Hiking the Great Wall of China · Butterfield Luxury Travel

I did not hike the whole Great Wall of China. I hiked part of it, on a cold, hazy day in early 2012, after a winter month in Harbin that had me grateful for anything above freezing. We went to the Badaling Ancient Great Wall, the mostly unrestored stretch just west of the famous Badaling section. The stones are crumbling, snow sits in the old watchtowers, and we walked for long stretches without seeing a crowd.

A crumbling stone watchtower on the Great Wall with snow on its ledges — One of the old watchtowers, never rebuilt.

Longer than you think

In 2012, a national survey by China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage measured the wall, all of its branches and dynasties together, at 21,196 kilometers, about 13,170 miles. The Ming dynasty sections, the brick-and-stone wall most of us picture, account for about 8,850 kilometers of that. So anyone who says they hiked the Great Wall hiked a piece of it.

Choosing your stretch from Beijing

Badaling: the first section opened to visitors, fully restored and easy to reach. Also the busiest. Go early or on a weekday.
Badaling Ancient Great Wall: right next to Badaling, but only a short piece was lightly repaired, so it's rougher underfoot and much quieter. Restoration work is ongoing in this area, so check what's open before you go.
Mutianyu: restored and usually calmer than Badaling, with a cable car up and a toboggan down if you want it.
Jinshanling: farther from the city and partly restored, with long views and fewer people. Good for a real hike.
Wilder sections can be steep and crumbling. Go with a licensed local guide, and stay off any closed stretches.

Emily smiling on the Great Wall with misty mountains behind her — Cold, windy and completely happy.

Emily and a friend smiling together on a stone path along the Great Wall — With a friend on the wall.

Beijing beyond the wall

I spent a week in Beijing, and the wall was only one day of it. Give the Forbidden City a full morning, and spend your evenings in the hutong neighborhoods, where the dumplings are better than anywhere near the hotels. If you're coming in winter, Harbin's Ice and Snow Festival is a short flight north and one of the strangest, most beautiful things I've ever seen.

How I'd plan it now

I'd hire a private driver and guide for the wall day, which turns a long logistics day into an easy one, and I'd go in spring or fall for milder weather and clearer skies.

If you'd like to see China with good hotels and time to wander, I'd love to help you plan it.