One of world's numerous man-made wonders is the Great Wall of China. For anyone planning on visiting China or any of its surrounding neighbors, a Great Wall of China tour is almost a requisite addition to the trip. However, with so much wall to see and so many tour options available it might be hard at times to know which Great Wall of China tours to trust and attend, and which ones to ignore.



The Great Wall of China today consists of more than 6,700 Kilometers of wall, stretching over deserts, cliffs, plateaus and hills as it separates nations from the east coast to the northwest corner of China. With more than 2000 years of history built into each segment of the wall, it is no small wonder that this massive expanse has become one of the most visited structures in the world on an annual basis. There are nine different sections of the Great Wall of China from which tours are given. Each of these sections has something slightly different to offer.

The most commonly attended Great Wall of China tour is in Beijing where the best preserved and most interesting segments of the wall remain. These sections, separated into seven other separate sections; the Badaling, Simati, Jinshanling, Mutianyu, Gubeikou, Huanghuacheng, and Jiankous sections, showcase the work that was being done on the wall during the Ming dynasty before the Qing conquered the city. The closer the wall comes to Beijing, the larger and better pronounced it appears.

Of these seven Great Wall of China tour destinations, the Badaling section is the most well known. Many of the images taken of the Great Wall are from the Badaling section of the wall, many of them near or around the Juyonguan Pass. However, the Mutianyu portion of the Great Wall is another good touring destination, especially during the busy days tourist seasons.

The other eight possible Great Wall of China tour locations each offer their own unique perspective of China's history though, dating back as far as 2000 years. These eight sections include the Hebei, Tianjian, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, and Gansu sections of the wall, stretching westward across the northern sections of the country.

Each segment of the wall offers something slightly different. Some sections are known for being much narrower and seemingly older, offering a more secluded view of the wall as tourism is less pronounced here. Other sections have become famous for hiking as they climb over mountain passes and through hills. No matter which Great Wall of China tour you choose to attend when you visit China, you almost assuredly will experience the majesty and history of one of the world's greatest man-made structures.