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Sleep in
the Watch Tower at
Jinshanling-Gubeikou
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PRICE TABLE
Group
Size |
USD
per person |
1 |
639 |
2 |
389 |
3 |
369 |
4-5 |
339 |
6-9 |
309 |
10+ |
289 |
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN PRICE
* Personal transfers from and to
hotel/airport/train station
* Entry fees to Forbidden City and
Great Wall
* Two lunches, one dinner and one breakfast
(delivered to your watchtower)
* The privilege of camping on the Great Wall and exclusive access to
the camping watch tower
* All necessary camping gears such as tents & bags
* Quality vehicle, professional driver and English-speaking tour
guide
* Free membership card
* A credit of RMB50 when you reserve the next tour with us
Guaranteed no detours to
shops or markets, etc.
 Want
to see more of the legendary Great Wall in all its beauty and
splendor? Visit our
Instagram page for a preview of what could be
in store for you!
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TRAVEL INSURANCE
If you currently don’t have travel insurance then
you will be required to purchase our PICC (People's Insurance
Company of China) travel and accidental insurance.
The fee will be $7.99 per person, and will cover the duration of
your hiking/camping/trekking in order to ensure that you are
comprehensively protected if injured.
For more information about our travel insurance policy please
see our insurance page.
QUALITY VEHICLES
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The Imperial Treasures, Classic Great Wall Overnight Camping and Hiking from
Gubeikou to Jinshanling at Affordable Prices
Route
2X1: Explore the imperial grandeur and wonder of the Great Wall
- Sleep in the watch tower of the Great Wall and
hike from Gubeikou to Jinshanling
POPULARITY RANKING*: 
*Ranked by the quantity of signups of
all 2-day hiking routes.
 
The outdoorsman: Stay overnight on the Great Wall of
China
"When people come to the Great Wall of China, they
want to explore the history and see why it was built. A day trip to
the tourist sites won’t achieve that, but a sleepover on one of the
world’s most storied ruins certainly will. The Great Wall Adventure
Club organizes trips to sleep in a watchtower where soldiers were
formerly garrisoned. When night falls, the only thing above is the
stars, while the incredible land of the surrounding hills is
absolutely silent ... (June 11, 2012)"
Guaranteed camping on
the watch tower!
A few agents claim they can do so but that's not true. What they
usually mean is that they may take you to the foot of the Great Wall
to camp on the ground or to sleep at a guesthouse. Not us. For each
participant (even children), we must pay a hefty relic preserving
fee to the Great Wall administration office. This fee allows for you
to camp on the Great Wall, hence why the price for this program is
higher than most. Great Wall Adventure Club (GWAC) is the only
company approved by the Great Wall Administration Office to offer
camping for international guests. This is what sets us apart from
other operators.
Please keep in mind that during some sensitive political events,
camping may be temporarily suspended because of increased police
security around Beijing. We will do our best to keep you up-to-date
on any changes or notices regarding this. Thank you for your
understanding!
Highlights:
 At affordable prices, spend the night under the start while you sleepover on the Great Wall
itself! Preserved in a good state of its original features with many
diverse watchtowers, the Great Wall at Jinshanling and Gubeikou wander and fluctuate against the mountains for almost
400 years. The majesty and beauty of this hiking route can only be known
until one has been experienced. Camping equipment will be provided.
The 2008 Summer Olympics brought Beijing (and all of China) to the
forefront of the world, and cemented the country as one of the world’s
new superpowers. This tour will show you the monumental sights of new
Beijing’s crowning achievement, such as the Bird’s Nest Stadium and the spectacular Water Cube.
Visit China’s most renowned palace, the vast and majestic Forbidden City,
which was home to China’s imperial family for over 400 years. Walk
on the world's largest square - Tiananmen Square to feel China's
pulse of development in the past century and today!
(This
tour can be substituted with tour to Summer Palace or Temple of Heaven if you have been to
the Forbidden City).
Gourmet Chinese dinner served in the local farmer's
house at the foot of Great Wall. Drink as much beer as you want! Western breakfast served in watch
tower!
Save one night of your hotel cost but have once-in-a-lifetime experience
on the Great Wall.
All necessary camping gears such as tents, pads & bags are provided.
For those of you curious
about Great Wall camping conditions, please be advised that camping
on the Great Wall is very rugged and adventurous, and you should
expect a relatively low comfort level from what you're normally used
to. Following dinner, we'll walk about 20-30 minutes to the camping
site in the Great Wall watchtower. It is there we will set up the
tent, sleeping bags, etc. Please be aware that this experience is
significantly different from staying in a hostel/farmotel/hotel. The
camping settlement is very basic, although we are constantly
striving to improve this experience.
Due to the high and heavy volume of camping equipment (tents, pads,
sleeping bags, etc.) in use during your Great Wall hiking tour, we
kindly ask that you give your guide a helping hand in getting your
equipment up to the watchtower where you'll spend the night. We thank you for
your cooperation and understanding!
Departure:
Our Great Wall hiking is a
private service. What this means is that you can hike on the Great
Wall at any time at your convenience. If you
would much rather be part of a group for
the experience for economic and social reasons,
we'll check to see if there are more signups for the same date as
your own. We'll keep you updated whenever there are more. If you
would like to keep your tour a private one, please let us know and
we'll assign you a guide and driver.
Day-by-day Hiking Itinerary
(B-breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner) |
Day 1: Beijing tour and Great Wall hike (L, D)
 At
about 8am your English-speaking tour guide and driver will pick you
up from your hotel, and from there we will drive to Beijing’s
premier attraction, the Forbidden City. Known in Chinese as Gu Gong,
the Forbidden City is the largest surviving palace complex and the
former home of the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. The
Forbidden City is one of the greatest attractions in the world.
Built by the third Ming emperor between 1406-1422, the Forbidden
City served as the official residence to the Emperor of China until
the last emperor, Puyi, was forced to evacuate in 1924. The
Forbidden City is divided into two parts. The southern section, or
the Outer Court was where the emperor exercised his supreme power
over the nation. The northern section, or the Inner Court was where
he lived with his royal family. Consisting of 980 buildings and with
8,707 bays of rooms, the Forbidden City is the best example of
classical Chinese architecture in the world, and is a wonder to
behold.
 After
our tour we will walk across the street to China’s political nexus,
Tiananmen Square. The largest public square in the world, Tiananmen
Square is seen as China’s political center. Its grounds have seen
some turbulent moments, from the May 4th Movement of 1919 to the
political turmoil of 1989. The south of the square is marked by the
Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, while the center of the square is
dominated by the Monument to the People’s Heroes, an imposing
10-story granite obelisk. To the east is the National Museum of
China, and to the west is the Great Hall of the People, home to
China’s legislative bodies. The north of the square is dominated by
the Gate of Heavenly Peace, known for its iconic portrait of Mao
Zedong, and is the national emblem of China.
After our walk to Tiananmen Square we’ll stop for a Chinese lunch.
We’ll then drive over to the Olympic Green, the center of the event that captivated the world for two weeks in
August of 2008, and is where a majority of the Olympic events took
place. The highlights that you will see today include the Bird’s
Nest (officially known as the Beijing National stadium) and the
Water Cube (the Beijing National Aquatics Center). The stadium gets
its nickname from its outward design, which originated from the
study of Chinese ceramics, implementing steel beams in order to hide
supports for the retractable roof, thus giving the stadium the
appearance of a "Bird's nest". The Bird’s Nest hosted the Opening
and Closing Ceremonies, athletic events, and football final of the
2008 Summer Olympics, from 8 August to 24 August 2008. Since the
Olympics' end, the Bird’s Nest has been used to host events ranging
from opera to a ski park.
At about 3:30pm we’ll begin our drive to the Great Wall at Jinshanling, and we should arrive at there at about 5. 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. Much of the hiking that we will do on Jinshanling today is relatively easy, as much of the wall here is
restored and the surface smooth. Jinshanling has five main passes
and 67 watchtowers. We will climb about 6
watchtowers, and you will also have the opportunity to watch the
sunset fall over the Great Wall, a thrilling site indeed!
 At about 7:30 we’ll climb down from the wall to have dinner at a
local farmer’s house. This will be as about as authentic a Chinese
dinner as you can have. Home-made Chinese dishes, dumplings, rice,
all will be served. At about 8 pm we’ll climb back
on the Great Wall, where you will get to spend the night inside one
of Great Wall's ruined watchtowers or by the Wall. Sleeping bags, tents, and other
camping material will be provided. Safe and very peaceful!
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Day 2: Great Wall hike from Jinshanling to
Gubeikou, and return to Beijing (B, L)
 Good
morning!
We’ll get our day started bright and early at 5:30 am so you can
watch the gorgeous sunrise over the Great Wall.
From 8 to 11:30, we’ll continue hiking Jinshanling, and we will pass about 15 watchtowers. As you proceed
westward, you will notice that the wall gradually deteriorates into
its natural state, which is an interesting contrast from the
restored wall you initially experienced.
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.
Gubeikou is 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. There is a
section on the wall that is part of a military base, so you will be
able to walk and explore a quaint nearby local village.
At noon, we will break for
a Chinese lunch, and then our driver will meet us to take us back to
Beijing. At about 5pm you will be dropped off back at your hotel,
ending your tour with us.
Congratulations!
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Included:
*Private vehicle, driver and English-speaking guide;
* All entrance fees;
* All meals (including food for vegetarians) and water;
* Camping equipment such as sleeping bags and tents;
* Free Great Wall Adventure Club membership.
We have up to 9 different routes for overnight hiking and
camping on the
Great Wall!
 Read
complete itinerary of Route 2X: Forbidden City +
Sleep in the Watchtower (Camp!) 
Read
complete itinerary of Route 2AA: Gubeikou-Jinshanling-Jiankou-Mutianyu hike (Camp!)
Read
complete itinerary of Route 2AB: Gubeikou-Jinshanling-Second
Valley Hike & Camp (Camp!)
Read
complete itinerary of Route 2B: Huanghuacheng-Jiankou-Mutianyu hike
Read
complete itinerary of Route 2C: Chengde-Panjakou Reservoir-Xifengkou hike.
Read
complete itinerary of Route 2D: Panjiakou
Reservoir-Xifengkou hike.
Read
complete itinerary of Route 2E: East Qing Tomb-Huangyaguan hike.
Read
complete itinerary of Route 2F: Laolongtou-Shanhaiguan-Sandaoguan-Jiaoshan-Jiumenkou-Huangtuying
hike
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