10-day Great Wall Trek

Day 1 · Beijing to Old Dragon's Head

We will make the 4-hour drive the Old Dragon's Head and Shanhaiguan Pass, the First Pass Under Heaven. We will start our hike at Old Dragon's Head, also known as Laolongtou. We will enter the Shanhaiguan Great Wall Museum, where we will learn about this section of the wall's history and military strategy and display military relics. After dinner, you will tour the Old Town of Shanhaiguan.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Shanghaiguan Hotel or similar

Day 2 · Jiaoshan Great Wall

The Jiaoshan Peak is two miles away from Shanghaiguan. Though relatively diminutive in size, this is the first actual mountain the Great Wall passes heading west, and known as “the first mountain of the Great Wall.” Jiaoshan ancient wall provides you a sense of historical vicissitude. The wall appears more and more crumbled and deformed as you forge ahead. We will drive to Dongjiakou Great Wall and overnight there.

Walk: 9 kms

Hours: 4

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Shanghaiguan Hotel or similar

Day 3 · East Qing Tombs to Huangyaguan

We will make the short trip to the East Qing Tombs, which is among the finest, best-preserved, and the largest of China's extant tomb complexes. Five emperors, four empresses, five imperial concubines, and one princess are arrayed based on the traditional concept of placing the most senior and most distinguished in the center.

We will also walk the Huangyaguan Great Wall and the fortress where there is a Bagua pattern, a specially designed labyrinth designed to confuse and entrap the enemy.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Huangyaguan Hotel or similar

Day 4 · Peace Fort to Huangyaguan and Sky Ladder

Today we'll start with Peace Fort (Taipingzhai) that begins from Banlagang Mountain in the east and arriving at Guafu Tower (Widow Tower) in the west. There are six watchtowers, one battlement, and one shortcut leading to the wall.

Waking westward, we will get to the steepest segment of this section, the Huangya Sky Ladder. This long stairway stretches to the top of the ridge, seemingly leads to the sky. We will reach the primitive Great Wall built in the Northern Qi Dynasty, marking the hike's end today.

We will drive to Jinshanling to sleep tonight.

Walk: 9 kms

Hours: 4

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Huangyaguan Hotel or similar

Day 5 · West Simatai to Jinshanling

Our hike will start from Simatai, and we will make our way west along the Wall into Jinshanling. The Great Wall is the best-preserved section of the Ming Great Wall and is called the Ming Great Wall's essence by experts. Set up dangers by the mountains and stop by the water, the city undulates like steel walls. There are many carved buildings, like armored soldiers guarding them.

Tonight, we will camp on the Great Wall in an ancient watchtower.

Walk: 8 km

Hours: 3.5

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Camping on the Wall

Day 6 · Jinshanling to Gubeikou

Gubeikou is mostly Wild Wall. It was first built during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-557) and rebuilt in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The entire Gubeikou Great Wall has not been repaired in modern times. It has a sense of vicissitudes, and the broken walls and bullet holes make people feel like they are in the era of war. In the setting sun, people shed tears.

In 1933, the Chinese army fought against Japanese invasion troops at Gubeikou. In the four-month-long battles, over 5,000 Japanese soldiers were killed while 9,000 Chinese soldiers died. You can see that Gubeikou is not merely a relic, but it remained a battlefield in the modern world.

We will spend the night at Gubeikou today.

Walk: 11 km

Hours: 4.5

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Miss-U-Much Hostel

Day 7 · Crouching Tigers Mountain

Crouching Tigers Mountain is located on the left side of Gubeikou. Down the ground, their village called River West populated with about five hundred households. The name of Wohu in Chinese means "crouching tigers" from the shape of the mountain of a pair of tigers with one pushing up and one is pushing down, as two giant intrepid guards of the capital city of Beijing. The Great Wall's ancient status and magnificent views remain perfectly despite age change for hundreds of years from the Ming Dynasty.

We will transfer to Jiankou to sleep.

Walk: 10 kms

Hours: 4

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Laohe's Inn

Day 8 · Jiankou

Jiankou is the part where the mountain's shape looks like an arrow, with the collapsed ridge opening as its arrow nock. It is known for its ruggedness and wild beauty, and you will be in awe of the marvelous views it affords. As soon as we reach Jiankou, we will see a deserted watchtower that gives you a panoramic view of the entire valley.

Once we descend from the Great Wall, we will spend the night at a farmer's inn.

Walk: 10 km

Hours: 4

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Good Fortune Inn

Day 9 · Jiankou to Mutianyu

From Jiankou, we will cross over onto Mutianyu, a section of the Wall that has been largely restored. Although it has gotten a face-lift, it avoids the army of tourists that plague Badaling. Mutianyu offers some breathtaking views of the valley and the Wall. You’ll see a large sign engraved in the side of the mountain, encouraging you to “Cherish the teachings of Chairman Mao.” Mutianyu has also become famous for visiting foreign leaders and celebrities.

We will transfer to Huanghucheng to sleep.

Walk: 11 km

Hours: 4.5

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Good Fortune Inn

Day 10 · Huanghuacheng Lakeside

Huanghuacheng is the only section that sits beside the lakes, so it is called Lakeside Great Wall. Since the lake breaks this section of the Great Wall into three segments naturally, its uniqueness might surprise you. The Huanghuacheng Reservoir lies here, shaped like a curved moon. The Wall's highest point is a broken watchtower, and from there, you will have a broad panoramic view of the whole valley. From this summit, the Wall dives steeply downwards into the valley.

We will drive back to Beijing in the late afternoon.

Walk: 11 kms

Hours: 4

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express or similar