11 Dec 2019
Very efficient and great way to see the Great Wall. I had limited time in Beijing and a flight out late afternoon. Figuring a way to get to the Wall and make my flight was daunting (as many of the group tours are 8 or 9 hours), but this trip made it so easy. I was picked up at my Beijing Hotel at 7 a.m. and had a very comfortable ride to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. We were literally the first people at the Wall, took the chair lift at Tower 6 (that you pay extra for but IMO was worth it) and Jenny gave a very nice tour and experience around the first few Towers we visited. Then she headed back down and I had several hours to explore and was able to walk up to Tower 20 and back and take the surprisingly fun toboggan back down. From Tower 6 to Tower 14 I saw only one person -- a worker and it was spectacular to be at the Wall, and especially do to basically be up there without the hoards. There is a gondola at Tower 14 so by the time I got there, others were exploring, but still, it was relatively empty. I had plenty of time at the Great Wall and was back down by the private car. My one "complaint" was that I was then asked about a jade tour or tea ceremony which I wasn't really that interested in, but I still felt I had plenty of time at the Wall. One might want to clarify that up front, as I felt that on a private tour that wasn't really advertised. I wound up doing the tea ceremony (although I could have begged off of it I'm sure) which was actually kind of nice, although it is basically a sales pitch. Still, it was okay and I wound up buying some tea.
We then easily made it to the airport and Jenny saw me all the way to check-in. She was very pleasant and nice and everything about the tour made my visit to the Wall quite easy and comfortable. That alone made this well worth the $ in my opinion.