Day 1
Day 1: On arrival in Beijing, you are transferred to your hotel. You have the option of a group dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 2: Beijing offers endless opportunities for exploration. The enormous Forbidden City, built more than 500 years ago, and off-limits to commoners for almost all that time, is a truly amazing place. Its size might surprise you, but what makes it fascinating is that every square meter is interesting, from the intricately carved walkways to the colourful painted ceilings. The Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace are two other fine examples of extraordinary workmanship. The hotel is centrally located, and a short walk in any direction will unveil all sorts of wonderful surprises such as fascinating small lanes, known as hutongs. You have a chance to enjoy the Beijing Opera or the spectacular acrobat show in the evening.

Day 3: An early departure as you drive to Taipingzhai, a 3 - 4 hour journey. Along the way, stop at Eastern Qing Tombs, the largest and most complete of their kind in China. These tombs, located in Hebei province 125 kilometres from Beijing, are the final resting place for five Qing emperors, their empresses, concubines, and daughters. The infamous Empress Dowager Cixi is one of those buried here. Time permitting, you may stop at a trout farm for lunch before hiking 3 - 4 hours on the Great Wall from Taipingzhai to Huangyaguan. Originally built in Tianbao 7th of Beiqi (557 AD), the Huangyaguan Great Wall was repaired for the first time in the Ming Dynasty with bricks and then resorted again in 1985. It is 41 kilometres in length, with its walls and towers built on a mountain ridge with an average altitude of 738m. The name Huangyaguan translates to "Yellow Cliff Pass" and is named after the yellowish hills and rocks nearby. It is unique in that it has various different-shaped watchtowers. The most unique feature here is the Street of the Eight Diagrams, an architectural wonder of the Ming Dynasty lying just below the pass. A labyrinth set up to confuse and entrap invading armies, this fortification design is based on the ancient trigrams of the Book of Changes. Overnight in the Huangyaguan Hotel, located at the base of the wall.

Day 4: Drive two hours to the next section of the wall, Gubeikou, from where you trek to Jingshanling (5 - 6 hours). Gubeikou is located 146 kilometres north of Beijing. It has the Panlong (Coiling Dragon) and Wohu (Crouching Tiger) mountains in the background and is linked to the Qingfeng (Green Wing) and Dicui (Piled Verdure) peaks. The Chaohe River runs across the foot of the wall from north to south. In 1378 (the 11th year of Emperor Hongwu's reign in the Ming Dynasty), General Xu Da ordered this section of the Great Wall rebuilt. Gubeikou has probably seen more battles than any other part of the Great Wall, including some of the most famous in Chinese history. On the southern slope of Gubeikou stands a temple dedicated to Yang Ye, a famous Great Wall garrison general of the Song Dynasty. There are quite a few temples in China dedicated to this general, but this one is perhaps the oldest. Your walk takes you eastward along the old city wall, passing numerous watchtowers and other parts of the wall that have not yet been restored. Jinshanling is the name given to an eleven kilometre section of the wall situated on the Jinshan Mountains. Towards the end of your walk, you descend from the wall and walk along a path for one kilometre, in order to bypass a military area. Spend the night in a simple guesthouse at Jinshanling.

Day 5: Jinshanling to Simatai is a moderate to difficult trek of approximately 10 kilometres (4 - 5 hours) along a largely unrestored section of the wall. Simatai has earned its reputation as being one of the most beautiful sections of the Great Wall. 500 years ago, it was built during the Ming Dynasty and towers over the nearby villages and farmland as it winds its way like the spiny back of a dragon over the sharply clipped peaks of the mountains. Beyond the perilous Simatai Ridge, the condition of the path deteriorates and, for 100 metres between the fourteenth and fifteenth watchtowers, there is an incline at an 80 degree angle with only a single parapet wall - probably the narrowest part of the trail. This section is so steep it has been dubbed the "Stairway to Heaven". After the trek, leave the wall and drive to a very small village, where you are guests of a local family in their simple abode. Here, you can relax and get a first-hand taste of rural life, and maybe even take up the chance of learning how to make delicious jiaozis (dumplings). The house is the highest in the village, offering a view that overlooks the valley below.

Day 6 - 7: Drive to Mutianyu Great Wall, where you trek around there and the Jiankou Great Wall. Situated in the northern part of Huairou County, some 70 kilometres north-east of Beijing, the restored 2250m long Mutianyu section of the wall has 22 watchtowers built at regular intervals which vary from being complex structures of more than one storey, to simple beacons. The most famous is Zheng Bei Tai, a castle complex that consists of three inner-connected watchtowers. These combined watchtowers ensured the defending force could control any attempt at an invasion. Most parts of the Great Wall have outer defensive parapets to provide cover for the soldiers and a low parapet on the inner side (called Nu Qiang) to prevent soldiers or horses from falling. The Jainkou Great Wall is located 10 kilometres west of Mutianyu, with the Huanghuacheng Great Wall situated much further west. Constructed of large white hill rocks, it is very noticeable from a distance. The major section of this Great Wall is built along a mountain ridge with large cliffs on each side, and due to the lack of repairs, it is now one of the most dangerous sections of the entire Great Wall. After spending a night in a local farmers inn, enjoy your final bit of walking before meeting the minibus and heading back to Beijing.

Day 8: Your tour ends after breakfast.