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After arriving into Beijing, the afternoon is free to relax after the overnight flight. There is a welcome dinner organised for the group allowing us to sample one of the cities most famous dishes: Beijing duck. Vegetarians, do not fear - there will be an array of different dishes on a lazy Susan to choose from. *Dong Fang Hotel or similar*
This morning we leave the capital and head into the countryside to the Great Wall, a 2-2.5 hour journey to the north west of the city. We reach the lesser-visited section at Huanghuacheng, which has an incredibly picturesque location by a lake. The name Huanhuacheng translates as 'Yellow Flower City', as during the summer the surrounding mountains are swathed in yellow as the local wild flowers come into bloom. The walk today is relatively challenging and with uneven topography, but the views are worth every effort! We will spend the night in a guesthouse close to this section of the wall. *Huanghuacheng Guesthouse or similar*
Distance in Km: 6
Distance in Miles: 3.7
Activity Hours: 5-6
Today we take a short drive (1-1.5 hours) to Mutianyu. At this lesser-visited section, the Wall is an impressive sight indeed, snaking off across mountains and valleys into the distance. As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, the Mutianyu section used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs. There are 22 watchtowers (20 of which are open to the public) on this 2,250-metre-long section. We trek to Jiankou and then transfer a short distance to enjoy the hospitality of a local guesthouse. *Hai Yan Guesthouse or similar*
Distance in Km: 13
Distance in Miles: 8
Activity Hours: 5-6
The Jiankou wild wall section was built along a mountain edge and remains completely wild, with towers clinging impossibly to the steepest of ridges. Highlights of the day include "Spiderman Wall", or "Sanshibadeng" in Chinese; an optional short vertical climb to the top of the wall for a panoramic view (those who are not a fan of climbing/heights can walk around and regroup at the viewpoint). This area is the most photographed section of the Great Wall due to the unique construction style combined with stunning scenery. We walk along this portion for approx. 4 km before transferring to Gubeikou where we walk or about another 4 km. *Mr Liu's Guesthouse or similar*
Distance in Km: 8
Distance in Miles: 5
Activity Hours: 6-6.5
Today we walk the length of the Jinshanling Great Wall section (from Zhuandoukou Tower to Eastern Five Window Tower), which is renowned for being the best-preserved part of the Great Wall and dates from the Ming Dysnasty (1368-1644). This section reaches seven metres high and six metres wide and incorporates five main passes, sixty-seven watchtowers and two beacon towers as it zig-zags its way through the Big and Small Jinshan Mountains (the Big and Small Jinshan Watchtowers are the highlight). The construction is of huge bricks, each weighing around 12 kilograms (26 pounds) and this section features various structures which were used for an array of functions ranging from weapon stores to soldiers’ bedrooms. At the end of the day, we descend to a village and transfer by road to Gubeikou for the night. *Mr Liu's Guesthouse or similar*
Distance in Km: 9
Distance in Miles: 5.6
Activity Hours: 5
Today we hike along Gubeikou's Panlongshan Section. This portion keeps the original essence of the wall and will transport us back to the time of the Han Dynasty. We will pass many watchtowers until we reach the unique 24 Window Tower (3 level tower). Once here, we will have a late picnic lunch on the watchtower, and then double back on ourselves for about half the way, following the stone steps past a communal playground to meet our driver who will transfer us back to the guesthouse. *Mr Liu's Guesthouse or similar*
Distance in Km: 8
Distance in Miles: 5
Activity Hours: 5-6
Today you will discover the part of Gubeikou's Great Wall known as, Majiagou Hill. Gubeikou's GW was first built in the 6th century and has not been reconstructed since 1644. It is somewhat dilapidated but it still retains its original beauty. Your steep ascent will start from the northern gate and once you reach the top watchtower you will enjoy some great views of Crouching Tiger Great Walll. We retrace our steps back to today's starting point and drive to Niangniang Daoist Temple for a visit before continuing to Beijing (approx. 3 hours). *Dong Fang Hotel or similar*
Distance in Km: 3
Distance in Miles: 1.9
Activity Hours: 3-3.5
We take a morning walking tour of the city's hutongs (narrow alleys) to see what is left of old Beijing and its traditions. We also visit Tian’anmen Square; the largest in the world and able to hold over a million people. Later in the day, we visit the Forbidden City with its innumerable courtyards and temples. This evening, recommended optional activities include the amazing Beijing opera or a Kung Fu show, or you may prefer to opt for a foot reflexology treatment to sooth your weary feet! The leader will also arrange a farewell dinner (optional). Beijing is a fantastic place to explore at your own pace; if you wish to add on any additional time please speak to your sales consultant at the time of booking. *Dong Fang Hotel or similar*
Our trips ends today in Beijing after breakfast.
* 5 nights basic hotels and 3 nights standard hotel
* 6 days point-to-point walking with full porterage
* Group normally 4 to 16 plus tour leader and local staff. Min. age 16 yrs
* Low altitude; maximum 1044m, average 600m
* Travel by private minibus
* Free transfers for any flight
All breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 dinners are included. Food is cheap in China
and you can avoid the spicier regional food if you wish. The cuisine on this
trip is fantastically varied with lots of new flavours and 'things' to try.
Gastronomically the trip can be divided into two parts: 'tourist hotels' and
'local hotels'. In tourist hotels the breakfast is normally a buffet, with a
huge spread of Chinese and western food, including coffee, juice, breads,
cakes, fruit, eggs, bacon and a wide variety of noodle and stir fried dishes.
Dinners are normally taken in the hotel or local restaurants, serving rice
with assorted vegetables, pork, fish, chicken and duck dishes with flavours
roughly approximating those you would find in a Chinese restaurant in the UK.
In the local hotels, breakfast includes rice porridge, dumplings, eggs,
noodles, etc, however, we tend to augment this with fruit and cakes where
available. Dinners are taken in local restaurants where the food is heavily
flavoured with ginger, garlic bamboo shoots and chilli. Lunches are taken in
local village restaurants and will normally consist of noodle soup or stir
fried vegetable noodles. Expect an audience most lunches as the locals crowd
around to watch the 'big noses' trying to master the use of chopsticks!
Vegetarians are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any
special dietary requests. Please note that in China the availability of
certain specialized products for restricted diets, e.g. gluten-free or
dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring
these specialized dietary items from home. Strict vegetarians may find the
diet rather limited to stir fried vegetables and eggs as all the soups are
made with meat stock.
* 5 nights basic hotels and 3 nights standard hotel
* 6 days point-to-point walking with full porterage
* Group normally 4 to 16 plus tour leader and local staff. Min. age 16 yrs
* Low altitude; maximum 1044m, average 600m
* Travel by private minibus
* Free transfers for any flight
*This trip is classified as grade 4 - moderate/challenging*.
6 days walking, with full and half-day walks with vehicle support, and low
altitude throughout; maximum 1044m.
Please note that the Chinese authorities can occasionally close off sections
of the Great Wall at short notice, in which case your leader will try to
offer an alternative walk.
We strongly recommend that you thoroughly read the Exodus grading system as
outlined in the Walking & Trekking Brochure before booking this trip. You
will need to be confident in your physical ability to attempt this trek.
*Walking Conditions *
Daily distances are not long but some sections are narrow and overgrown and
there are some sections where you will need to use your hands. The wall has
deteriorated due to earthquakes and heavy rain in recent years and some parts
may vary from trek to trek. There are a couple of hilly days and most days
will involve some up and down. Some of the restored areas have very steep
steps and therefore may not be suitable for inexperienced walkers or those
with a significant aversion to heights.
Parts of the wall we walk on are generally in good condition, between about 5
and 7 metres high and approx. 4 to 5 metres wide but a lot of sections can be
steep, and are in poor condition with loose rocks and flagstones.
*Accommodation*
We spend 5 nights in varying basic hotels and in basic guesthouses/homestays,
as the sections of wall we visit are well away from tourist style hotels. You
should be prepared for these conditions and bad roads on this trip in order
to get away from the usual crowds in China.
Hotels & Guesthouses
You will spend 3 nights in a well located comfortable hotel in Beijing and 5
nights in basic guesthouses whilst on trek. Please be aware that
accommodation options are limited on trek and the guesthouses are basic
mountain accommodations but rooms are twin share and have en suite bathrooms.
The bathrooms are equipped with Western toilets and there is hot water
(although erratic and somewhat unreliable). It can get cold in the mountains
and the guesthouses have no central heating but sleeping bags are not
required as blankets are provided and the guesthouses usually have a few
electric heaters, which are available upon request. There is electricity but
there can occasionally be power cuts so a torch may come in handy. The
itinerary is designed so that we spend three nights in Gubeikou, which is the
better standard of the guesthouses on this trek.
Gubeikou
All breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 dinners are included. Food is cheap in China
and you can avoid the spicier regional food if you wish. The cuisine on this
trip is fantastically varied with lots of new flavours and 'things' to try.
Gastronomically the trip can be divided into two parts: 'tourist hotels' and
'local hotels'. In tourist hotels the breakfast is normally a buffet, with a
huge spread of Chinese and western food, including coffee, juice, breads,
cakes, fruit, eggs, bacon and a wide variety of noodle and stir fried dishes.
Dinners are normally taken in the hotel or local restaurants, serving rice
with assorted vegetables, pork, fish, chicken and duck dishes with flavours
roughly approximating those you would find in a Chinese restaurant in the UK.
In the local hotels, breakfast includes rice porridge, dumplings, eggs,
noodles, etc, however, we tend to augment this with fruit and cakes where
available. Dinners are taken in local restaurants where the food is heavily
flavoured with ginger, garlic bamboo shoots and chilli. Lunches are taken in
local village restaurants and will normally consist of noodle soup or stir
fried vegetable noodles. Expect an audience most lunches as the locals crowd
around to watch the 'big noses' trying to master the use of chopsticks!
Vegetarians are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any
special dietary requests. Please note that in China the availability of
certain specialized products for restricted diets, e.g. gluten-free or
dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring
these specialized dietary items from home. Strict vegetarians may find the
diet rather limited to stir fried vegetables and eggs as all the soups are
made with meat stock.
On walking sections our support vehicle will carry bags from hotel to hotel,
so you only need to carry a day pack on your walks. This trek has no human or
animal porterage since the walking is low altitude and walking paths are
always close to roads - we put the luggage in the vehicle. Road travel will
be by private minibus. Most roads are excellent, but some of them may have
potholes and you should be prepared for a bumpy ride in places. Most of the
driving days are not long, usually no more than four hours.
*Travelling flight inclusive from London: 10 days*
The group flight from London is an overnight flight departing the day before
Day 1 of the itinerary.
*Flights from London*
We normally use the scheduled services of Air China (depending on
availability). As flight timings and schedules change regularly we recommend
you call one of our specialist sales staff or your agent to confirm
up‐to‐date timings. Please note timings may change at a later date and
cannot be confirmed until approximately two weeks before departure.
*Travelling land only: 9 days starting in Beijing and ending in Beijing*
Your trip normally starts at our accommodation in Beijing in the afternoon of
Day 1 of the itinerary. Details of how to reach the start point are provided
in the Final Joining Instructions – sent approximately two weeks before
departure. Accommodation check‐in times are normally from around 3 pm.
As advice about luggage allowances for both hand and hold luggage is subject
to change, we suggest you check the airline's website for the latest
information prior to your departure. The usual, standard check-in baggage
weight allowance is 20kg.
*Free Transfers*
Exodus offers FREE airport arrival and departure transfers on any flight
arriving into/departing from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) for
this trip, for both Land Only and Flight Inclusive clients. Please note that
free transfers are not offered from/to the new Beijing Daxing International
Airport (PKX). Unless specified otherwise, the transfer will be to the Exodus
start (or pre-tour) hotel and from the end (or post-tour) hotel, and will be
on the date on which the tour starts/ends; transfers to other hotels in the
same city and/or on different dates may attract an extra charge. Transfers
may be shared with other Exodus customers on the same flight, or on a flight
with similar arrival times. All those taking advantage of the free airport
transfers must provide full flight details for both arrival and departure in
advance.
The north of China has warm (25 deg C), quite humid summers, and cold dry
winters. If you travel between June and August, it will be hot more or less
everywhere, except in the mountains. Some rain must be expected, possibly
heavy. If you travel in September/October, you will probably get less rain
and the temperatures will be fairly warm (around 20 deg C) everywhere. The
winter months in China are cold, so if travelling in March/April be prepared
for temperatures to drop, below (10 deg C), at night, but with almost
guaranteed dry sightseeing.
Warm jacket
Fleece
Warm hat/gloves for spring (March/April)
Long walking trousers
Lightweight or leather boots that give proper ankle support
Thick socks
Waterproofs
Water bottle
Small rucksack (about 30 litres)
Sunhat and suncream (at least 30+) during the summer
Sunglasses
Torch
Small first aid kit (with diarrhoea treatment, painkillers, rehydration
sachets, insect repellent (with DEET), plasters and a blister treatment kit)
A large towel (you will be provided with small towels at each
hotel/guesthouse)
Trekking poles may be helpful for the steeper sections, and earplugs if you
have trouble sleeping.
Some hotels in China require a refundable deposit of between 200-400CNY per
room, to be paid upon check in, to cover items from the minibar etc. This can
usually be paid in cash or on credit card, and will be refunded in full upon
departure providing no items have been consumed.
*Beijing*
Opera: CNY265 (approx. £30/US$39)
Kungfu Show: CNY265 (approx. £30/US$39)
Cable car at Great Wall: CNY91 (approx. £10/US$14) one way; CNY116
return (approx. £13/US$17)
This is entirely at your own discretion however; we suggest that you allow a
few pounds for tips for the local guides and staff. In China, with the
increase in tourism, tipping has become customary. The local staff will
probably expect some gratuity and we suggest you allow for this. The leader
may suggest to the group that they donate a sum of CNY235 (approx £25/US$34)
per person towards a kitty on arrival. This money is then used for tipping of
local guides, hotel porters, drivers etc. It is basically to ensure that the
hassle is taken out of various activities for you. If you do not wish to
contribute to a central pool for tips you are of course free to do so. At any
time during the trip your leader will be happy to show you an account of how
the kitty is being distributed.
If you feel that your leader has performed well over the course of your trip,
you may want to show your appreciation of their services. The sum you choose
to give is entirely personal, but as a guide, £2-3/US$3-5 per person per day
would be a reasonable starting point. The 'tipping kitty' explained above is
entirely separate from any contribution to the tour leader. Our local staff
are paid well and fairly for their work with Exodus.
* Travel insurance
* Single accommodation (available on request)
* Chinese Visa - GBP201 with Travcour or GBP151 plus GBP18 special delivery
direct with embassy
* Vaccinations
Ved skriftlig aksept av vårt tilbud bekrefter du/dere at våre betingelser er både lest og forstått og at evt kansellerings gebyrer kan tilkomme ved en evt. avbestilling av reisen.