Begin your journey with the international flight to Beijing
Meet and transfer to the hotel with your tour manager
In-Flight
In-Flight Meal
Day 2
Beijing (Biking through Hutong)
Visit Tiananmen Square
Walk through the Forbidden City, home of the Chinese emperors and their household for five centuries
Arrival in Hutong area (home to many of Beijing’s residents as as shops, markets, temples, and historic buildings) and have a lunch in local host family. After lunch, climb on your bike to have a unique view of the traditional way of life and witness this neighbourhood as it slowly disappears and the developers move in.
A short ride to our next stop where we'll learn how to play the popular game of mahjong. Discover the intricacies of this tiled game while sipping cups of green tea with our neighbourhood friends. You may not have enough time to become a mahjong expert, but you might pick up some tips and tricks from well-played locals.
Enjoy an optional Evening Entertainment - The Legend of Kung Fu (US$35 pp)
We will head to the Great Wall at Gubeikou to start our hike. * After walking on Gubeikou we will cross over to Jinshanling. Much of the hiking that we will do on Jinshanling today is relatively easy, as 1/4 of the Wall here is restored and the surface smooth.
Hiking toward Jinshanling, we will conclude for the day by watching the sunset on the Great Wall. Then we'll go down the mountain and head to a local farmer's house for a traditional Chinese country-style dinner.
After dinner, before it gets dark, we'll go back up the Great Wall in order to set up our tents and other equipment in a watch tower. We'll prepare the necessary camping facilities such as sleeping bags so you don't have to bring anything but yourself
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4
Beijing - Great Wall (Simatai West - Jinshanling, 6KM/4miles 2.5-3 hours)
After waking up at 7:30am, we will have breakfast, and then drive to resume our hike on Jinshanling. While Jinshanling in the west is mostly restored with grand watchtowers, as we head east the Wall will start to gradually deteriorate, making the hike progressively more challenging, but also interesting to observe and compare. Then we hike to the Second Valley or Simatai West.
Second Valley (aka Coiling Dragon Mountain of Simatai West) is a great place to hike the Great Wall. The climbing is challenging in places but the level of danger is reasonable for the Great Wall
Tonight, we'll overnight in a "farmotel" at the foot of the mountain in Jiankou to prepare for the next day's hike there
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5
Beijing – Great Wall (Jiankou - Mutianyu, appx. 10KM/6 miles 3-4 hours)
The day begins at 8:30 AM. The hiking today will cover about 10km/6miles. The Jiankou section is known for its ruggedness and wild beauty, and you will be in awe of the marvelous views it affords. * From Jiankou you will cross over onto Mutianyu, a section of the Wall that has been largely restored.
You can hike down to the parking lot or take a toboggan (highly recommended, and lots of fun! See below intro.)
Optional foot massage to release yourself after hiking (expense by your own)
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6
Beijing
To experience Morning exercise -Tai Chi lesson along the way to Temple of Heaven
Visit a silk factory to learn about silk, the very trade item which started the famous Silk Road, and its delicate manufacturing process
Optional to visit Beijing Zoo to see Pandas in the afternoon (US$50 pp)
Take the option to enjoy Beijing Opera in the evening (US$35 pp)
Breakfast
Day 7
Beijing - Home
You will be transferred to the airport via your schedule flight back home or continues your journey to visit other cities in China
Optional Toboggan Run at Mutianyu (expense by your own)
You'll surely be intrigued about taking the toboggan down from Great Wall to the entrance gate down the hill. You can ride as fast or as slow as you want. However, it is also a driving test. One person to a toboggan, you have a little handle with which you press down to go faster and pull up to stop. But if you are not intentionally pushing it, it will slow down anyway. "It is funny when we Westerners are on there, because we like to go a bit quicker than the Chinese (read a lot quicker) and you hear the shrill voices of locals shouting "brake! brake! Slow down!" It is hilarious. Go on it even if it is just to hear that." --taylorstonebridge on LonelyPlanet
In-Flight
Breakfast
Beijing
Forbidden City- The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.
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Great Wall - The Gubeikou-Jinshanling-Second Valley is the premier hike for Great Wall enthusiasts, and the Jiankou-Mutianyu hike is fast becoming one of the most popular with Great Wall enthusiasts
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On this hike you will get the best of both Great Wall worlds, both majestically restored Wall in Mutianyu, as well as wild and dramatic unrestored "Wild Wall” in Gubeikou, Jiankou and Jinshanling, making the hike much more interesting than others
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Learn how Chinese soldiers used Great Wall at Gubeikou to defend China against Japanese invasion in 1931
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Camping on the Great Wall! This is the once-in-your-life experience that you never want to miss! All necessary camping gears such as tents, pads & bags are provided. For those of you curious about Great Wall camping conditions, please be advised that camping on the Great Wall is very rugged and adventurous, and you should expect a relatively low comfort level from what you're normally used to. Please be aware that this experience is significantly different from staying in a hostel/farmotel/hotel. The camping settlement is very basic, although we are constantly striving to improve this experience. Due to the high and heavy volume of camping equipment (tents, pads, sleeping bags, etc.) in use during your Great Wall hiking tour, we kindly ask that you give your guide a helping hand in getting your equipment up to the campsites where you'll spend the night. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding!
Hutong - Beijing's hutong date back to the Yuan Dynasty (1272~1368) and are a network of narrow lanes which have come to symbolize the ancient neighborhoods of the city. They are one of the last remnants of old Beijing culture which have survived the pace of Beijing’s modern development. To discover hutongs by bike will allow you to find Beijing's cultural heart and find fascinating spots you may never have known existed. Our passionate tour guides will accompany you cycle through alleys, take in the relaxed atmosphere, stop off at the historical sights, visit the traditional courtyard.
Fine Print for China Adventure
DATES 2014 Oct 16, 23; 2015 Apr 23, May 14
STUFF YOU SHOULD BRING WITH YOU
• Tough hiking boots, sunscreen and sunglasses
• Backpack, and snacks or energy/protein supplements you want to have before lunch
• Don’t forget your camera!
Complete all passengers details. Please note where two people are travelling together two voucher codes and two security codes (if applied) are to be entered into areas provided on the booking form.
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You will be required to provide your credit card information to pay the balance of payments including single supplement (if applied), and any optional tours if required.
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Promotion tour is non-refundable after Merry Travel confirms booking
PACKAGE INCLUDES:
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International flight and airport taxes per voucher Fine Print
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4 nights Hotel accommodations in Traders Upper East Beijing, 1 night on Great Wall camp site, and 1 night in “farmotel” on Great Wall
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6 breakfast, 4 lunches and 4 dinners as specified in the itinerary
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Airport pick up and drop off on scheduled arrival date and return date in Beijing
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Local transportation during the guided tour
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Professional English speaking guide
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Camping gears (tent, sleeping bag and mat)
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Entry fee to Great Wall, and privilege permit of camping on Great Wall
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Sightseeing admissions to Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven
PACKAGE EXCLUDES:
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Single supplement US$300 payable upon booking
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Tour tipping US$80 pp payable upon booking
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China Visa fee if required (www.visaforchina.org)
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Travel Insurance
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Personal Expense
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Meals and drink other than specified
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Luggage fee and/or in-flight service charged by airline
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Optional entertainment and tours payable upon arrival
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Trip delay, or interruption by airline schedule change
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Extra cost or missing tour caused by flight delay or cancel
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Cost for anything not specifically mentioned in the listing above
You must fill in the boxes marked *
All Traveler information must match exactly what is on the government-issued ID you use when travelling. Passport photo page coy must be provided upon booking for ticketing. PLEASE NOTE: CREDIT CARD DETAILS REQUIRED TO COLLECT MANDATORY TIPPING AND VISA CHARGES AS WELL AS ANY ADDITIONAL TOURS PURCHASED ABOVE.
TRAVELER'S NAME MUST BE EXACTLY SAME AS PASSPORT NAME. AIRLINE PENALTY FOR NAME CORRECTION $100 AND ANY OTHER AIRLINE FEES WILL BE APPLIED.
