Explore the route, then refine the details.
A China Adventure Club route through several contrasting regions of China. Explore the operator’s itinerary outline, then refine its pace and arrangements for your dates.
Adapted from China Adventure Club’s original regional and national collection. The outline below describes the source route; your written proposal establishes the current order, overnight stops and service arrangements.
Itinerary outline
Select a route section to explore the map. Tap a stop for its location or use the directions link for the next leg. Flights, trains, cruises and hiking arrangements follow your itinerary.
1 Beijing Directions to Shanhaiguan
2 Shanhaiguan Directions to Jiaoshan
3 Jiaoshan Directions to Eastern Qing Tombs
4 Eastern Qing Tombs Directions to Huangyaguan
5 Huangyaguan Directions to Jinshanling
6 Jinshanling Directions to West Simatai
7 West Simatai Directions to Gubeikou
8 Gubeikou Directions to Jiankou
9 Jiankou Directions to Mutianyu
10 Mutianyu Directions to Beijing
11 Beijing Directions to Xi’an
12 Xi’an Directions to Mount Hua
13 Mount Hua Directions to Chengdu
14 Chengdu
Hiking + Mountain Climbing + Cycling = Three episodes = Lifetime adventure in China
It's an Ironman project designed for explorers in China determined to use two feet and two wheels.
If anyone can complete the entire Great Wall trek from Shanhai Pass to Mutianyu Pass, he will have achieved a new feat in his life. Our 1-week Great Wall trek will make it happen for you. You traverse the most challenging routes from Shanhaiguan, the "First Pass" of the Great Wall from the Pacific Ocean to Beijing. You also have the chance to camp on the Great Wall as the ancient warriors used to do. The Great Wall section to learn about the significance of the Wall's construction and its monumental wonders.
In Xi'an, home of the Terracotta Warriors, you climb the most dangerous mountain in China, Mount Huashan, and challenge the "Death Plank".
Then you move to the hometown of pandas, greet the cute pandas and cycle through the ancient mountain towns where they live. It's a rewarding and unforgettable trip that will make you proud for the rest of your life!
EPISODE I: The Great Wall ODYSSEY (7 Days)
Day 01
Welcome to Beijing! Airport transfer to your hotel.
Day 02
Visit Beijing's Highlights: The Forbidden City and Summer Palace.
Day 03
Kick off your journey with a 4-hour drive to Shanhaiguan, south of the Bohai Sea. Savor breathtaking scenery the Great Wall meets the sea. The Great Wall here looks like a dragon's head poking into the sea and dancing in the waves. Stay at a beautiful courtyard hotel in the ancient town of Shanhaiguan Pass. Local lunch and dinner.
Day 04
Hike for about four hours at Jiaoshan, also known as Horn Mountain, the first mountain crossed by the Great Wall heading west from the coast. Explore its rocky ridges and broad summit views. Stay another night at your hotel in Shanhaiguan’s old town.
Day 05
Visit the UNESCO-listed Eastern Qing Tombs, an extensive imperial burial complex. Explore its ceremonial buildings and learn about the Qing dynasty rulers buried here. Spend about an hour at an overlook near Huangyaguan, also known as Yellow Cliff Pass, then stay overnight at a local hotel.
Day 06
Trek for about four hours from Peace Fort to Huangyaguan Pass and the steep Sky Ladder. The pass takes its name, Yellow Cliff Pass, from the golden color of the cliffs in the evening light. Continue by vehicle to Jinshanling and stay overnight in a courtyard hotel near the wall.
Day 07
Hike for about three hours from Jinshanling toward West Simatai, following the wall across rolling mountain ridges. Enjoy views of the surrounding valleys, then drive to Gubeikou to camp in the General’s Tower.
Day 08
Hike about 4.5 hours from your Gubeikou campsite toward Jinshanling. The unrestored wall bears traces of the fighting that took place here in the 1930s. Continue to Jiankou and stay at the Miss-U-Much hostel.
Day 09
Explore the rugged Jiankou section, where the wall climbs steep mountain ridges. Hike toward Mutianyu and enjoy an optional toboggan ride down from the wall. Return to Beijing in the late afternoon.
EPISODE II: The "DEATH PLANK" of Mount Hua Challenge (2 Days
Day 10
Take the 4:27 a.m. high-speed train and arrive at Huashan Station at 9:26 a.m. Explore Mount Hua, known for its sheer cliffs and deep ravines. The historic plank walk is an optional challenge for visitors comfortable with heights. Stay at the Ramada Hotel in Xi’an tonight.
Day 11
Visit the Terracotta Warriors, part of the UNESCO-listed burial complex of China’s first emperor. Explore the life-size figures and learn about the ongoing archaeological work. Cycle on Xi’an’s historic city wall, then take an afternoon high-speed train to Chengdu.
EPISODE III: The PANDA BASE MOUNTAIN CYCLING (9 Days)
What to refine before booking
Protect the travel days
Review the full hotel-to-hotel transfer for every intercity leg. Avoid relying on a flight or train arriving early enough for a tightly timed major attraction unless the final schedule supports it.
Choose a comfortable pace
Confirm stairs, slopes and time on foot. Ask which optional visits can be shortened or removed, and where an additional night would make the biggest difference.
Make inclusions explicit
Request the actual hotel and room choices, guide language, vehicle arrangements, admission coverage, meals and any activity-specific support in the written quotation.
Participation, eligibility and permitted tasks depend on the center’s current program. Close contact, feeding, holding and volunteering are not guaranteed by this outline.
Compare another approach
For a more spacious route, explore the original journey briefs in our national and regional collections. These show overnight allocations, transfer days and the tradeoffs behind each route.