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The Great Wall of China, top tour activity in China

Best Things to Do in Great Wall of China

Iconic Attractions & Hidden Gem Travel Experiences

Great Wall of China

A visit to the Great Wall is an essential part of any comprehensive China tour. First built as a fortification more than 2,000 years ago, much of the wall is now in ruins, but at some locations you can both view and walk out on this massive monument, which snakes its way through northern China for some 5,500 miles from the east coast to the Gobi Desert. The most accessible areas are in the region around Beijing; the closest and most photogenic is at Badaling, 42 miles from the capital. These sections primarily date from the Ming Dynasty, 400 to 700 years ago.

Top Great Wall of China Experiences

  • Traveling about 1.5 hours north of Beijing to reach the foot of the Great Wall. Along the way, glimpsing parts of the wall that became eroded or were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution when many of the Wall’s bricks were repurposed for the construction of homes and reservoirs.
  • Trekking for several days along the expanse of the Great Wall, and watching the terrain transform from desert to mountainous forest. 
  • Arriving at the foot of the Great Wall and gazing up, impressed and dwarfed by its height and expansiveness (25 to 45 feet in height and 15 to 30 feet wide).
  • Taking periodic breaks in the watchtowers and peering out of the “windows” (holes that punctuate the walls) to marvel at the ancient architecture against the backdrop of the rugged, mountainous terrain.
  • Taking a cable car to the Wall itself, and then tobogganing down the peaks of the Great Wall.  
  • Experiencing the rush of paragliding over the Great Wall.

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Great Wall of China Tours Reviews & Ratings

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Excellent
91
Great
34
Average
1
Disappointing
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Terrible
1
John
·
2020-03-12
Written on
Excellent in many ways
Excellent in many ways, especially our tour guide who went out of her way to make sure our needs were taken care of.
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Karen
·
2020-03-12
Written on
You are on my list of recommended travel tours.
This was our first Smartour we took on the recommendation of a friend who has taken several. You did not disappoint. Mark was our tour guide for the group of 13. We were more like a family who he led us through tours, flights, hotels. We never felt cheated with any sightseeing with 4 intro China flights. No time wasted. The hidden gem and highlight for us was Guilin. Beautiful city and extraordinary hotel. The only criticism would be the location of the Shanghai Crowne Plaza. It was 30 mins. Outside of the city. Luckily we did our own air because I knew I needed time to adjust after traveling 20 hours. The daytime tours were excellent but no other guests had the opportunity to see Shanghai at night. Our next stop, Beijing hotel was 2 blocks from Tianemen Square. All 13 of us walked to experience it lite up at night. Thank you for Mark, the itinerary and beautiful hotels. You are on my list of recommended travel tours.
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Graham
·
2019-11-14
Written on
Overall the trip was very good
No, overall the trip was very good and I thoroughly enjoyed it apart from the overnight train. The flight booking fiasco was a frustration before departure but that does not colour my enjoyment overall.
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Judy
·
2019-11-08
Written on
We appreciated the size and well balanced
We appreciated the size and well balanced composition of our group, with whom we maintain contact (including Charlie, our guide)
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David
·
2019-09-28
Written on
Great trip
Great trip. Learned a lot about China and looking forward to building on this now we are back. Great food, fascinating itinerary and a truly superb guide. Thank you Oliver.
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David
·
2019-09-28
Written on
Great trip. Learned a lot about China
Great trip. Learned a lot about China and looking forward to building on this now we are back. Great food, fascinating itinerary and a truly superb guide. Thank you Oliver.
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