Great Wall Recomendation
 

My buddy and I have 3 days coming up in Beijing the 2nd week in January. We obviously know we want to go check out the great wall of china but are curious if people recommend doing it on their own, private tour, or larger group tour? We're staying at the Park Hyatt Beijing if that matters. Any suggestions, ideas and past experience would be great.

You do not need a guide not a tour to visit the Wall. You just need transportation to get there. Unless you want to take the public bus to the Badaling section, you just hire a driver. Check for drivers here: http://www.thebeijinger.com/classifieds/cars-drivers
Do not get a driver from the hotel as they will add their own markup.

Check out Beijing Hikers for ideas. You could also go in one of their hikes, but with 3 or more people, getting your own car pencils favorably.

I went on a hike with Beijing hikers and loved it. I would definitely recommend them.

Dr. PITUK

The Great Wall is pretty big so you need to decide which part you want to visit. I went to Badaling which has the highest point and there is a cable car you can take if you don't want to walk all the way up. With that said, it is very crowded and since you're going in winter then expect a lot of smog. It also gets very cold so dress warmly and be careful since parts of the wall are quite steep. I had friends who went to the more remote area and they liked it because there were a lot less people, but the conditions were not as good.

To elaborate, they go to some awesome wall sections (that have never been discussed here), have guides who are capable of physically carrying you down if you get injured, and attract cool customers.

That having been said, the maps/instructions on their website are easy to replicate on your own. Just be prepared to pay off the gatekeepers, and haul your injured companion off of the mountain if need be. In addition to saving money, going on your own will spare you of the need to head out at 7a. Please join our Wechat group if you go alone; 100 people are there to help you.

Thanks for the responses. We're thinking of going with a tour group. I guess the next question would be what part of the wall do you recommend? Since we're going to be there in January we know it will be cold but hopefully less crowded.

Did you look at the Beijing Hikers list that conforms with your visit? Their January spots are pretty interesting.

Nice timing on this thread for me.

My wife and I are spending 1 day in Beijing before heading to my grandparents in Liaoning.

So land 1/28 late-ish, arrange a day trip guided tour GW + Tiananmen/Forbidden Palace for 1/29, and take a train at 2pm on 1/30. Sounds like a similar itinerary to as Dad to Go and the suggestions in "1 Day In Beijing".

What experiences do people have with hiring a driver? How do you choose/organize the sites? Are the prices usually per person or total?

A mid sized car costs around 600 depending on the chosen location; treating drivers to lunch is also pretty common. Additionally, many sites have a per person entry fee (50-150).

My suggestion,

1/29 - GW + Summer palace or Temple of heaven
1/30 - Tianamen + Forbidden palace (it should take approximately 3-4 hours)

Tiananmen is the entrance to the Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square is across the street from it. Personally, I think 1.5-2 hours is enough for the Forbidden City, so I try to tack on Beihai, and more, but I do know some people who can't get enough of the palace museum.

If you're feeling a little adventurous I recommend using Joe's great wall hiking tour. We literally saw no one else and were hiking on parts of the great wall that were crumbling. It was a great adventure.

Here is his trip advisor link:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...r-Beijing.html

What sections did you go to?

I don't know the name, I just know it was super rural. I've attached a few photos if that helps.