The most popular thing to do on the Great Wall is HIKING, i.e. walking on the Wall. But besides hiking, you have6 other ways to appreciate the Great Wall:
1. Walk on the Great Wall at Night - Coolest Thing Ever
![Simatai Great Wall at Night](http://www.l-line.net/data/grey.gif)
- Recommended section:Simatai, the only section lit up at night
- Best time:any time without rain
You may have seen beautiful pictures of the Great Wall below the blue sky and white clouds. But have you seen Great Wall glowing at night?
Simatai's Great Wall section offers night access for a short distance.The Great Wall will be lit up at nightbetween the 5th and 6th watchtowers. There is a well-paved path up to the wall.
On Simatai's wall at night, you can have a beautiful view of the brightly litGubei Water Townresort at the bottom of the mountains. After your night visit to the Great Wall, you can relax at the resort area, which offers up to5-star hotels and hot springs.
2. Camping on the Wild Great Wall - a Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience
![Camping at the Great Wall](http://www.l-line.net/data/grey.gif)
- Recommended section:Jiankou, a wild and perilously steep section
- Best time:autumn
If you are an outdoor lover and want a special experience on the Great Wall, camping is a good choice. Gazing down from a Great Wall ridge, and listening for sounds in the night, you couldimagine how China's northern sentries felt keeping watch centuries ago.
The best season for Great Wall camping isearly autumn, before it gets too cold, with fewer clouds in the sky. Then you can best enjoyclear views of the Great Wall winding its way along the mountainsduring the daytime. If you are lucky enough, you may also able toappreciate the milky way at night.
3. Picnic on the Great Wall - Have a Memorable Meal
![Picnic on the Great Wall](http://www.l-line.net/data/grey.gif)
- Recommended sections:Mutianyu, Simatai, and less touristy sections
- Best times:dry days from spring to fall
If you enjoy picnics in the great outdoors, you should have a picnic on the Great Wall during your China trip.
There islittle choice for restaurantswhen visiting the Great Wall. If you are going to do a 5-hour hike, you should prepare some snacks in case you need more energy. Why not bring a picnic too?
Touring with China Highlights, our tour guide will help prepare food and drinks and carry them for you on the Great Wall. You can have a picnic in a watchtower during your hiking trip. It will definitely make your Great Wall hiking trip more memorable, as youimagine the conditions the garrisons and wall workers endured as they ate.
Read more about the Great Wall:
- The Great Wall at Mutianyu - Fully-Restored, Family-Friendly>>>
- The Great Wall at Simatai - Classic, Unrestored, Fortified Wall>>>
- 1-Day Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall Hiking Tour
- 5-Day Huangyaguan to Huanghuacheng Great Wall Hiking Tour
4. Take aTobogganDown from the Great Wall
![采取一个boggan Down from the Great Wall](http://www.l-line.net/data/grey.gif)
- Recommended section:Badaling, Mutianyu
- Best time:anytime
The Great Wall was built on mountain ridges. To reach the wall, you will usually need to hike up mountain paths for about 1 hour, and you will also need to hike down.
Luckily, some sections offer cable cars so you don't have to do the hiking up and down.
At Badaling and Mutianyu, there is anotherfun way to get down from the wall: toboggan. Michelle Obama had ridden a toboggan down at Mutianyu. You too can sit on a toboggan and roll safely down to the valley, as the former first lady.
- 1-Day Beijing Highlights with Mutianyu Great Wall Tour
- 2-Day Great Wall Mutianyu-Simatai Day-Night Tour
5. Outstanding Way to Visit the Great Wall - Helicopter Experience
- Recommended section:Badaling
- Best time:under good weather conditions
Can you imagine taking a bird's eye view of the Great Wall by helicopter? In a helicopter, you can see the magnificent ancient wallfrom multiple angles, lying on the sinuous mountain ridges like a huge dragon's backbone.
The helicopter flying time is about 10-60 minutes, and it only operates under good weather conditions for the best views and safety. If you would like to experience this helicopter tour, pleasecontact usin advance to check whether it can fly.
4. The Huangyaguan Great Wall Marathon - a Challenging Route
![Huangyaguan Great Wall Marathon](http://www.l-line.net/data/grey.gif)
- Recommended section:Huangyaguan holds the official marathon - at least one other section holds an imitation
- Date:usually held in May
The Huangyaguan Marathon was first held in 1999 and has become very popular for its challenging route, stunning Great Wall scenery, and quiet Chinese villages. It'sone of the 10 coolest marathon routes. It attracts runners from all over the world.
Participants not only need torunbut sometimes need toscramblewith their hands and feet on the steep Great Wall. You can enjoy Chinese village views and kind volunteers hand out water and snacks. Children from the villages come to high-five the runners.
Besides the village scenery, you can appreciate the mostcolorful season on the Great Wall. Pure white apricot and pear blossoms make a gorgeous view along the way.
Read more aboutThe Great Wall at Huangyaguan - Longest Restored Section, Marathon Venue>>>
Enjoy a Different Great Wall Tour with Us!
If you are planning a Great Wall tour and want to experience the interesting things above, don't hesitate to let us know. Or you can start tocreate your own Great Wall tour hereby telling us your interests and requirements.
If you want more inspiration, please see ourpopular great wall toursbelow. Our tours can be customized:
- 1-Day Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall Hiking Tour: Challenge the steepest section at Jiankou.
- 3-Day Secret of Beijing Tour- appreciate the stunning views of the Great Wall by night.
- 为期3天的发现从Jiankou长城徒步旅行Jinshanling: Hike on wild and restored sections.