One of the greatest feats of my life was when I got the wonderful opportunity to visit China. I spent a few days in Shanghai and several in Beijing. But the greatest moment of that trip was standing atop the Great Wall. I could see for miles out of beautiful Chinese mountainsides and pieces of the old Wall. It was a majestic experience.
If you’re planning a trip to China anytime soon with a visit to the Great Wall on your agenda, there are a few things you need to keep in mind:
1) First off, one thing you have to remember is that EVERYONE and their dog is also visiting the Wall. If you’re going to have all of your necessary travel information (money, passport, ID, etc), keep that in your front pockets, fanny pack in front, or a small bag held in front of you. When I was hiking it, the first portion of the hike is just so full of people that you’re touching front to back, back to front, and side to side with all sorts of people. I don’t want to say be entirely untrustworthy of strangers (I met some of the nicest people in China), but please don’t live your necessary personal belongings just chilling in an open bag behind you. Keep everything secure and in sight at all times!
2) One thing you are most certainly going to need to pack for the Great Wall is water. Keep several bottles with you. I went in the summertime, and it was scorching hot. Water is an absolute MUST.
3) And speaking of the sun, bringing an umbrella is also something you might consider taking. When the sun is up, it gets very hot. I learned to find any form of shade there is and cower under it. So forewarning! Bring an umbrella!
4) Early morning is the best time of day to go. It’s much cooler than the afternoon and less busy. Our host guide took us in the afternoon, and as amazing as it was to actually climb the Great Wall, there were tons of people and I’m pretty sure I lost my weight in sweat.
Last, but not least, my best piece of advice is learning your Great Wall history and making the trek all the way to the end. There are far fewer people the farther out you go. And knowing the history beforehand makes the whole trip far worth it. Have fun and be safe!
