Hiking the Great Wall of China is on many people’s bucket lists. Of course it is – it’s one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and with good reason! Though hardly ‘new’ the Great Wall is indeed a wonder. Over 8,000km long and built atop dramatic mountain ranges, this is not your average brick wall.
I had always had a vague ambition to see the Great Wall of China, but in all honesty it wasn’t top of my bucket list.
It should have been.
(I know the above photo looks like I’m superimposed, but I really was there I promise! This is what happens when you give someone your camera on automatic flash.)
I decided to take a few months to travel last year and picked up some G Adventures brochures for inspiration. If you’re planning a trip but aren’t sure where to head to, I totally recommend a flick through one of their brochures. The photography and itineraries are fantastic and, even if you decide to go it alone, you will get some great ideas!
The Asia brochure inspired me to visit China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, India and Sri Lanka – many of which were places I hadn’t yet seriously considered.
I ended up hiking the Great Wall of China for two days in the company of some amazing people and an awesome G Adventures guide!
Is hiking the Great Wall of China full of tourists?
We’ve all seen the perfect Instagram shots of the lone traveller hiking the Great Wall of China completely solo. Many of us have also seen the not-so-awesome crowds of tourists wrecking what would have been a great photo.
So what’s the reality? Crowds or solitude?
Well, that really depends on a few things:
Where you start your hike
If you begin hiking the Great Wall of China from the stretch closest to Beijing, you’re probably in for a sardine-like experience. Take a drive just a few hours away from the city to start your hike and you may have better luck.
How far you walk
I began hiking the Great Wall of China around midday, about 2.5hrs drive outside of Beijing in Huairou. I won’t lie, there were tourists. Tourists with selfie sticks. Tourists with selfie sticks balancing precariously on the edges of the wall attempting the aforementioned perfect Instagram shot.
But! They were really only on the first stretch of Wall. You see, most tourists are sort of lazy – as soon as there are some steep steps to climb many of them will opt out. So the further we hiked away from the starting point, the less people there were around us. And eventually there was no-one.
I should mention at this point that the further away from the tourists you hike, the less well maintained the wall is. And if you really want to experience hiking the Great Wall of China, you’re going to have to take a risk or two.
Hiking the crumbling parts of the Great Wall of China
Before I did this hike my perception of the Great Wall of China was of the maintained touristy part of the wall. Many people don’t appreciate that these areas are looked after and rebuilt for tourist purposes.
But there are vast stretches of the Great Wall that are not maintained. These stretches are more authentic. They are hundreds of years old and, as such, are falling apart.
This makes for a challenging, in some places dangerous trek, that is nothing short of incredible and will live in your memories forever.
These are the areas of the Great Wall where you will not see other tourists. Where you reach out to steady yourself and accidentally pull of a chunk of ancient wall. Where you must help your companions to climb up and down steep inclines. And where you need to be acutely aware of the sheer drop either side of you.
But the view. You have to do it for the view.
What to wear for Hiking the Great Wall of China
Hiking Boots – Hiking boots are an absolute must if you are planning to venture away from the touristy areas. Even if not, flip-flops (thongs/jandals) will definitely not cut it.
The crumbling parts of the wall are, er, crumbling. So you’ll want closed, comfortable footwear with plenty of grip. I wore my Keen Terradorra Boots and they worked out great.
Sportswear
Sportswear is probably the most comfortable type of clothing to wear for Hiking the Great Wall of China. Aside from being comfortable, it will be coolest in hot weather and dry quickly after it rains.
Jacket/Poncho
The weather on the Great Wall can be changeable and so make sure you take a lightweight waterproof jacket, just in case.
Hat
Hiking on top of a wall in the mountains is an exposed place to be. Make sure you take a hat with a peak, which will keep the sun off your head and face, and keep water out of your eyes if it rains.
Sunscreen
Obviously, sunburn isn’t fun.
And carry a lot of water and some snacks
You can purchase water and snacks at the tourist start points, but after that you’re on your own. With the heat and the exercise it is important that you don’t get dehydrated.
Ready to go?
Hiking the Great Wall of China was one of the most memorable of my travel experiences so far and I absolutely recommend it. There are a number of tour options available and I only have experience of one. I went with G Adventures and can’t recommend them highly enough. You can find their trips that include the Great Wall of China here.
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