12 Days Great Wall Hiking from Old Dragon's Head to Mutianyu with or without Camping

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12

Great Wall Hiking

DAYS
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Holiday Overview

Highlights

  • Dragon’s Head: The only section of the Ming Great Wall built in the sea
  • Hike from Dragon’s Head, the easternmost point of the Great Wall, back to Beijing
  • Best-preserved and best-known section

Brief Itinerary

  • DAY 01 ARRIVAL BEIJING
  • DAY 02 BEIJING / OLD DRAGON’S HEAD / SHANGHAIGUANG
  • DAY 03 JIAOSHAN / SANDAO GUAN / STAY IN DONGJIAKOU
  • DAY 04 DONGJIAKOU / STAY IN EAST QING TOMBS
  • DAY 05 EAST QING TOMBS / HUANGYAGUAN
  • DAY 06 HUANGYAGUAN / CHENGDE
  • DAY 07 CHENGDE / WOHUSHAN / STAY IN JINSHANLING
  • DAY 08 GUBEIKOU/ JINSHANLING / STAY IN HUANGHUACHENG
  • DAY 09 HUANGHUACHENG / XISHUIYU / CAMP ON JIANKOU
  • DAY 10 JIANKOU / MUTIANYU / BEIJING
  • DAY 11 BEIJING CITY TOUR
  • DAY 12 BEIJING / HOME
 

Map & Itinerary

This program has been crafted for serious Great Wall enthusiasts who would like to experience the best parts of the eastern Wall, but who has only limited time. This is a long and comprehensive Great Wall tour that we offer, combined Great Wall hiking and the historical sites along the way together as well nearby city in Chengde with one day special hiking experience inside the Summer Resort., and you'll be hard pressed to find a better constructed one at any other travel agency.

We begin our hike at Old Dragon’s Head, and hike eastward to Dongjiakou, where descendants of the original builders still proudly maintain their section of the wall. The following day we will take a visit to East Qing tombs, the resting place for much of China's final ruling dynasty. Then drive to the massive fortress at Huangyaguan, which includes part of the Wall which is constructed over a body of water. Afterwards, we will meet the highlight for this tour, which is the sites with long history and rich culture, the Summer Resort in Chengde where we could arrange 4-5hours hiking. Next, we’ll tackle Wohushan. One of our stops, Jinshanling, is the best example of the Ming Dynasty wall, which is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.  The scene then shifts to Hunaghuacheng, where we will trek until we reach Xishuiyu, which is famed for its underwater portion of the Great Wall. Then drive to Jiankou, a largely dilapidated section that features awe-inspiring ruins set against some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. We’ll get a break when we cross over into Mutianyu, a largely restored section where the hiking is relatively tame. And when we get back to Beijing you'll get to pick any kind of city tour you like (Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, etc.)

Holiday Itinerary

  • ARRIVAL BEIJING

    You will be met at Beijing International Airport by our CAT guide and transferred to a hotel in central Beijing. Today you will have an opportunity to rest and recover from the long flight. In the late afternoon, there will be a briefing about the Great Wall Trekking in the following 9 days. Welcome dinner will be followed by that.

    • Accommodation 4 star hotel Beijing

    • Meals D

  • BEIJING / OLD DRAGON’S HEAD / SHANGHAIGUANG

    After an early breakfast we will make a 4-4.5-hour drive to the Shanhai Pass (Shanhai Guan), which is in a town situated in the northeast of Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province.

    After lunch at a local Chinese restaurant, we’ll have a tour to the Great Wall Museum to learn about the history of the Great Wall. Then, we will walk to Shanhaiguan Pass Fortress nearby, which is hailed as "the first pass of the Great Wall" due to its strategic location in the ancient time.

    In the late afternoon, a short drive will take us to the sea and we will start our hike at Old Dragon’s Head, also known as Laolongtou (老龙头). Laolongtou is the most eastern section of the Great Wall was built in 1381, Ming Dynasty(1368-1644). It was an important line of defense against enemies coming from both the land and the sea until the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

    For the night we will stay at a courtyard hotel (a simple but clean hotel with private washroom and hot water shower), and have a tasty dinner of Northern Chinese cuisine to get you started for tomorrow’s hike.

    • Accommodation 4-star courtyard hotel in Shanhaiguan

    • Meals BLD

  • JIAOSHAN / SANDAO GUAN / STAY IN DONGJIAKOU

    Today, beginning at the Jiaoshan Great Wall we will head towards Sandao Guan.

    Note: Be sure to wear a long sleeve shirt, as we will be walking through lots of bushes.

    We will hike from the bottom of Jiao Shan upwards directly to the Jiao Shan ancient wall, which provides you a sense of historical vicissitude and a overall view of the magnificent Shanhaiguan City in the sun.

    Walking on the dilapidated wall is a great challenge. The wall appears more and more crumbled and deformed as you forge ahead. In some sections, the wall is only built on one side, with the other side being the deep cliffs. One-hour's climb, you will arrive at Dapingding Peak (大平顶), the main peak of Jiao Mountain, where we will be able to enjoy a beautiful bird’s-eye view of Shanhaiguan city in the early morning sunlight on clear day, far below. We will then strike off for the next 3-4 hours, travelling in a north-easterly direction, hiking partly on the wall and partly on a wild mountain trail, until we come to our destination - a beautiful valley overlooked by Mt. Longevity. This peaceful valley is characterized by huge stones, a quiet forest, and crystal-clear creeks. In the shadow of Mt. Longevity sits the little village of Sandaoguan (“Three-layer-wall Pass”) with about 35 families living in it. We will walk down to the village, where we will enjoy a short rest and meet our vehicle.

    After a short break, we will drive about one and a half hours to the village of Dongjiakou, where we will stay in the local farmer's home. It’s very simple but clean (two-bed, with no private washroom and hot water shower).

    • Accommodation local farmer's home in Dongjiakou (two-bed, with no private washroom and hot water shower)

    • Distance 12km

    • Meals BLD

    • Time 6.5-7.5hrs hiking

  • DONGJIAKOU / STAY IN EAST QING TOMBS

    Our day will begin with breakfast with our local host family and then we'll start hiking in Dongjiakou. 

    We will take 20 minutes hike up on the mountain to the Cihou Tower, a special structure that is only seen at this portion of the Great Wall. Although this Dongjiakou section is relatively short, with a length of only 5.9 km, it has remained one of the best-preserved sections of the original Ming Dynasty Wall, built more than 600 years ago. Apart from the castles, about 60% of constructions of Dongjiakou Great Wall including defense towers and beacon towers are still in intactness on the whole.  And some of its bricks are carved with various true-to-life folk patterns of South China, which is distinctly distinguishing from the blank bricks on other sections of the Great Wall.

    Then we will return to the Donjiakou village to visit the ruins of the fortress and to chat with the villagers, who are the offspring of the garrison, still living at the village and inherit their ancestors' mission of guarding Dongjiakou Great Wall.

    Leaving from the village, after 20 minutes short drive, we will start our 3-hour hike westward along the Wall to the Banchangyu (板厂峪) section of the Great Wall, having a picnic lunch along the way. At the end of our hike, we will start our long 4-hour drive to the site of the East Qing Tombs, where we will stay in a nice hotel nearby (two beds per room, with private washroom).

    • Accommodation hotel in East Qing Tombs (two-bed, with private washroom)

    • Distance 12km

    • Meals BLD

    • Time 4.5-5hrs hiking

  • EAST QING TOMBS / HUANGYAGUAN

    This morning, you will visit the spectacular East Qing tombs, make up an imperial mausoleum complex from the last feudal empire (Qing Dynasty 1644-1911) in China,. which far-surpass their more famous predecessors, the Ming Tombs, both in splendor and in majesty. These tombs form a countryside version of the Forbidden City and are nearly as elaborate. Tastefully restored for the most part, this Imperial City is vast, grand, and less crowded.

    After lunch, we will make a one hour drive to a small village near Huangyaguan Great Wall. From here, we will hike for about one hour and a half, westward, to Huangyaguan Pass, which is situated in a beautiful valley in the heart of the Yanshan Mountains. Because the cliff rocks to the east of the pass are mostly yellow and they look gilded at the sunset, the pass got its name Huangya (Yellow Cliff) Pass.

    From there we will continue our trek heading up the steep renovated steps until reaching a sheer cliff face. This is where we encounter "Heaven’s Ladder", a steep climb of over 200 steps carved into the precipice, leading up towards a breath-taking section of the Great Wall. Once we have caught our breath at the top, you will back to the bottom of Huangyaguan, where you will be welcomed by our stuff with the “happy hour”. Snacks, nuts, fruit, beer(Yes, beer!!!) will be ready for you to celebrate. You could mingle around and share your experience with other participants in your group. Have great fun!!! (The day for happy hour could be different according to the weather condition.)

    • Accommodation courtyard hotel in Huangyaguan

    • Distance 6km

    • Meals BLD

    • Time 3hrs hiking

  • HUANGYAGUAN / CHENGDE

    This morning, after breakfast, we will drive directly to Chengde, one of the premier historic and cultural cities of China. Upon arrival, we will check in the hotel first. After lunch, the guide will take you to visit the Imperial Summer Resort.

    Imperial Summer Resort: It was built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and took about 90 years (1703-1792) to construct. It is one of China's leading scenic spots and the world's largest imperial garden, added to the World Cultural Heritage List in 1994. It's originally built for the royal families of the Qing Dynasty to spend the summer months in its mild climate, shielded from the cold winds that blow from Northwest China by the surrounding mountain peaks. When compared to the formality of the Forbidden City, it is delightful for its simplicity and elegance. It is a grand architectural complex that consists of numerous palaces, the largest royal garden in China and various pavilions, temples and minor palaces which dot the mountain slopes and valleys. It is like being within a Chinese traditional painting, with wonderful scenery that defies description in mere words.

    • Accommodation 4 star hotel in Chengde

    • Meals BLD

  • CHENGDE / WOHUSHAN / STAY IN JINSHANLING

    After breakfast, you will have morning time to visit Puning Temple (Temple of Universal Tranquility) and Putuo Zongcheng Temple - a small model of Potala Palace accompanied by the guide.

    Puning Temple: a Chinese-style temple at the front, with chubby Milefo (Laughing Buddha) welcoming visitors and more Tibetan-style features at the rear. It was constructed in 1755 of the Qianlong reign. The whole building complex of the Puning Temple mixed the artistic style for Han, Tibetan and Indian architectures, and formed the typical image of a Buddha World with Buddha statues as its main body, holding an important position in the history of Chinese architecture.

    Putuo Zongcheng Temple: the largest of the Chengde temples, a mini-facsimile of Lhasa's Potala Palace. The architecture of the Putuo Zongcheng Temple is intriguing, as it combines Han and Tibetan Styles in perfect harmony.

    After lunch, we will take 1.5 hrs drive to Wohushan section of the Great Wall for a 2 hours hiking. Wohushan (Crouching Tiger Mountain) Great Wall straddles on the rocky mountains of Wohushan, so named because two distinct peaks resemble a pair of tigers, one looks up and the other bends down. The Wall winds through Wohu Shan for 13.6 kilometer; along the way, 20 towers decked its spine. Our hike will cover part of them. This is the Wall which is not seen by tourists! At the end of today’s hike, you will have chance to watch the sunset on the tower of Gubeikou Great Wall. (The day for sun-setting on the Wall could be different according to the weather condition.)

    • Accommodation guest house at the bottom of Gubeikou

    • Distance 4km

    • Meals BLD

    • Time 1.5-2hrs hiking

  • GUBEIKOU/ JINSHANLING / STAY IN HUANGHUACHENG

    This morning is yours for relaxation and recovery after 6 days hiking, you could enjoy your time in the Great Wall village. Around 11:00pm, you will make the trek eastward from Gubeikou to the General Tower in Jinshanling. Although you have to take a detour of the Wall to walk around the restricted military zone, today's trekking still be fairly easy, because the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall is still kept well. Then drive to Huanghuacheng area to stay overnight at a local family’s home.

    • Accommodation guest house near Huanghuacheng

    • Distance 10km

    • Meals BLD

    • Time 5-6hrs hiking;

  • HUANGHUACHENG / XISHUIYU / CAMP ON JIANKOU

    Today we will start our hike westward to Xishuiyu. Although the climb is steep, there is a good trail alongside the Wall, and it only takes about half an hour to get to the watch tower on the cliff. Here is a great place from which to take photos, one of which must be of the moon-shaped reservoir far below. Then, after another half-an-hour hiking, we will reach the highest point in this area. From this vantage point you will have a nice sunny panoramic view of the whole wide valley, stretching even further toward the west. From this summit the Wall dives steeply downwards into the valley.

    After walking down by the steps, we will reach a platform and hike westward again, climbing upwards along the broken Wall to our picnic lunch spot (sometime our lunch will be in a homestay at the bottom of the Wall), a tall cliff overlooking Xishuiyu Lake. From here, the view is amazing! You can see the broken Wall running directly into the lake, and beyond it, the endless mountain range. Unfortunately, from here on, the Wall is really too broken to traverse safely, so we will instead follow a pleasant mountain trail downwards to the lake at the bottom. We will take a boat for a short ride around in the lake, where we could see the cliff of Great Wall from the lake, a great view for photo!!! At the end of our hike, we will drive the Jiankou village and check in the local guest house

    If camping, after dinner, trek 40-50mins to tonight’s camp site, camping on the Great Wall

    • Accommodation guest house or Camping on the Great wall

    • Distance 9km

    • Meals BLD

    • Time 4-4.5hrs hiking

  • JIANKOU / MUTIANYU / BEIJING

    Your last trekking day is again great for photography! The Jiankou section of the Wall is known to be one of most beautiful part of the Wild Wall near Beijing, loved by photographers. After a half-hour climb upwards, through a gentle wooded area, we will clamber out onto a portion of the Wall not visited by tourists.

    If camping, we will be woken up before sunrise to catch the sun throwing soft morning light onto the Wall itself. After a simple breakfast, hike eastwards to Mutianyu Great Wall. The hike itself is quiet and beautiful - in about four hours of passing deserted sections of the Wall in its original state, we will get to the well-known restored section of the Wall - Mutianyu. What a difference between the tourist section and the original Wild Wall we have just seen! At the end of the trekking drive back to Beijing.

    • Accommodation 4 star hotel in Beijing

    • Distance 10km

    • Meals BLD

    • Time 4-5hrs hiking

  • BEIJING CITY TOUR

    Pick-up from your hotel at 8:00. Drive to Tian’anmen Square, walk cross the square, then visit Forbidden City, the symbol of China, also called Gu Gong. It was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Continue to explore the Temple of Heaven where emperors worship and pray for Harvest in Ming & Qing Dynasty. After lunch we will visit Summer Palace, one of the best preserved summer resort for royal family. Drive back to the hotel, service ends.

    • Accommodation 4 star hotel in Beijing

    • Meals BL

  • BEIJING / HOME

    After breakfast at the hotel, we will transfer to Beijing International Airport for our return international flights.

    • Meals B

 

Additional details

1. Before you pay deposit to book the tour, we haven’t made any reservation yet. The train, flight tickets and the hotel may different from the itinerary listed.

2. The visiting order of the scenic spots in the itinerary may change according to the traffic condition and other unforeseen things.

3. Tourist insurance is a must before going, please provide us the confirmation of insurance company when sign up.


The price includes

1. Entrance Fees: to scenic spots as listed in the itinerary

2. All the activities fee mentioned in the itinerary: Hutong rickshaw in Beijing; Sichuan Opera show in Chengdu;

3. Private Transfers: Transfers between airports, hotels and scenic spots while sightseeing during the trip by private air conditioned vehicle with a driver.

4. Meals: All meals as indicated in the itinerary (B-breakfast, L-lunch, D-dinner), include Peking duck dinner in Beijing; Hot pot dinner in Chengdu.

5. Guide: As outlined in the itinerary an English-speaking guide and driver will be provided in each city, who will remain with you throughout your time in that city. A new guide and a new driver will meet you at each city on your tour, to provide you with the best local knowledge available

6. Hotel: hotel fees are based on two people sharing one room with king-size bed. All hotels as listed in the above itinerary serve daily western or Chinese breakfast

7. Internal flights
** Day 11/   Flight from Yichang to Shanghai (based on economy class);
8. Trains
** Day 04/   High speed train from Beijing to Xi’an (based on 2nd class);
** Day 06/   High speed train from Xi’an to Chengdu (based on 2nd class)
** Day 06/   High speed train from Chengdu to Chongqing (based on 2nd class)

9. Arrangements: the tour cost includes planning, handling, operational and communication charges

10. Travel Agency Liability insurance


The price does not include

1. International airfare or train tickets to enter or leave China

2. China entry visa fees

3. Excess baggage charges

4. The medicine for the sickness or accident while on the way

5. Personal expenses: expenses of a purely personal nature such as laundry, drinks, fax, telephone calls, optional activities, sightseeing or meals which are not included in the tour itinerary

6. Meals: any meals which are not specified in the tour itinerary

7. Single room supplement

8. Please notice that the price will be much higher during the festival of Labors’ Day, National Day, spring festival

9. Tips to tour guide and driver (recommended USD10-15/guest/day).

10. Tourist accident insurance. NB - you are strongly suggested to buy travel and health insurance before you start out from your home country.


Payment conditions

To confirm your reservation, you must pay a deposit of 30% of the total amount due via the payment link that your local agent will share. The balance is due 30 days prior to departure. The quoted exchange rate is valid for the next 7 days – if the deposit is not paid within this time, the quote will be re-calculated.


Terms and conditions for cancelation

i. Cancellation of the Tour by CAT (local agent):

CAT reserve the right to cancel the postpone tour at any time up to the date final payment is due under the following condition: in our opinion, health and/or safety factors related to conditions in China would make the tour inadvisable. And in this case, all money paid by the participants will be refunded. If the tour is postponed, CAT will offer all those who have signed up the opportunity to have the same tour for a later time, but the price may be changed according to the season. We will notify you of any change, and give you a reasonable period

of time to make your decision. Consumers may, but are under no obligation to, take the tour under these new terms. After final payment has been made, we may cancel the tour only if, in our opinion, health and/or safety factors related to conditions in China would make the tour inadvisable. Since cancellation in this case involves factors which may arise suddenly and are entirely outside our control, including but not limited to natural disasters, civil unrest and epidemic disease, we cannot guarantee a full refund in this case. This is because payment will already have been made to finalize the arrangements and reservation.

ii. Cancellation of the Tour by Consumer:

Any cancellation must be made by sending an email to the local agent. The cancellation fee varies according to how many days prior to departure the cancellation is made:

   ·  More than 30 days prior to departure: 5% of the total holiday cost

   ·  Between 30 and 22 days prior to departure : 25% of the total holiday cost

   ·  Between 21 and 8 days prior to departure : 50% of the total holiday cost

   ·  Between 7 and 3 days prior to departure : 75% of the total holiday cost

   ·  Less than 3 days prior to departure and after the departure date: 100% of the total holiday cost

All cancellations must be in writing and will be effective upon receipt by CAT. No refund will be made to those participants who break the journey regardless of the portions of the package unused. If, owing to serious illness or injury, the participant withdraws from the tour, a refund will be subject to the consent of the local travel agent.

No refund will be made to those participants who have failed to secure valid travel documents such as passport or visas.

 

Holiday Information

 

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