027AUD $ 2,070-
08-05-202715-05-2027AUD $ 2,070-
15-05-202722-05-2027AUD $ 1,990-
22-05-202729-05-2027AUD $ 1,990-
05-06-202712-06-2027AUD $ 1,990-
28-08-202704-09-2027AUD $ 1,990-
04-09-202711-09-2027AUD $ 2,070-
11-09-202718-09-2027AUD $ 2,070-
18-09-202725-09-2027AUD $ 2,070-
16-10-202723-10-2027AUD $ 1,990-

Accommodation

Hotel (3 nights), Guesthouse (4 night)

Transport

Private Vehicle, Subway

Map

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