1-Day Side Trip to Mutianyu and underground palace

-

Trip Highlights - Attractions involved: Mutianyu section is regarded as the essence of China Great Wall. Hiking on Great Wall is a must-do activity during China trip. If you want to choose a section of the Great Wall in Beijing with medium distance, fewer people, good hiking condition, full travel facilities, and most importantly, the magnificent and primitive scene, most travel guide books will suggest Mutianyu. Located in Huairou County about 45 miles from Beijing, Mutianyu connects Juyongguan Pass in the west and Gubeikou Great Wall in the east. It is the main defensive fortification to the north of Beijing and has protected the capital and the nearby Ming Tombs for many hundreds of years. Mutianyu Great Wall tour is also famous for enjoying the breath-taking beautiful scenery. Woods cover over 96% of the total scenic area. So it gained the honor as the most beautiful Great Wall in China.
The Ming Tombs (Ding) is one of the most attractive travel spots in Beijing. It located about 50 kilometers from downtown Beijing at Tianshou Mountain in Changping District. It was built within a natural basin, butted on two sides by the Yanshan Mountain Range, which was said to stop winds carrying evil spirits into the area. This imperial cemetery covers an area of 40 square kilometers with 13 Ming emperors, 23 empresses, many imperial concubines, princes and princesses buried there. These tombs are the best preserved of all Chinese imperial tombs.
Availability: Daily.      Pick-up Point & Time: Your hotel, 8:00am.      Finishing Point & Time: Your hotel, 8:00pm.      Duration: 1 day.

Tour Itinerary: (L-Lunch)
Pick up at your hotel around 8:00am. First head to the Underground Palace ( Dingling, one of the 13 Ming Dynasty Tombs complex ) and visit a Jade Carving Factory, where you can bargain for jade and handicrafts and get to know about Chinese jade culture. From the Yongle Emperor onwards, 13 Ming Dynasty Emperors were buried in this area. You will visit Dingling, the tomb of the Wanli Emperor, which is the only one of the Ming Dynasty Tombs to have been excavated.After lunch, head to Mutianyu Great Wall, which takes about one hour. The Mutianyu Great Wall is known for its beautiful surroundings - dense woods and rich pastures changing colors with the seasons of the year. The great wall winds its way over 1000 meters to the crest of a mountain before turning sharply and dipping downhill, forming a triangle known as the Ox-Horn Wall, Two unique features of this section are the double battlements and branch walls found throughout the area. Cable car is optional. After the tour, transferred back to your midtown hotel in Beijing.