3 Days Great Wall Hiking in Beijing

My daughter and I had a terrific 3 day adventure hiking the Great Wall of China, made extra special by our wonderful,caring, attentive, informative, experienced guide, Jack Chen, and our kind and thoughtful driver, Mr. Zhou. We hiked the Gubeikou, Jinshanling, Wohushan, Jiankou, and Mutianyu sections of the Great Wall,.5-6 hours a day, with our guide, Jack Chen offering information about Chinese history, culture, politics, life, food, and what's it's like to live in China. Jack even gave us tai chi and kung fu lessons in the evening. The hikes offered spectacular views of the mountain ranges and valleys with views of the winding wall in the distance. You can just imagine the enemy armies trying to attack from the north. We took hundreds of pictures! I even got to celebrate my birthday on the second day of the hiking tour and asked other hikers we met to sing happy birthday to me in their own language. Jack and Mr Zhou surprised me with a delicious birthday cake which we all devoured after dinner. Our accommodations were suitable. We ate delicious food, carefully chosen by Jack, being attentive to my daughter's gluten-free needs…no bread, dumplings or wheat noodles. Hiking the “wild wall” on the 3rd day was really challenging! We hiked on very rough, broken, steep, overgrown, and narrow sections of the wall, but it was well worth it! We did welcome the cable car ride down. By the end of the 3rd day, we were tired and our legs felt it! Make sure you wear comfortable and sturdy hiking or trail shoes, carry a small day pack with snacks and water, light layers and a rain jacket. The weather changes a lot. This was a truly marvelous experience, not to be missed even if you hike only one day. If you are lucky to get Jack Chen as your guide, you will be very fortunate and extremely pleased and satisfied. He is a special person! Our trip was indeed, memorable!