Beijing's Gems: Mutianyu Great Wall, Ming Tomb, and Hutongs｜China

We start at Mutianyu, a section of the Great Wall that sees far fewer tourists than Badaling. You can take stunning photos without crowds getting in your way. Mutianyu Great Wall stretches over 2 kilometers, and the highest point is over 500 meters above sea level. The site is known for its natural beauty — over 96% vegetation coverage — and its distinctive double-sided watchtowers, which are quite unique.

Setting off at the foot of the mountain, we’ll take shuttle buses to the cable car station, where you can take the cable car or chairlift up, and take the toboggan or cable car down. Built beneath the Great Wall, the toboggan is a one-of-a-kind speed slide in the world. As you zigzag down the mountain, you can feel the thrill of driving a speedboat or racing in a car, turning your trip to the Great Wall into an unforgettable adventure.

After exploring Mutianyu, we’ll enjoy a tasty homemade family lunch at a nearby village.

In the afternoon, we head to one of the Ming Tombs called Changling. Changling is the largest of the tombs. Much like the Pyramids, it carries deep symbolic meaning: It not only offers insight into ancient Chinese beliefs about the afterlife, but also illustrates the ancient Chinese philosophy of harmony between humanity, architecture, and nature. The centerpiece of Changling is the Ling'en Hall, built entirely from thousand-year-old golden phoebe wood (golden silk nanmu). Its 60 massive columns, each carved from a single trunk of this precious wood, still stand intact today, making it the largest surviving palace hall built of golden phoebe wood in China.

At the end of the tour, you’ll visit Hutongs, residential neighborhoods of the imperial capital during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The most iconic structures within the hutongs are siheyuan (courtyard houses), a traditional style of residence distinctive to northern China. Today, the hutong area is like a living old city — not a newly built imitation of an ancient commercial street, but a place where local residents have lived for generations.