Great Wall of China Travel Tips

After visiting the Great Wall of China, I decided it would be good to share some travel tops for those reading this that might be traveling there soon. While this list is not the greatest list of travel tips ever assembled, this list is made up of things I wish I would have known before I got there. Here are my tips:

1.     Wake up early and get there early – we waited until 8:30 to leave the hotel. It took about 90 minutes to travel to the Great Wall, and I feel like we wasted time unnecessarily. Had we left at 6:30 or 7:00, we would have made it back to the Forbidden City in time to make that tour in one day. 

2.     Take the gondola up – save your legs, it is the easiest way up.

3.     Head West (to the alternate ways down) once you get to the top.

4.     Wear comfortable shoes for walking, with ankle support if you need it... I wore decent shoes, but should have brought better shoes!

5.     Take drinks and snacks with you – It seemed a though we walked about 2-3 miles on rough terrain. They sell water and snacks, but if you like to save money, bring your own.

6.     Take the sled (slideway) down. This was really cool. It is a sled that you ride down. It has a handheld break, it goes as fast or as slow as you want, and is definitely a unique experience.

7.     Purchase souvenirs after you come down from the wall – vendors will hustle you on the way up, but there is no reason to waste your time on the way up (most people already know this)

8.     Bring $1 bills (US) – you can buy most everything for just a dollar. There is no need to exchange your money here, and your money will go further this way.

9.     Have fun – this is an incredible site to see, enjoy it and have fun with the experience. You will get tired, hot, and sweaty, so make sure you have fun seeing this site!