Our Great Wall of China vacations & tours
Built over 2,000 years, the Great Wall of China stretches from the sea in the east all the way to the Gobi Desert, yet most visitors concentrate on the tiny section that you can reach from Beijing. Our Great Wall of China vacations seek out the best and quietest viewpoints and routes on one of the most impressive man-made structures ever built. As we travel, we endeavour to benefit communities in the region; our tours use local guides and visit great family-run restaurants along the way. This 21,000-kilometre long series of fortifications isn’t just a wall, as our walking vacations show, and our vacations lead you on foot through quieter areas – off the beaten track, but on firm stone.
Our top Great Wall vacations
China culture & hiking vacation
From
US $2937 to US $3712
14 days
ex flights
A wonderful experience of real China
Tailor made
Tailor made
Great Wall of China walking vacation
From
US $1950 to US $2175
9 days
ex flights
Trek along various contrasting sections of the wall
Small group2026: 12 Sep, 19 Sep, 10 Oct, 2027: 10 Apr, 17 Apr, 8 May, 22 May, 11 Sep, 9 Oct, 16 Oct
China highlights tour
From
US $1870 to US $2325
8 days
ex flights
Short culture-filled adventure in China
Small group2026: 2 Sep, 4 Sep, 7 Sep, 9 Sep, 11 Sep, 14 Sep, 18 Sep, 10 Oct, 12 Oct, 17 Oct, 19 Oct, 24 Oct, 26 Oct, 28 Oct, 30 Oct, 2 Nov, 7 Nov, 14 Nov, 20 Nov, 27 Nov, 5 Dec, 19 Dec, 26 Dec, 28 Dec, 31 Dec, 2027: 9 Jan, 18 Feb, 6 Mar, 11 Mar, 13 Mar, 18 Mar, 20 Mar, 22 Mar, 25 Mar, 27 Mar, 29 Mar, 31 Mar, 3 Apr, 7 Apr, 9 Apr, 12 Apr, 14 Apr, 17 Apr, 19 Apr, 21 Apr, 24 Apr, 6 May, 12 May, 14 May, 17 May, 19 May, 24 May, 31 May ...
12 day Great Wall of China hiking tour
From
US $2497 to US $2841
12 days
ex flights
Experience the best parts of the eastern Wall
Small group2026: 24 Aug, 14 Sep, 17 Oct, 2027: 29 Mar, 19 Apr, 5 May, 17 May, 7 Jun, 23 Aug, 13 Sep, 18 Oct
China highlights tour, tailor made
From
US $3599
12 days
ex flights
Walk along the Great Wall and relax in the stunning Li River
Tailor made
China tailor made vacation, from Beijing to Shanghai
From
US $1949
8 days
ex flights
Highlights of China private tour from Beijing
Tailor made
Highlights of China tour, 27 days
From
£2249 to £2349
27 days
ex flights
See the essentials of China in 27 days!
Small group2026: 11 Oct, 18 Oct, 2027: 14 Mar, 21 Mar, 28 Mar, 2 Apr, 9 May, 23 May, 6 Jun, 20 Jun, 4 Jul, 18 Jul, 8 Aug, 22 Aug, 3 Sep, 10 Oct, 17 Oct
Beijing Great Wall hiking tour, 5 days
From
US $1569
5 days
ex flights
Hike the most restored, steep and watery Great Wall
Tailor made
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Great Wall of China map & highlights
By far the best way to get explore the Great Wall of China is on two feet and how far you venture along its twisting, turning route is marked out for you in sections that start from about 2.5km in length. The most popular sections – Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling and Jiankou – are between 1.5 and 3 hours by road from Beijing and are best reached by private car because public transport to the areas is both infrequent and crowded. At a steady pace on a pretty even surface, a 4km stretch of wall takes around 4 hours to walk, while the wilder sections can take days to explore, and, at sections close to Beijing, weary legs are offered relief in the form of a cable car to ferry you back and forth.
Badaling
1. Badaling
One of the upsides of the Great Wall’s location so close to Beijing is that you can still visit even if it’s not the main element of your China trip. This is not without downsides though; the most visited section close to Beijing – Badaling – is always besieged by tourist hordes and has the souvenir sellers and fast-food outlets to support this. It’s well worth heading further off-the-beaten-track.
Gubeikou
2. Gubeikou
Wild and unaltered, the Gubeikou section of China’s Great Wall stretches for about 20km and is marked by 143 beacon towers; an historical nod to its great military significance. Unlike other, more crowded sections of the Wall, Gubeikou hasn’t been restored and its distinctive blend of irregular rocky surfaces, steep steps, and centuries-old pass gates make it a hotspot for hardy hikers.
Huanghuacheng
3. Huanghuacheng
Unique for many reasons, not least because parts of it are immersed in water, it’s also possible to camp along sections of the Wall at Huanghuacheng between May and September, and there’s a fascinating 500-year-old chestnut orchard at its foot. You can take a boat ride to appreciate the architecture from an entirely different perspective or hike around the lake and its lush vegetation.
Huangyaguan
4. Huangyaguan
A collection of castles and tall towers built along a mountain ridge, Huangyaguan is a representation of the entire Great Wall, but in miniature. Built against a pretty special backdrop of verdant mountain scenery, it hops up and down between cliffs and crags and is the site of the annual Great Wall Marathon every May. Don’t miss the Eight-Trigram Streets; a zig-zag of lanes and T-junctions.
Jiankou
5. Jiankou
Apart from danger, what do you get if you cross wild disrepair with a mountain ridge and steep cliffs? Jiankou. Completely wild and perilously steep, it winds its way along mountain ridges in a rebellious ‘W’ shape watched over by a mean looking enemy observation tower and steep steps that ascend heaven bound. Experienced photographers and serious hikers need only apply.
Jinshanling
6. Jinshanling
Considered one of the most beautiful parts of the entire Wall, Jinshanling is remote and isolated; it hasn’t undergone a repair since 1570. With jaw-dropping views across the Greater and Lesser Jinshan mountain ranges, it is as popular with budding photographers as it is with hikers looking for an atmospheric walk and is characterised by 31 watchtowers all in different shapes and sizes.
Mutianyu
7. Mutianyu
Mutianyu is the biggest, fully-restored section of the Wall that’s open to visitors and, although it’s been repaired sympathetically and is a master class in how to get rebuilding right, like Badaling, it can get very crowded at peak times. That said, with cable cars up and down and 23 different watchtowers to explore, it’s very child-friendly and can be reached within 90 minutes of Beijing.
Simatai
8. Simatai
About 75 miles outside of Beijing, Simatai is steep and inspiring with sections of wall that wind their way up and then plunge dramatically down jagged ridges and cliffs. It’s wonderfully intense, especially in autumn when the surrounding scenery is a sea of deep red leaves, and its three hour distance from the capital means that big crowds are kept at bay too.
Our Vacations to the Great Wall of China reviews
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