Camping: Switchback Great Wall
Camp overnight in a scenic spot on the Great Wall. You’ll hike easier with just the essentials in your day pack; we’ll arrange delivery of the camping equipment to the campsite.
This hike is not currently scheduled
On this Great Wall overnighter you’ll hike a picturesque stretch of the wild Great Wall, and camp at a nice quiet spot on the Great Wall, deep in the hills of Yanqing District.
We’ll organise delivery of tents and sleeping bags direct to our campsite; you’ll just need to carry your clothes, water, and food and snacks.
Maximum group size of 14 hikers; book early to make sure you get a spot!
Bad weather plan
We'll have a fairly good idea of the weather by about three days before the hike. If it's forecast to be dangerous, we'll look at changing the route to somewhere where the weather is more suitable. If it changes suddenly while we're out there, we can shelter at a guesthouse in the village at the foot of the Great Wall. If the weather forecast says it's going to be very hot, we may need to do the easier version of the hike up to the campsite.
The hiking trail
We're going to take it slow and easy on this hike: the hike to the campsite is fairly short, but there are some steep sections to climb up and down. Plus, there are a lot of places where you'll want to stop to enjoy the views.
If you'd like to do some extra hiking on the first day, it's possible to hike a bit further along the wall after we've set up camp.
On the second day, we'll see how keen you are to explore! There's a steep section of wall nearby, and we'll see how you feel about climbing up to the highest point for even better views.
The campsite
Our campsite is a nice flat area on a line of rough and unrestored Great Wall, with superb views of mountains to the front and the back, and climbing up a little further along the wall will open up views of more mountains and the line of Great Wall that runs right through the middle.
The towers in this area are not so suitable for camping in due to their deteriorated condition or distance from the access points, but you will certainly be able to explore plenty of them while hiking, and the campsite will be a great place to watch the sunset.
At night
The sun will set at around 6:27pm, and from the campsite we’ll be able to watch as the sun slowly sinks below below the mountains.
Moon phase: Full Moon!
The sun will rise in the hills behind our campsite at around about 5:53am.
Kid's prices
8–12 years old: ¥900
13–16 years old: ¥1,300
COVID-19 and participation precautions
The current precautions are minimal. Please read in full here: Operating hikes under COVID-19 precautions
