Awesome alternative ways to see the Great Wall of China

Fancy a change from the tourist hordes at Badaling? Read this

There’s so much more to the Great Wall of China than the tourist hotspots. The old Badaling and Ming Tombs combo? Been there, done that, never again. Whether you’re a weekend wayfarer, Beijing newbie or local born-and-bred, here are the best alternative ways to see the Great Wall of China – this country's most enduring monument.

Try the night shift in a watchtower

For rugged, outdoorsy types, Great Wall Adventure Club (138 1154 5162; greatwalladventure.com) organises multiday hiking trips that include overnight stays in abandoned watchtowers under silent, star-dusted skies. There’s no better place to appreciate the magnitude of this amazing feat of engineering.

Tours range from one to 12 days and routes cover various levels of difficulty. Plus, Great Wall Adventure Club has more than ten years of experience operating Great Wall tours, and is the only company with the official licence to take foreigners on camping tours. Prices vary depending on the group size (as little as 1,859RMB for one night if you’re in a group of ten), but all camping gear and meals are provided.

Cruise in a vintage motorbike

Okay, so you can’t exactly drive a motorcycle on the Great Wall itself. But you can cruise around the surrounding countryside in a sidecar attached to a vintage Chang Jiang 750 motorbike – a copy of the BMW R71 developed by the Germans during the Second World War.

Beijing Sideways (139 1133 4947; beijingsideways.com) offers one-day Wild Great Wall tours that take you on a hell of a three-wheeled ride through lush mountain paths to the Silver Mountain Pagodas and lesser-known Huanghuacheng section of the Great Wall, where you can explore the abandoned ruins and enjoy a homemade French picnic before being driven home.

Tours (starting from 2,400RMB per person) are tailor-made and led by ‘Insider Guides’, who are all Beijing veterans.

Get a bird’s eye view

HNA Capital Helicopters (Hainan Airlines’ sister company, if it makes you feel any safer; 185 0078 3345; greatwallhelicoptertours.com) operates custom helicopter tours from Badaling Airport that fly over various sections of the Great Wall. Flit around crumbling watchtowers in an AS350B3 Squirrel or EC135 Eurocopter before swooping over the breathtaking landscapes of Guanting Reservoir and Kangxi Grasslands. Don’t forget the obligatory selfie in front of the ‘old wall’, only accessible by air. For the brave you can even take off the doors on certain helicopter models in the quest for that perfect Instagram snapshot.

These chopper rides give you the VIP treatment all the way, inclusive of fresh fruit, but they don’t come cheap. A 15-minute jaunt starts from 1,500RMB, but you can (of course) stay up there till kingdom come if you’re happy to hand over a few extra kuai.

For even more alternative ways to conquer the wall, hit '阅读原文' below.

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