Danitsja[:en]Published on July 24, 2012
When visiting China a tour to the Great Wall is more or less a must. A day tour to the Great Wall is very doable from Beijing; within two hours by tour bus or public transport you can get to several passes to access the Great Wall. A very popular pass is Badaling which offers a great view and a nice hike at about 70 kilometres from Beijing. The Great Wall is of quite good quality and is the most well-preserved part of the wall in the Beijing area. Lots of tourists visit the Wall at Badaling, especially during weekends.
Not far from Badaling and about 60 kilometers from Beijing you can access the Great Wall via the Juyongguan Pass. This part of the Great Wall is less crowded then Badaling and offers a great view as it’s surrounded by mountains. Both Badaling and Juyongguan can be reached with public transport so you can come and go whenever you like. Booking a tour does have some advantages.
Most organized tours travel from Beijing to Badaling, but there are some tours travelling to unexplored passes. Check for tours to the “Secret Wall” in hotels and tourist offices and you might see an area of the Wall where almost no other tourist will wander around. We were lucky to book a tour at the hotel that went to the strategic pass of Emperor Li Zi Cheng. When we arrived at the Great wall we were the only human beings on that part of the wall, just a small group of twelve tourists from our hotel. The view, quietness and immense wall were breath taking. Because there were no other tourists around we were able to make great photo’s and wander around without bumping into big crowds of tourists. A valuable tip when you’re thinking of visiting the wall is to explore the area of your hotel looking for trips to less crowded parts to fully enjoy the beauty and magnificence of the Great Wall of China.
Written by: Danitsja Koster
Published on the site of City Guide China.[:]
