Great Wall Layover Day Hike
TOUR 1AIR: Great Wall travel that fits
in
perfectly with the hours
you
will need
to fill between flights
at Beijing Airport.
Popularity Ranking:
*Ranked by the quantity of signups of
all 1-day hiking routes.
A person can succeed at almost
anything for which they have unlimited enthusiasm. - Charles M.
Schwab
Great Wall Layover Hiking Tour Options
Layover
of 8 hours or less -
Suggest Great Wall Sections to Visit
If you stop over
for only 8 hours or less, the closest Great Wall section you can
visit is Mutianyu. You will have more than enough time to cach
your next flight.
Cable car/chair lift to go up and
down to save you significant time.
Layover
of 10-14
hours -
-
Suggest Great Wall Sections to Visit
Jinshanling Great
Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while partially restored, is not nearly as crowded as Badaling or Mutianyu,
allowing you to have a more intimate experience with the wall.
Jinshanling is known for it many beautiful watchtowers, as well as the
way it winds and snakes its way along the mountains. When you first get
up on Jinshanling you will be stunned.
Handle of Your Luggage
Testimonials:
Katherine Belarmino is an experienced travel writer, planner, and
blogger who has traveled extensively throughout North
America, Central America, Europe and Asia. Ms. Belarmino has a wide
presence on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and
her blog, "Travel the World", has gained an increasingly large
following. This past December, Ms. Belamino went on our popular
Gubeikou-Jinshanling Great Wall hike, and here are
her recollections of her experience on the Great Wall with Great
Wall Adventure Club.
For more
testimonials, please click
here.
Sample Hiking Itinerary
Our car or minivan will pick you up
anywhere within the 3rd ring road, probably between the
times 7:30 - 8:30 am. and from your pick up we will drive
directly to the Gubeikou (left photo) great wall. The drive should
take a little over 2.5 hours.
Gubeikou Great Wall occupies
a strategically important location, which is difficult
to access. Situated between Shanhaiguan Pass and
Juyongguan Pass, and about 62 miles to Beijing, it is
the bastion protecting the northern gateway to the
capital. There are 14 beacon towers, 143 watchtowers, 16
strategic pass, three citadels and many other military
constructions. Many of them are famous cultural relics,
such as the Big Flower Beacon Tower of the Northern Qi
Dynasty, Fairy Tower, General Tower, and the dominant
Wangjing Tower.
Today we will hike for around 10
km/6 miles. Gubeikou is completely unrestored, covered with over 140
watchtowers, all differing in size and design. From the
wall here you will be able to witness how the wall
twists and winds along the steep mountain ranges. This
is as dramatic a view on the Great Wall as you’ll find.
If the weather is clear, you will be able to see the
shimmering blue lake of the Miyun Reservoir.
Much of the hiking that we will do
on Jinshanling (right photo) today is relatively
easier than Gubeikou, as the
wall here is partially restored and the surface is smoother. Jinshanling has five main passes and 67 watchtowers.
Every 100 meters (328 feet), there is an enemy tower
each of which is about ten meters (33 feet) high.
Featuring various structures and having various
functions, those watchtowers are either one tiered or
two-tiered. Among them, the most celebrated are the Big
and Small Jinshan Watchtowers. The Wangjinglou Tower,
the General Tower, the Black Tower and the Taochun Tower
are also must-sees on the Jinshanling Great Wall. Each
tower has its legend. Legend has it that the stone bars
used to build the Wangjinglou Tower were carried to the
mountaintop by Er Lang Shen, the nephew of the Jade
Emperor. The general tower was named to commemorate Wu Guihua, a heroine who sacrificed herself to resist
northern invader's invasion in the Ming Dynasty. The
Black Tower and the Taochun Tower were christened to
commemorate two girls, Heigu and Taochun, who made great
contributions to the construction of the Great Wall.
At the
end, we will l stop by a local farmer's restaurant
nearby with a late lunch before we return to Beijing.
You will be dropped off back
at your hotel in the early evening. It can take
another 2.5 hours due to the unpredictable traffic
situation in Beijing.
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Stuff you should bring with you:
* Tough hiking boots, sunscreen and sunglasses
* Backpack, and snacks or energy/protein supplements you want to
have before lunch*
* Extra cash for driver/guide tips
* Don’t forget your camera!
Check testimonials from former hikers and view their photos.
More 1-day Great Wall
Hiking Tours:
Read
complete itinerary of Route 1A: Gubeikou-Jinshanling hike
Read
complete itinerary of Route 1B: Jiankou-Mutianyu hike
Read
complete itinerary of Route 1C: East Qing Tomb-Huangyaguan hike
Read
complete itinerary of Route 1D: Huanghuacheng-Xishuiyu hike
Read
complete itinerary of Route 1X: Lianhuachi-Mutianyu hike and Olympic Green (special promo price)
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