Walk the Great Wall + Xian Extension

This 11-night tour with Explore Worldwide centres on walking some of the most interesting parts of the Great Wall of China. Starting with two nights in Beijing to visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, you then travel east to Shanhaiguan, where the Wall famously meets the Bohai Sea at the 'Old Dragon’s Head'. Over six days on and near the Wall, walks vary from gently rolling erosion-prone paths to scrambles up steep, overgrown sections and concrete slopes.

Between walks, there are drives through rural areas and stays in modest local guesthouses where plumbing and electricity may be an adventure of their own. A boat trip on the Panjiakou reservoir shows the Wall dipping sharply into water below. The tour ends with a trip back to Beijing and a bullet train journey to Xian where ancient city sights, including the Great Mosque and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda unfold. The highlight is the Terracotta Warriors, resting quietly since the 1970s discovery, and a reminder that travel here involves patience as much as curiosity.

These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.