About this trip
Nine days centred on walking different sections of the Great Wall, away from the crowded tourist stretches, giving you time to take in the scale of it without being rushed through in a big group.
You cover a mix of terrain, from crumbling, overgrown sections to rebuilt stretches, which together tell the story of a structure built up over some 2,000 years rather than in one go.
Alongside the wall itself, you get a look at rural life in the Chinese countryside before heading back to Beijing, a city where centuries of history sit next to rapid modern change.
What you'll do
- Trek semi-ruined, little-visited sections of the Great Wall
- Compare weathered original stretches with rebuilt portions
- Walk sections at a steady pace rather than rushing through with crowds
- Spend time in rural Chinese communities along the way
- Explore Beijing, old and new, at the end of the trip
- Moderate difficulty — expect sustained walking and some uneven, steep sections underfoot
- Fully guided throughout, in a small group
- Suits people happy to see both restored and genuinely ruined parts of the wall, not just postcard sections
Worth it if you're reasonably fit, like hiking variety, and enjoy homestays and Chinese food. Think twice if you need heated accommodation or prefer independent travel without a structured group.
- Guide Jerry was exceptional—passionate, detail-obsessed, brilliant with groups, made Beijing and wall sections unforgettable.
- Each day's wall section genuinely differs; steep 'Spiderman' scrambles and varied terrain keep six days of trekking fresh.
- Accommodation is basic and unheated; autumn nights get cold. Bring sleeping bag and warm layers or expect discomfort.
- Beijing and Xi'an extensions worth doing; acrobat and kung fu show prices exceed operator estimates, budget accordingly.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.
Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and availability come from our own daily tracking.
Departing in Sep is cheapest — from £1,300, about 8% below the priciest month (Oct).
Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Beijing · 11 Sept – 12 Sept
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