Tour Overview
Welcome to China! Punctuated by strategically located towers, the Great Wall winds its way like an endless, slender dragon from the Yellow Sea through five provinces, two autonomous regions and up into the Gobi Desert. The earliest sections of the Great Wall were built in the 5th century BC, but its present course was determined around 220BC by Qin Shi Huangdi, the first Chinese Emperor and founder of the Empire. He linked up smaller, previously constructed sections, extending them northwards to ward off horse riding nomads. However, the most impressive sections were built during the Ming Dynasty. Soldiers and peasants from all over the country were conscripted, spending several years of their lives building this wall. Most of the sections of Great Wall in Beijing are well preserved and mainly the remains from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), an era of huge construction. The wall goes across the northern part of Beijing for 629 kilometers with various passes and towers. The main sections include Badaling, Juyongguan, Huanghuacheng, Jiankou, Mutianyu, Gubeikou, Jinshanling, and Simatai. Of the eight sections, five sections are officially open to the public - Badaling, Juyongguan, Mutianyu, Jinshanling and Simatai with more than 100 kilometers renovated and well preserved. All the five sections of the Great Wall in Beijing have their own unique features.Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Beijing, ChinaToday when you arrive in Beijing you will be met and driven to your hotel for check-in and overnight. Holiday Inn Downtown Beijing is located in the city center, near the financial district, surrounded by securities houses, insurance companies & major government ministries. The capital of the People's Republic of China, Beijing is a unique reflection of the many changing facets of contemporary Chinese culture, where ancient cultural sites such as the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven vie for space alongside high-rise buildings, modern shopping malls, and an intricate freeway system. A thriving commercial capital, continually developing, Beijing's 2000-year-old cultural heritage is still very much in evidence, with a vast array of stunning attractions throughout the city.
Beijing Holiday Inn Downtown Day 2: Beijing
Full day city tour of Beijing: Start your tour with a visit to Tiananmen Square, a site of historic significance for the advent of communism in China. Known as "six-four" or "June 4th," the movement has become an albatross about the Chinese government's neck in regards to human rights and freedom of speech, a point of contention in Sino-American relations. Aside from the grand and tragic events here over the last 50 years, Tiananmen is truly a people's square, alive with local kite fliers and wide-eyed tourists from out of town. Then visit the impressive Forbidden City within the Imperial Palace. Also known as the Imperial Palace Museum or Gugong, the Forbidden City was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties carried out their administration and lived. Now it is open to the public as a palace museum where people can see the great traditional palace architecture, enjoy the treasures kept in the palace, and learn of the legends and anecdotes about the imperial family and the court. Also, enjoy a rickshaw tour of the Hutongs, the "Old City" neighborhoods of narrow alleyways and courtyard gardens hidden behind Beijing's modern facade. Later enjoy afternoon tea with a local family. Finally, visit the Temple of Heaven, set in a 670-acre park. Here you will find Qinian Dian (Hall of Prayer for the Good Harvests), constructed without a single nail, and one of the finest examples of Chinese architecture.
Breakfast
Beijing Holiday Inn Downtown Day 3: Beijing- Simatai- Jinshanling
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be met and driven to the Great Wall at Simatai- about 3 hours. From there, experience a full day of hiking to the Jinshangling section of the wall- about 5 hours. Enjoy a picnic lunch and a local dinner The Jinshanling section is virtually a museum of the architectural styles of Ming-era towers. As many as 67 are found within a distance of only 10 km. The towers are built in a surprising variety of shapes, the largest of which is the impressive Storehouse Tower, so named because of the storehouse on its southern terrace. This tower was used as a garrison headquarters and is protected by special defensive barriers and an extra wall 60 meters downhill.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Jinshangling Hotel Day 4: Jinshanling- Juyongguan
This morning we drive to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall (1.5 hours) and hike for 2-3 hours. After lunch we’ll drive to Juyongquan Pass and visit the Huanghuacheng Wall en route, which is a resort with mountains, lakes and the ancient Great Wall under water.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Juyongguan Great Wall Hotel Day 5: Juyongguan- Beijing
This morning visit the Great Wall at Juyongguan Pass- the landmark of China and one of the most amazing feats of human labor. Then, stop by the Olympic Green, located at the north end of the central axis of Beijing and visit the exterior of the stadiums on your way back to downtown Beijing.
Breakfast
Beijing Holiday Inn Downtown Day 6: Depart Beijing
Today you’ll be driven to the airport for your departure flight.
Breakfast
