There are so many things to experience on one’s first trip to China—the obvious sights like the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, the contemporary art galleries of Beijing and Shanghai, the street food, the street markets—that it almost feels overwhelming. However, of the many sights on the long list of must-sees, the Great Wall is a non-negotiable. Even more of a non-negotiable? Experiencing the gravity and scale of this monumental treasure alone in silence—instead of shoulder-to-shoulder with every other tourist on some commercialized, crowded section of the Wall.
From staying overnight at a nearby boutique hotel to seeing the wall by helicopter, here are a few of the best ways to get up close and personal with China’s most awe-inspiring sight.
Seek unparalleled views in Huanghuacheng.
Non-renovated sections of the wall tend to be low on tourists and high on scenery but are often a bit far from Beijing. Huanghuacheng is less than two hours from downtown Beijing, and while officially “closed to the public” by the government, it’s still popular with adventure-seekers. It features sweeping swaths of the wall that undulate up mountainsides before tumbling dramatically into the waters of the Huaijiu river. You’ll have to take a few buses to get there on public transportation, but if you’re traveling with a group, it might just be better to split a taxi from Beijing.
Climb the Fairy Tower at Simatai.
Simatai is an especially steep (and therefore, visually rewarding) section of the wall just beyond the super-touristy section of Jinshanling. If you can brave the 80-degree incline of the Heavenly Ladder, you’ll be able to reach an especially narrow crag atop, where you’ll find the Fairy Tower, believed by many to be the most beautiful guard tower of the entire wall.
Spend a night at a boutique hotel.
Instead of trekking all the way from Beijing, stay overnight in the Chinese countryside to get to the wall first thing in the morning or stay until sunset. The Brickyard in Mutianyu is a wonderful fusion of mid-century design and Chinese architecture. Each spacious room opens onto a private terrace many with unobstructed views of the property’s orchard and, beyond that, the Wall. Light flows in through skylights and dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows, and rain forest showers in each bathroom will ease achy muscles after a long day of hiking.
Commune, by the Badaling section of the Great Wall, is another solid choice, and even features a private path on-site to a quiet, barely refurbished section of the wall. Commune is not a hotel in the traditional sense, but is instead constructed of some 40 villas, designed by award-winning contemporary Asian architects. The concept was presented at the Venice Biennale in 2002 to critical acclaim, and today the properties are considered to be one of China’s modern architectural triumphs. Spend some time browsing the website for a closer look at these breathtaking properties.
See it from the sky.
While it is a myth that you can see the Great Wall from the moon, a ride in the sky may still be the best way to take it in. Great Wall Helicopter Tours offers 15- and 30-minute helicopter tours of the Wall, departing from the easily accessible Badaling Airport. If you’d rather be picked up from the comfort of your hotel in downtown Beijing, however, then stay at the Peninsula hotel and ask in advance to add the Aerial View of Beijing tour to your reservation. From the luxury of a helicopter seat, you can take in bird’s-eye panoramas of the city and Ai Weiwei’s Bird’s Nest stadium from the 2008 Olympics, and touch down for an exquisite Champagne brunch under a private pavilion with spectacular views of the wall.
If you must do Mutianyu, do it off-peak.
Located just an hour-and-a-half’s drive north of Beijing (buses and taxis are widely available), the village of Mutianyu is near one of the most impeccably restored sections of the wall. That means, however, that it’s also one of the most visited sections, too. But Mutianyu is tucked in an impossibly scenic mountain valley with particularly steep and rocky mountains, which make for excellent photographs and adventurous hikes. To beat the crowds, go on a weekday, first thing in the morning, or late in the afternoon—the light will be better for your Instagrams that time of day, anyway.
You’ll have to buy a tram ticket to ride up to the wall, but enjoy the ride, because each cabin is printed with cheeky, charmingly translated trivia such as: “Bill Clinton Former American President Rode This Car to Climb the Great Wall on June 28, 1998.” And don’t miss the chance to ride a toboggan down, like Michelle Obama did on her visit in 2014.
When you get to the top, you’ll see a sign indicating you’ve reached the western end of the Mutianyu section. Keep going into the Jiankou section for a steeper, less-refurbished climb where you’re likely not to encounter another soul. Advance here at your own peril; the views are worth it.
Enjoy an impeccable massage back in Beijing.
After a long day of hiking and scrambling on the wall, even experienced travelers will be in need of a little R&R. The hot-stone massages offered at the Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street, are some of the best you’ll ever have, and each treatment begins with a pot of homemade red bean tea, a rose-petal foot bath, and a salt scrub to ease tired feet. And not only does the newly renovated Peninsula Spa at The Peninsula Beijing, have a full spa menu with the usual offerings, but the hotel also keeps a fully qualified physiotherapist on staff to provide you with pinpointed guidance rooted in Chinese wellness practices.
Whichever you choose, both spas offer traditional Chinese massage—lots of rhythmic acupressure—that will leave you feeling like something between a freshly kneaded loaf of bread and a conqueror of the Great Wall. When in China, do as the Chinese, right?
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