Where to start?

[JoeCool]

I have done a lot of reading about the great wall now. I want to go see it. I want to start with the usual locations before I do anything more extreme. Where to start? I have about 3 weeks of vacation left this year. But I have never been to China before and I don't know anyone who has been there either. I am not afraid to go but I want to have a successful trip. Any advice or suggestions? They would be very helpful. Thank you, Joe.

[chinoook]

Originally Posted by JoeCool

I have done a lot of reading about the great wall now. I want to go see it. I want to start with the usual locations before I do anything more extreme. Where to start? I have about 3 weeks of vacation left this year. But I have never been to China before and I don't know anyone who has been there either. I am not afraid to go but I want to have a successful trip. Any advice or suggestions? They would be very helpful. Thank you, Joe.

Hi Joecool,

welcome very much to this forum.
Could you please tell us what exactly you plan to do? Are you going to China and want to see the Great Wall? Do you want to make a pure GW trip? Do you have trekking experience/equippment? Do you speak any Chinese? Are you going for recreation rather than a challenge?

We will be able to give good advices since you tell us what you want to do.


-chinoook

[JoeCool]

I don't speak any Chinese and although I like Chinese food, I am not very good with chopsticks! Ha ha. Hey, going to China is going to be a challenge for me whether I want it to or not! But the real purpose of the trip will be to have a fun time. I want to see the Great Wall and I am willing to go to China to check it out. While I am there I want to see some other sights that are not too far from Beijing, like the imperial palace museum and a few more. I should be able to spend nearly three weeks in China. I am from the USA so I can easily get a visa. I am not interested in the olympics. I have done some hiking with my friends, but not a lot, and I don't have any equipment. I just want to visit the Great Wall in the daytime and go back to my hotel at night. I am physically fit though. I work out in the gym regularly and I stay in good condition. I was thinking about starting off with the usual places like Badaling and Juyonguan and then continuing to places that are further away and less crowded. I'm going to get a Chinese phrase book in the next few days and start learning some basic phrases.

Thank you for your help!

Joe

[chinoook]

Hi again,

be aware. Chinese food in the west is not often something Chinese people would recognise as Chinese food. It is very very good though. But different. You will not find anything but chopsticks in China.

Daytrips to the GW can be very easily made from Beijing. I recommend to start to go to Mutianyu, which is quite touristic but gives good sights and an impression of the rebuild wall. On a second step I would go to Gubeikou or Jinshanling (depending on your physical condition) and walk to Simatai. There you will have the most stunning impressions of the eastern GW. In a next step I would go for some "Wild Wall". Right at the Forbidden City you will be offered good day trips by small local companies. They shoy you photos and tell you where they go. Those should be a good choice for anyone not familiar with the Chinese language and they will take care of you.

In my eyes this will be a good package for you.


-chinoook

PS: Avoid Badaling.

[greatwallforum]

Hi Joe,

chinoook's advice is perfect. If you must go to Badaling, save it for much later as it will not give you a good first impression. On the way to Badaling, one exit prior, is Shuiguan, a nice place to visit. Juyongguan is also very touristy and I would put it pretty far down the list. Mutianyu is a good starting point with great convenience and excellent scenery, and you can wander past the ends into the unrestored area (especially at the southeast end) if you want to get a feel for the wild wall (which is a lot different from the restored areas). You could do the hike from Simatai to Jinshanling and then continue onward to Gubeikou if you want to continue. You could stay overnight at Jinshanling and continue the next day. The restoration ends and the Wall gets more wild once you pass Jinshanling.

I would start by deciding how soon you can go. September weather is ideal. October weather is great too, just a little cooler. In the mountains it can be cold and windy, even in September, so be prepared with some warm clothes. Also be sure you have good hiking gear including a backpack, good hiking shoes, and so forth. You want to fly into Beijing. You will need a little time to get your visa. Search Google for information on how to get a Chinese visa.

You might want to read a little bit about Chinese culture along with your language study. It helps a lot to understand the culture of any foreign country you visit to avoid misunderstandings and offending people without even knowing it. Learn how to use chopsticks or you will waste a lot of time trying to eat and still end up hungry! (Or you could bring a few plastic forks and spoons.)

You could stay at Leo's Hostel in Beijing. They are very reasonably priced and offer day trips to the Great Wall. Other hotels do as well. You really don't need a guide in these places but a driver is very helpful. Especially from a point-to-point hike like Simatai to Gubeikou, you won't have to wonder how you will get back to Beijing when you reach the end. Leo's offers a "secret" Great Wall tour, which is on the unrestored Great Wall near Mutianyu. You would really enjoy that after you visit Mutianyu and Jinshanling. You will start to develop an appetite for more unrestored Great Wall and probably end up never going to Badaling. There are many places near Mutianyu, primarily to its west, all within maybe two hours drive of Beijing.

Be sure to bring a camera too! The Great Wall is one of the most photogenic areas in the world. The Great Wall is really fabulous and once you see it for yourself, you will understand what I mean by that. We wish you a great trip.

[JoeCool]

Thank you very much for the advice. I am going to read more about the places you mentioned and see what I can arrange. I'll be back! Thanks again!