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Great Wall Hiking
Laurus Travel is able to incorporate an optional
full-day Great Wall hiking into almost any of our China tour itineraries
with a stop in Beijing. The offer is intended for casual hikers who are
itchy to experience China's Great Wall more than the average tourist does.
It is open to anyone over 10 years of age but those suffering from heart
conditions, high blood pressure, obesity or mobility difficulty will not
find the outing suitable. In fact, this is a physically demanding trip
requiring the participant to be perfectly fit. We require a minimum of 2
participants to run the program. Escorted by an experienced Laurus Travel guide, participants start the 10km hike from Hebei Province's Jinshanling and conclude the extremely rewarding journey after 4 hours in Beijing's Simatai section of the Wall. Participants are required to carry their own essential supplies such as water and snacks. Hiking experience is not mandatory. For a fit and agile person, the terrain of the hike is not that challenging except for a very short stretch. Some of our staff members and customers have brought along children as young as 10 and the kids just love it. Depending on the season, you may need to bring a light jacket suitable for hiking. It is always advisable to dress in layers. Bottled water and snacks will be handed out before the hike. Past customers in their 50's and 60's mostly completed the hike in less than 4 hours. The best months for hiking the Great Wall are April, May, early June, late August, September and sometimes the first half of October. If you wish to do it in late June or July or early August, you'll have to start very early in the morning and complete it around 1:00 PM. In the summer months you should also be prepared for mosquito bites if you take too many breaks! Some "experts" advise against doing it in July and August but we have found that going against that advice has paid great dividend as long as the outing is planned properly. One of the special rewards of hiking the Wall in the summer is the lack of crowds. Since the Wall sits atop mountain peaks (mostly), it can be breezy and cool even when it is sweltering hot in the city. If you are interested in this program, please contact us. Please remember this option is available only if you take one of our group tours. Great Wall Hiking Video Clips
We leave the hotel at 6:30 AM and arrive at
Jinshanling Great Wall two hours later. We start the 10km hike
immediately after a washroom break. You will be amazed by the incredible
scenery. Because of its remoteness and relatively challenging terrain,
this 10km section of the Great Wall does not see that many tourists when
compared with Badaling, Juyongguan or Mutianyu. We reach Simatai in
early afternoon and drive back to Beijing after lunch.
The whole excursion takes about 12 hours including 4 to 5 hours on the road, 4 hours on the Great Wall, lunch time and maybe some unexpected delay due to traffic congestion, weather conditions etc. The distance from Beijng to Jinshanling by highway is 130 kilometers but getting in and out of the city proper may take more time than you think, especially on our return to the city. Price: from $185 per person subject to a minimum of two participants Price includes:
The per-person cost can go down significantly if there are three or more participants. Overnight Near the Great Wall If you like, you may choose to stay a night at a guesthouse near Jinshanling. But we must warn you that, after extensive search and first-hand experience staying at various hotels and guesthouses near the Great Wall at Jinshanling, we haven't found a single one that meets our standard in terms of cleanliness. As of May, 2011, all the rooms we have inspected or slept in have this unpleasant musty smell. The bathrooms are generally damp, poorly lit and reek of bad odour. We hope conditions will improve in 2012. We'll update you on this if you are interested in staying a night near Jinshanling. |
Itinerary
