This was my third trip to China and my second time visiting part of The Great Wall. Luckily the section we went to was different than before and much less crowded. Below are 5  useful tips on how to make the most of your experience when visiting! 

1. Good Footwear.

     Really I shouldn’t need to add this tip but the illogical process people must go through when choosing footwear always flabbergasts me! When is comes to traveling, in general, a good pair of shoes can make or break the experience. You don’t want flip-flops, or loose shoes, or really anything that you cant climb thousands of stairs with. On both my visits the stairs were abundant and pretty treacherous at some parts so sturdy based shoes are your optimal choice if you want to endure the less polished portions.

2. Bring Water.

     I’m not sure if there is a location on The Great Wall that is not exhausting but for the most part it is built on mountainous land. Sure there might be a gondola at some locations but I suggest going by foot for the full experience! This being said, just getting to the wall can be tiring so be sure to bring lots of water to stay hydrated!

3. Physically Condition.

     Fortunately, I’m in adequate shape but walking or climbing the thousands of steps is exhausting! At both experiences of The Great Wall there were times I could have fallen over in exhaustion, which would have been extremely dangerous due to the nearly straight up, not to grade, stone, stair ways. If you’re out of shape and still want to see the wall maybe just look at it online because not being able to walk the entire section you’re visiting makes the trip way less worth it.

4. Take all the Photos.

     On average I’m pretty conservative when taking photos. Even to the extent where I’ll jokingly tell people, "I don’t want to waste film," when they tell me to take a picture of something. However, for many of you it might be your only time seeing this wonder so embrace the inner tourist and take a lot photos! Likely most of them will suck, but who knows. Maybe there will be some gems in there and you can make a small book of the awesome adventure to look back on!

5.    Bring Friends.

     The Great Wall was built to keep people out so if you’re going to conquer it you need to bring friends! Once in a lifetime opportunities are better with people to share it with so ensure you have amazing friends around you for the excursion! There are multiple benefits to this: they encourage you to keep climbing, they can carry your water, possibly catch you when you faint from exhaustion, take your photo, and even reminisce with you about the experience! Those of you who I conquered The Great Wall with, thank you for making it a tremendous trek!

     I hope you enjoyed reading about How to Conquer The Great Wall of China. Be sure to check out the images below (some are also near The Forbidden Palace), share this with friends, or maybe even plan your own trip to China!