Badaling Great Wall and Ming Tombs Tour

The Ming Tombs lie in Changping County, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest from the urban area of Beijing. It is actually a tomb cluster of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), including thirteen emperor's mausoleums, seven tombs for concubines and one grave for eunuchs. This cemetery is world famous because of the thirteen emperors buried here. Sitting at the foot of Mt. Yan and occupying an area of more than 120 square kilometers (29,653 acres), it appears extremely spectacular. It was listed in the World Heritage List in 2003. Each emperor's tomb was constructed at the foot of a separate small hill, but they all share a main road called the Sacred Way. The thirteen emperor's mausoleums are similar in their architectural style and overall arrangement, only differing in size and complexity of their structures.
Beijing Badaling Great Wall, a most famous section of the Great Wall, is located at Yanqing County in Beijing. Longqing Gorge sits at Yanqing County as well as Badaling Great Wall, so Longqing Gorge also attracts large number of tourists after Badaling Great Wall. Badaling, literally meaning "reach eight directions", got its name because the maze of its ridges stretches in all directions.

Pick up from your hotel at 8:30am, and then drive to Ming Tombs (50 miles away from downtown and takes about one hour driving). The thirteen Ming Tombs are the best-preserved Chinese imperial tombs with 500 years history. You will visit Changling, the largest of the Ming Tombs, where Emperor Yongle (the first emperor in Beijing) and his Empress Xu were buried. The sightseeing on the Ming Tombs takes about 1 hour.

Lunch at about 11:30 am, you will have 45 minutes for a short visit to a Jade Carving Factory. The jade carving is a famous Chinese product, a blend of the excellent skill on carving and Chinese traditional cultures.

After traditional Chinese lunch at Jindian restaurant, drive to the Badaling Great Wall. The hike on Badaling Great Wall takes about 2 hours. Badaling section is the most famous and best-preserved wall. Its highest point at Badaling is some 800 meters above sea level. Cable car ride is available and optional.

Head back to downtown Beijing and drive pass the Olympic Green, having a distant viewing of both the Olympic Stadium - the " bird Nest " and National Aquatics Center - the Water Cube. Enjoy the traditional Chinese Silk arts. Back to your hotel around 6:00pm.