Walk the Great Wall + Xian Extension

Our tour starts today in Beijing, China's vibrant capital. A hub of culture and politics, the city blends the ancient and the modern with historic sites sitting alongside cutting-edge architecture. The city has been the capital since the late 1200s when Kublai Khan set up his mighty Asian Empire. Interestingly, all clocks in the country are set to Beijing time, despite the westernmost regions being 5,000 kilometres away. Our tour leader will meet us in the hotel reception for a welcome meeting at 5pm this afternoon. For those that wish, there is the chance to go out for a group dinner afterwards. There are no other activities planned for today, so you're free to arrive at any time. If you miss the welcome meeting, your tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into either Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) or Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). Due to the traffic congestion in the city, you should allow up to 90 minutes to get from the airport to our hotel. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, you might like to head out on foot and explore Beijing's central district with its many parks, temples and restaurants. Beijing is a sprawling metropolis and there's plenty to explore but luckily our hotel is centrally located within walking distance of Tiananmen Square (40 minutes) and the Temple of Heaven (15 mins).

We start today with a visit to Tiananmen Square. One of the largest squares in the world, Tiananmen was the site of major events from the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China in 1949 to the tragic pro-democracy protest of 1989. After visiting the square we'll cross to the Forbidden City, the one-time home of the Ming and the Manchu (Qing) emperors. The palace complex was given its name as it was off-limits to all but a privileged few for nearly 500 years. Today, it's the largest and best-preserved collection of ancient buildings in China, covering an area of 720,000 square metres and containing over 900 buildings. The rest of the day is free for you to explore solo. You might like to take the opportunity to explore the alleyways (locally known as \ hutongs') that make up the older and rapidly disappearing residential quarters of this sprawling city. This evening, you might like to catch the Beijing Opera or an acrobatic display (optional).

This morning, we leave the capital and head to Shanhaiguan (a four-to-five-hour drive). This is the spot where the Great Wall of China reaches the Bohai Sea. The meeting point is called Laolongtou (or the 'Old Dragon's Head') thanks to the legendary carved dragon's head that once faced the ocean. Shanhaiguan was a garrison town with a large square fort, which still stands to this day, with huge gateways facing the four compass points. The east gate is an impressive structure known as 'First Pass under Heaven'. It has these words inscribed at the top signifying the ancient Chinese perceived division of the world into 'civilised China' and the 'barbarians'. After visiting the Old Dragon's Head, we'll drive to the First Pass where we get our first opportunity to walk on the wall and visit the Great Wall Museum. Over the next six nights, we'll stay in simple-grade local guesthouses and hotels. We stay in twin-share rooms with en-suite bathrooms. It's worth noting that service standards might not meet those back home and that electricity and plumbing can be erratic. Today's 4-kilometre/2.5-mile walk is expected to take around two-and-a-half hours.

As we walk the Great Wall, we plan to head out early to make the most of the day and catch a glimpse of local rural life in action. Today, we'll walk out of town and join an old section of the wall, continuing on foot to the impressive Jiaoshan Pass where the wall heads into the mountains for the first time. If you have the energy, and the weather allows it, you might like to continue up to a high point for spectacular views. Our walk returns the same way. There are a few things to note today. A large visitor centre and car park are being built that intersects the wall and we may need to navigate around the site. Along our route, we might encounter sections that pass through gorse bushes so trousers are recommended. The terrain today is generally stable but we'll come across rocks, concrete slops, a short vertical metal ladder and there are some large steps along the route that might challenge those with knee issues. Please note, the Jiaoshan Pass is closed each year until the 1st of May due to fire concerns. Departures before the 1st of May will walk the Jiumenkou section of the wall instead, a 40-minute drive from our original start point. This route is a bit shorter at around 2.5 kilometres/1.5 miles long, taking around two hours to complete. This afternoon we'll drive to Sahe near Panjiakou reservoir where the wall crosses beneath the waters. Today's 4.5 kilometre/2.8-mile walk is expected to take around two-and-a-half hours.

This morning, we drive to Panjiakou reservoir for a boat excursion on the water. The surrounding scenery is stunning, with the wall following undulating ridges across the rugged hills before plummeting into the water at two points, Panjiakou and Xifengkou. Joining our vehicle again, we'll continue to Luowenyou (around 90 minutes away) where we'll walk for approximately 5 kilometres/3 miles on a rugged and steep section of the wall with sweeping views across the surrounding area. Our ascent will be scrambling at times as the terrain turns to gravel and is overgrown with trees at some points. From Luowenyou, we'll continue by bus (a journey of around 90 minutes) to our hotel on the grounds of the Eastern Qing Tombs near Zunhua. Today's 8.5-kilometre/5.3-mile walk is expected to take around five to six hours.

Making a reasonably early start this morning, we hope to have this lovely site to ourselves. The Eastern Qing Tombs are the largest and most complete of the Imperial Tombs in China with five emperors, 15 empresses and 136 concubines all buried here. The surrounding mountains contain the tombs of hundreds of lesser nobles such as princes and dukes. We'll be able to enter a few of the beautifully carved tombs which date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. After our visit, we'll drive to a point on the Great Wall where we can begin our walk into Huangyaguan. This section of the wall is more restored, with generally stable, concrete terrain and some hand rails. It can be relatively quiet and offers some great views. The first part of the walk is an ascent up to a prominent tower before descending down to another tower near the river. From here, we'll cross the river and walk into town and our hotel for the night. Today's 3.5 kilometre/2.2-mile walk is expected to take around two to three hours.

This morning, we'll from Huangyaguan to Gubeikou (a two-hour journey). From here, we'll walk up onto the wall along a mountain path. This section of the wall takes us past 16 beacon towers where we spot a section of the wall in the distance that's usually obstructed from view. We'll leave the wall at Jinshanling and head to the hotel where we spend the next two nights. Today's 10-kilometre/6.2-mile walk is expected to take around five to six hours

Today we'll walk one of the most stunning sections of the wall between Jinshanling and Simatai. Our walk includes some ruined sections as well as some steep ascents and many steps. In 2010, Simitai was closed to the public, so we'll walk as far as is permitted before returning to Jinshaling. En route, we'll pass 18 watchtowers, which offer the only shade on our walk - we'll take each opportunity to pause and take in the views. Today's 6-kilometre/3.7-mile walk is expected to take around five hours.

Today we head back to the capital (a three-hour journey, traffic depending). We should arrive in the early afternoon and have the late afternoon free. You might like to take an excursion to the Summer Palace or the Temple of Heaven in Tiantan Park. We take a high-speed bullet train to from Beijing to Xian and the journey takes approximately 6 hours. The Xian extension is not accompanied by an Explore Leader. You will not be accompanied on the bullet train and on arrival in Xian you will be met by a local guide who accompanies all the included sightseeing activities and will be able to provide information on places to eat and optional activities.

This morning, we'll meet our local guide upon arrival at Xian train station. Our stay in Xian reveals the extraordinary continuity of Chinese civilisation. Xian (Changan) served 11 dynasties and was the very starting point of the Silk Road between Central Asia and Europe. Its ancient monuments include the Big Wild Goose Pagoda (64 metres, a 7-storey high structure with a superb view over the city) and the Great Mosque, a wonderful 15th century working mosque within the old Muslim Hui District, which we include in our sightseeing tour.

Today we visit one of the highlights of any trip to China - the magnificent Terracotta Warriors and Horses who guard the Qin Shi Huangdi Tomb. There are literally thousands of lifesize warriors, dating from 200BC. This dramatic find of the 1970s is considered one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the century. Late afternoon is free in Xian with the option to visit the extensive and impressive National (Shaanxi) Museum.

Our tour ends this morning at our hotel in Xian There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart from Xian at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Xian Xianyang International Airport (XIY). Due to traffic congestion in the city, you should allow up to one hour for this journey.