Beijing

Visiting the Mutianyu Great Wall during the off-season meant fewer tourists overall, making it easy to capture beautiful photos without any random passersby. On January 11th, the temperature on the Great Wall was -13 degrees Celsius in winter. Your hands would go numb the moment you pulled them out of your pockets, but as you walked along the undulating slopes, your body gradually warmed up. After walking about two watchtowers, the numbness in your fingers subsided considerably. Surprisingly, although the Great Wall is built along the mountain ridge, there was actually very little wind, so apart from your frozen fingers, you didn't really feel cold. I recommend trying using your phone's 2x or 4x zoom for photos; you can capture different kinds of beauty!

The driver was punctual and waited for us eventhough it took us more than 1 hour to clear the immigration and related stuff.

The hotel pick-up was very convenient, and the tour leader explained everything clearly. The bus was comfortable and convenient, and the lunch included was a great bonus. Dining at the Great Wall scenic area is expensive and there aren't many options, so the lunch included was a good deal. We were able to visit both the east and west routes. There were long queues on the way down the mountain, so you need to manage your time well on the mountain to visit both the east and west routes.

We were backpackers and went in December 2025. The temperature was around 1 degree Celsius. The Summer Palace is quite large; walking around it takes about 6 hours. There are beautiful views everywhere. Every restroom was very clean and tidy, and some even provided hot water for handwashing. The lake and streams were partially frozen, so we recommend bringing some food and water to keep warm. Then you can enjoy your visit to the park!

It's a large area with a unique theme park (Kung Fu Panda), and the Transformers theme park is also large.