Home > Special Trips

1. As well as hiking around Beijing, we do trips to other places in China—some famous scenic areas, some obscure and less well-known areas … all interesting and enjoyable! As with the hikes in Beijing, we make it easy for you to get to these areas, taking care of all the organisation and leaving you free to enjoy the scenery.

   The full information and itinerary for the trips will start appearing on this page once the costs are confirmed. For more information about a trip, or to get on the notification list for any or all of them, email .

   To get a good idea of what we get up to on long distance trips, read through our 2011 long distances trips review – you'll find descriptions of all the trips we did and links to see photos.

2. Upcoming Long Distance Trips

   May 23–27, 2012

   Coloured Cliffs of Zhangye, Gansu Province (5 days)

   

   View detailed information and itinerary.

   Confirmed departure, some spaces still available.

   Large areas of northwestern China are sparsely populated, and contain stunning scenic locations unheard of by outsiders. On this trip, the highlight is the Danxia Landform of Zhangye—magnificently multi-coloured mountains, valleys, hills, and cliffs that ripple away towards the horizon.

   While facilities can be rustic and flights expensive, visits to these remote, off-the-beaten track areas are very worthwhile. You’ll be going somewhere comparatively few people have gone before, and you’ll see things in a more natural state, before the inevitable development for tourism.

   Huijie and Yanjing did the scouting for this trip, and stayed with the man who knows the area better than anyone. With his knowledge, and our attention to detail, we’ve planned two days of scenic hiking in this amazing area.

   Key trip information
   Dates: May 23–27
   Cost: from 8,540 RMB, all-inclusive.
   Please make payment before May 9, 2012.
   Early-bird price available until April 27, 2012.
   

   To sign up for this trip send an email to or phone +86-10-6432-2786.

   (We’ll be doing the four-day version of this trip in October, 2012.)

   For more information, click through to read detailed information about the trip and itinerary.

3. June 14–17, 2012

   Tengger Desert Lakes, Inner Mongolia (4 days)

   

   Read trip itinerary and info

   On this four day expedition you’ll experience life in the desert, with two days of hiking and one night of camping in the Tengger Desert region of the Alashan Plateau, adjacent to the huge Gobi Desert. We’ll visit desert lakes and oases, traveling through the dunes by foot, by jeep, and by camel! On the last day of the trip we’ll visit the Western Xia Imperial Tombs, taking a look at the distinctive pyramid-shaped burial mounds.

   If you can get the Thursday and Friday off work, you’re set for a good long weekend!

   Key trip information
   Dates: June 14–17, 2012
   Cost: from 6,935 RMB, all-inclusive.
   Please make final payment before Thursday, May 31.
   Early-bird price available until Tuesday, May 22.
   

   To sign up for this trip send an email to or phone +86-10-6432-2786.

   For more information, click through to read detailed information about the trip and itinerary.

4. June 22–24, 2012

   Bashang Grasslands (2 days, 2 nights)

   

   Itinerary and info

   Escape the heat and bustle of the city on a two-day, two-night trip to the cool and breezy Bashang Grasslands, 280km north of Beijing. On this trip you’ll enjoy two days of hiking through the beautiful flowers and soft, waving, grass that covers the rolling hills of the prairie, with a BBQ and bonfire to keep you warm on the last night of the trip.

   All you need is the Friday off work, and you’re set to go!

   Key trip information
   Dates: June 22–24, 2012
   Cost: from 1,520 RMB, all-inclusive.
   Please make payment before Wednesday, July 20.
   Trip departs 13:30, Friday June 22.

   To sign up for this trip send an email to or phone +86-10-6432-2786.

   Horse- and motorbike-riding is not included in the price, but we will be very happy to help you arrange rental.

   For more information, click through to read detailed information about the trip and itinerary.

5. Thursday July 12th, 2012

   Hulunbuir Grasslands, Inner Mongolia (4 days)

   

   Come with us on a four day trip to enjoy the magnificent grasslands of northern Inner Mongolia, one of the most well-preserved grasslands in the world. Boasting gorgeous pastoral scenes of grazing livestock and an endless emerald sea of grass, the Hulunbuir Prairie will be a pleasant retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life in Beijing. Besides a few neat hikes in the prairie, we’ll also be visiting some fascinating towns along the border between China and Russia, some of which are inhabited by Chinese people of Russian descent.

   Key trip information
   Dates: July 12–15 (Thurs–Sun)
   Cost: from 7,370 RMB, all-inclusive.
   Early-bird price available until Friday, June 15
   Registration period ends Friday, June 29
   

   To sign up for this trip send an email to or phone +86-10-6432-2786.

   For more information, click through to read detailed information about the trip and itinerary.

6. July 25–29, 2012

   Kashgar and Lake Karakul, Xinjiang (5 days)

   

   Read trip itinerary and info

   Head to the far west of China for two days of trekking in the midst of the stunning high-altitude scenery that surrounds Lake Karakul and the foothills of Mt Muztagh-Ata, the 7,546m tall “Father of Ice Mountains.”

   On the days either side of our trek, we’ll visit Kashgar’s mosques, tombs, Old City, and famous bazaar and market, getting a good look at the different culture of China’s somewhat wild west.

   IMPORTANT
   We get up to high altitudes rather quickly on this trip. The hiking trails are not technically difficult, but the altitude will make it tough going – you’ll need a high level of fitness to enjoy this trip. At high altitude, the weather may change suddenly for the worse. We reserve the right to alter the itinerary to ensure the safety of all participants.

   Key trip information
   Dates: July 25–29 (Wed-Sun)
   Cost: from 11,465 RMB, all-inclusive.
   Early-bird price available until Tuesday, June 26.
   Registration period ends July 10.

   To sign up for this trip send an email to or phone +86-10-6432-2786.

   For more information, click through to read detailed information about the trip and itinerary.

7. Long Distance trips 2012 schedule

   We've got a whole lot of trips outside Beijing and all around China planned for 2012. The dates listed are solid, but if flight schedules are changed we may have to update our plan. In 2011 we had to make slight changes to an itinerary because of a change to flight timetables. Fingers crossed 2012 stays change-free!

   Date	Trip	Photos
   March 22–25	Wuyuan, Jiangxi Province Vast fields of yellow flowers and ancient river towns in southern China. Cultural focus, nothing too strenuous. From 4,997 RMB (early price with member's discount)	Photos from our 2011 visit to Wuyuan
   April 29–May 2	Tengger Desert Lakes Travel by foot and jeep through the desert, visit desert lakes, ride camels, camp in the desert, and more.	Photos from our August 2011 visit to the Tengger Desert
   May 23–27	Zhangye, Gansu Province (5 days) Fantastically-coloured mountains and cliffs in an all-but unexplored area of Gansu; Jiayuguan Fortress and Great Wall, and more.	Photos from our October 2011 visit to Zhangye
   June 14–17	Tengger Desert Lakes Travel by foot and jeep through the desert, visit desert lakes, ride camels, camp in the desert, and more.	Photos from our August 2011 visit to the Tengger Desert
   June 22–24	Bashang Prairie, Hebei Province Clean and cool grasslands near the border of Hebei and Inner Mongolia: hikes, BBQ lamb, and more.	Photos from our June 2011 visit to Bashang
   July 12–15	Hulunbuir Grasslands, Inner Mongolia Fresh air and the endless green grasslands of the best preserved prairie in China. Trip includes hiking and a visit to a border town that contains a curious mix of Chinese and Russian culture.	Photos from our 2011 visit to Hulunbuir
   July 20–22	Bashang Prairie, Hebei Province Clean and cool grasslands near the border of Hebei and Inner Mongolia: hikes, BBQ lamb, and more.	Photos from our June 2011 visit to Bashang
   July 25–29	Kashgar and Lake Karakul, Xinjiang (5 days) Explore Kashgar city; hike around Lake Karakul and in the foothills of Mt. Muztagh-Ata.	A 2007 trip visited some of the same places
   August 10–12	Ancient Walled City of Pingyao, Shanxi Province Guided tours of the alleys, thoroughfares, and the key historical sites; an easy hike outside the city walls.	Photos from our May 2011 visit to Pingyao
   August 17–19	Bashang Prairie, Hebei Province Clean and cool grasslands near the border of Hebei and Inner Mongolia: hikes, BBQ lamb, and more.	Photos from our June 2011 visit to Bashang
   August 23–26	A'ershan Forest National Park Explore the A’ershan National Forest Park, a natural reserve that contains volcanic landscapes, mountaintop lakes, deep forests, grasslands, rivers, and mineral-rich springs.	Photos from our 2009 visit to the A'ershan Forest National Park
   September 7–9	Bashang Prairie, Hebei Province Clean and cool grasslands near the border of Hebei and Inner Mongolia: hikes, BBQ lamb, and more.	Photos from our June 2011 visit to Bashang
   September 30– October 6	Xinjiang: Journey from the West See the sights along a key stretch of the northern Silk Road, visiting Urumqi, Turpan, Hami, Dunhuang, and Jiayuguan. Camp a night in the Gobi Desert and see the ancient Han Dynasty Great Wall; visit Turpan's Grape Valley; view the Buddhist artwork in the Mogao Grottoes; and explore Jiayuguan, the outpost at the western end of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. Trip Journey can be extended to include the Zhangye trip.	Photos from our 2011 Journey from the West
   October 6–9	Zhangye, Gansu Province (4 days) Fantastically-coloured mountains and cliffs in an all-but unexplored area of Gansu; Jiayuguan Fortress and Great Wall, and more. Hiking and photography focus. Trip can be added on to the end of the Journey from the West.	Photos from our October 2011 visit to Zhangye
   October 19–21	Ancient Walled City of Pingyao, Shanxi Province Guided tours of the alleys, thoroughfares, and the key historical sites; an easy hike outside the city walls.	Photos from our May 2011 visit to Pingyao
   October 31– November 3	Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong, Sichuan Province New! Visit the deservedly famous Jiuzhaigou National Park and then head on to nearby Huang Long, an equally scenic but less well-known area of still ponds and coloured rocks.	Jiuzhaigou 2011 scouting trip photos
   November 14–18	Lijiang and Shangri-La, Yunnan Province (5 days) See the highlights of Lijiang and Shangri-La - the cobbled streets and watercourses of ancient towns, country roads and fields around small settlements, Naxi culture, and amazing views of snow-capped mountains. Cultural focus, nothing too strenuous.	Photos from our 2011 visit to Lijiang and Shangri-La

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