| A visit to the Great Wall of China is a dream for | | | | You will find this advice valuable for any touring |
| many people, but there are a few things that are | | | | that you do in China - like most tourist |
| important to know before you go on your trip to | | | | destinations, there are countless people around |
| China. There are any number of scams, fake | | | | that make their living from cheating unsuspecting |
| unlicensed tour guides, and "black taxis" (illegal | | | | tourists. Horror stories abound, from being taken |
| taxis) that will promise you a trip to the Wall, but | | | | to the wrong (and much closer) section of the |
| the old saying "you get what you pay for" is | | | | Wall than what you paid for to being forced to |
| particularly appropriate when it comes to touring | | | | hand over more money or get out of the vehicle |
| in China. Here are 3 tips to consider when planning | | | | halfway to the Wall. It doesn't cost that much |
| a trip to see the Great Wall of China: | | | | more to hire a licensed tour guide and driver from |
| Tip 1: Do Your Internet Research - Which Section | | | | a reliable Beijing tour company, and it is well worth |
| of the Great Wall to Visit? | | | | the peace of mind and overall better experience |
| There is no one single best place to visit the | | | | rather than taking a risk on a complete stranger |
| Great Wall of China - as you can imagine with | | | | and "black" (illegal) taxi. Tour guides are also |
| something as massive as the Great Wall, there | | | | valuable for fending off aggressive vendors who |
| are hundreds of sections of the Wall that you can | | | | will try to sell you water, t-shirts, postcards, etc. |
| visit - some open to the public while others are | | | | at inflated prices. |
| not. The sections closest to Beijing that are open | | | | Tip 3: Wear Comfortable Clothing, Especially Shoes |
| to the public are Juyongguan, Badaling, Shuiguan | | | | This would seem to be just common sense, but |
| and Mutianyu. Badaling is usually extremely | | | | when you go to the Great Wall, take notice of |
| crowded while Shuiguan is too small of a section | | | | how many people, especially women, who are |
| to be worth a visit. If you want to stay closer to | | | | wearing high-heeled or dress shoes for climbing up |
| Beijing, stick with Juyongguan or Mutianyu. There | | | | on the Wall. Don't worry about fashion - dress |
| are also other fantastic sections of the Great Wall | | | | comfortably for the season, and wear shoes that |
| within a 2 - 3 hour drive of Beijing (Jinshanling, | | | | are good for hiking/climbing - the more |
| Simatai, Gubeikou, etc.) - check the internet for | | | | comfortable you are, the higher you can go for |
| the pros and cons of visiting any of these | | | | even better views on any section of the Great |
| sections. Badaling, Mutianyu and Simatai have cable | | | | Wall that you visit. |
| cars to help you get up on the Great Wall, which | | | | These are just a few ideas for you to consider |
| are great to help those not physically able to do | | | | when planning a Great Wall of China tour - good |
| much hiking. | | | | luck and have fun! |
| Tip 2: Hire a Reputable Tour Guide and Driver | | | | |