Day 1 Beijing
Upon arrival at Beijing airport, you are met and
transferred to the hotel. Meet your fellow trekkers at the Evening Reception.
Grand Hotel Beijing
Day 2
Beijing
Spend the day exploring the city of Beijing.
First take a stroll on Tiananmen Square, a huge open
public ground with monumental buildings on four sides.
Then move on to visit the Forbidden City,
magnificent imperial palaces of the Ming and Qing dynasties, with
its own museums and elegant gardens.
Afternoon tour an old Hutong neighborhood
and the Temple of Heaven. Return to hotel for
refreshing before going out to enjoy a Peking Duck Dinner
in the evening.
Grand Hotel Beijing <B-L-D>
Day 3 Beijing g Simatai
Today you travel by vehicle with guide and driver to
Jinshanling. Start hiking on the section of Jinshanling Great Wall
around noon time.
Hikers will encounter as many as 150 watchtowers,
battlements, terraces and turrets on this section of the wall.
Architecturally, there are towers of various shapes: square, circular,
oblate and cornered; and roofs of different structures: flat, vaulted,
domed and quadrangular, or with an octagonal caisson ceiling.
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At the end of the day, you arrive at Simatai for
overnight and get ready for next day's hiking.
Simatai Guesthouse <B-L-D>
Day 4 Simatai g Huangyaguan
After breakfast, start today's hiking at Simatai.
The actual construction of the Simatai Section on the border
between Beijing and Hebei Province began in 1368. The 19-kilometer wall was built with
unique structural design and fine craftsmanship. The 35 watchtowers vary from each other
in architectural details. Among them, the famous Wangjinglou (Capital Viewing Tower)
at the elevation of 986 meters is constructed on sheer precipices.
The afternoon drive from Simatai to Huangyaguan takes
about three hours through a landscape of hills and valleys.
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Huangyaguan Villa Hotel <B-L-D>
Day 5 Huangyaguan g Zunhua
The Huangyaguan section of the
Great Wall winds through a great variety of landscapes and thus creating magnificent
vistas along the mountain ridges.
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This section features strongholds, fortresses, turrets and water
barriers. The most famous spots are the Phoenix Tower, North Pole
Pavilion, and the Forest of Stone Tablets.
In the afternoon, drive to East Qing Tombs
for a visit: tomb of Dowager Cixi, a Museum, and stone animal
walkway. Arrive in Zunhua by the evening.
Zunhua International Hotel
<B-L>
Day 6 Zunhua g Qian'An
Travel by vehicle to Panjiakou
Reservoir and explore the remnants of the ruined Great Wall
including a section that goes under the water. Hike along the
Xifengkou Section and visit a couple of villages and a
film site.
In late afternoon, travel to Qian'An and spend the
night in town.
Qian'An Aote Hotel <B-L-D>
Day 7 Qian'An g Shanhaiguan
This morning, driver through rolling hills into
the Yanshan Mountain and arrive at Baiyangyu Great Wall,
which was the only section of the Great Wall built upon marble
bases. You will hike for three to four hours from Baiyangyu to
Lengkou Pass.
Enjoy a picnic lunch on the wall,
and stop by a couple of small villages where you can
chat with farmers and visit their homes.
Travel by vehicle to Shanhaiguan in the afternoon
and check in hotel upon arrival.
Haisheng Garden Hotel <B-L-D>
Day 8 Shanhaiguan
Today's hike starts at the trail to Jiaoshan
Section just outside the town. It takes you through some
dramatic scenery as you ascend to the peak.
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Move on to Jiumenkou Section for a
visit. Here extensive ancient defense works were constructed above a
river.
In the afternoon, you conclude the Great Wall
adventure with a final four kilometers walk from the strategic
Shanhaiguan Pass to Laolongtou (Old Dragon Head),
where the 3,000-mile-long Great Wall plunges into the Bohai Sea of the
Pacific Ocean.
Celebrate your accomplishment with your guide and
fellow hikers in the local restaurant.
Haisheng Garden
Hotel <B-L-D>
Day 9 Shanhaiguan g Beijing
Drive back to Beijing in the morning and arrive by
early afternoon. Check in at the hotel and the balance of the day
is for your own relaxation.
Grand Hotel Beijing <B-L>
Day 10 Return Home
Transfer to the airport and board your homebound flight. Arrive in North
America on the same day.
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Please
Note : Tourist facilities in the towns
near the Great Wall are not well developed. Hotels are simple and there will be some long
drives between places on roads that may be in poor condition. Occasionally situations
arise that warrant a revision of the tour program. Every effort will be made to ensure
that such changes maintain the intent of the itinerary. Although the rewards are great,
this is a strenuous trip. Only those willing to accept some discomforts should consider
taking this tour. |
