The most beautiful walks in China
China, a vast country offering different landscapes, diverse beauties, varied nature… an invitation to a leisurely one-hour walk or a hike of a few hours… Each walk has its charm, but below we present a non-exhaustive selection of the most beautiful walks to do in China, all tested by one or more of our advisors.
Hiking from Gubeikou to Jinshanling
Stephane’s opinion: After walking several sections, the Great Wall began to lose its charm… and yet Gubeikou surprised me. An unrestored wall crossing magnificent natural landscapes, a walk that allows you to discover it in a peaceful and different way.
This hike starts from the small village of Gubeikou located northeast of Beijing, about 2.5 hours drive from the Chinese capital. Walk along the still wild wall, where you can enjoy magnificent views of the Great Wall winding along the Yanshan ridge. The passes of Gubeikou, Shanhaiguan and Juyongguan were considered strategic points for military companies. The protection of these three passes was of considerable importance for the security of Beijing against Mongol attacks. The end of the hike is on a better-equipped section at Jingshanling, contrasting with the beginning of the hike. The interest of this hike is that you will meet few people apart from at the end of the hike when you arrive at Jinshanling… a few hikers at most because unlike other parts of the Great Wall, few tourists come to Gubeikou. Lush vegetation, forests of shrubs and small trees, a shepherd grazing his goats on a steep landscape… here, there is no noise from cars, just nature and peace and quiet for a hike that lasts 4 to 5 hours.
Discover on tour : Trekking on the Great Wall of China
This hike can be integrated into many tours passing through Beijing including:
Wonders of China
Great sites of China
Hiking in Sanqingshan
Ingrid’s review: I went there in 2019, and in all honesty, it’s as beautiful as the Huangshan Mountains, and much less crowded!
Sanqingshan is one of the still relatively unknown pearls of the Taoist mountains! All 48 peaks and 89 columns of Sanqingshan are spread over 23,000 hectares in a UNESCO national park. The trails overlooking this group of columns offer a memorable journey, to which is added the exceptional beauty of the flora. It is quite different because it is much “greener”, but the granite, shapes of all kinds, and the paths on the mountainside are very spectacular. The spectacle is sensational thanks to cliffside trails. But, fear not, there is no danger, the suspended paths are wide and safe. They allow you to circumnavigate the Sanqing mountains and have incomparable views overlooking the peaks with their extraordinary shapes. Many platforms allow you to look down on the columns below thanks to a glass floor.
Just a 3-hour fast train ride from Shanghai, Sanqingshan is definitely worth the trip!
Best time to visit: Apr. May. June. Sept. Oct.
This hike can be integrated into the following circuit: Wuyuan Huizhou
Hiking around Danian
Serge’s opinion: What I particularly appreciate about the hikes offered in the Danian region is that they are not limited to exploring the superb mountain landscapes, but above all they allow a real incursion into the life of the local ethnic groups to discover their unique traditions in the world.
For a day we recommend a hike in the rice terraces around the village of Muye before going up the valley towards the mountain range which separates Guangxi from Guizhou to the Yao village of Quka.
The walking tour along the rice terraces allows a concrete approach to the reality of the work and life of the Miao and Dong peasants. You will be able to witness rural work depending on the season (rice transplanting, crafts: embroidery, weaving, dyeing, basketry, transporting wood in the mountains, etc.). With your guide, who speaks the local language, you will be able to engage in conversation with the villagers. Here, Yao women (many men have left for the cities to look for work) are dragging a tree trunk from the ground, a little further on, a man places a birdcage in a small stream to bring a little coolness to his sunbird (a type of sparrow). Further on, at the entrance to a village, a visibly very old man meticulously shaves the head of his wife who does not flinch… Serge loves discovering these small daily scenes that give all the flavor to life!
Depending on the day of the week and the dates, you can also join the children as they leave school and accompany them on small paths through the fields to their hamlet or village.
At lunchtime, you’ll share a family meal. The women will proudly demonstrate their singing talents and show off their most beautiful embroidery. In addition to the good humor, homemade rice wine often accompanies the meals.
You will then cross the forest, where some large trees of the primary forest still remain, which has almost disappeared to make way for bamboo, eucalyptus and pine plantations, to arrive at the Yao village of Quka. After a good day of walking, nothing is more invigorating than to be tempted by their traditional bath proposal made with local herbs. You can experience it on site at a local’s home, in a wooden slipper bath. These baths taken daily by the Yaos would explain their astonishing longevity! Long live the valiant hikers…!
Discover here the villages and rice fields seen from the sky for this walk.
Discover our tours:
Immersion among the minorities of Guizhou and Guangxi
Ethnic Minorities and Landscapes of North and South Guangxi Guizhou
Landscapes and Minorities of Hunan and Guangxi
Hiking in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Serge’s opinion: Zhangjiajie Park undoubtedly holds a special place in my list of the most beautiful natural sites in China. Yet it’s difficult to appreciate the site without ignoring the visitors who flock to the many viewing platforms, especially on public holidays. If you’re looking for a connection with nature and don’t mind a good, somewhat physical walk, below are some hiking suggestions that include both remarkable viewpoints and quieter trails.
Ideally, you should dedicate at least two full days to visiting Zhangjiajie National Park and, if possible, stay one night at the summit if you want to enjoy the early morning hours before the cable cars open and the crowds arrive.
On the first day you can discover the most famous sites including the Yuangjiajie sector (Halleluja Mt) and Tianzi Mountain (with about 2 to 3 hours of walking for the whole thing), with the night on site in a hostel (the climb to the top of the park is done by cable car or with the Bailong elevator built on the side of a cliff. A 2 hour walk, on the rather physical “way of paradise” is also possible. This starts from the valley and reaches the summit of Mount Tianzi).
The second day can be devoted to discovering sites away from mass tourism with a more sustained hike divided into two distinct parts: Yangjiajie in the morning and Yaozizhai in the afternoon.
From your hostel at the summit, transfer to the Yangjiajie area is by shuttle (10-minute journey). This site is a little less crowded than the two sites visited the day before, and by leaving early you will be there before the groups arrive. You can do the tour in 2 hours / 2.5 hours of walking, visiting the Wulong Hamlet and Tianbo perched atop steep peaks. There is little difference in altitude, but you will have to squeeze through narrow passages between the gorges (not recommended for people who are too strong), and climb the observation posts using iron ladders. The trail clings to the cliff and in places offers breathtaking views of dizzying cliffs covered with lush vegetation.
It is possible to walk back down from this area, but it is advisable to save your energy for the second part, which is more physical. The descent of the mountain by cable car between the rocky peaks is an experience not to be missed (as is the ascent by cable car, which is more impressive than the elevator). When you walk down, the view is almost completely obstructed by vegetation, and it is difficult to get a clear view of the peaks.
Once you arrive at the bottom of the mountain, you will have to take two shuttles and walk on a path through a bamboo forest inhabited by wild macaques who are always quick to steal your food (do not feed them). Arrive at the Oxygène esplanade (30 minutes journey) where you can have lunch there before undertaking the second part of the hike.
From the Oxygène esplanade, the trail gradually climbs towards the Yaoying fortress, first along a creek, for about an hour, then from the suspension bridge the path becomes steeper until the summit. From there there will be a circular trail that will take you to various viewpoints. The rocky peaks are just as impressive as in other areas of the park, but without the crowds (access is only possible on foot). Nature and wildlife are well protected and you can observe many birds (in the park there are more than 500 species of trees, twice the total of Europe!). Go back down the same path to the esplanade parking lot and the southern entrance of the park (in total, visiting the Yaozi sector requires about 4 hours of walking).
This hike can be integrated into the following circuits :
Journey through the Hunan
Landscapes and minorities of Hunan and Guangxi
Walks overlooking the Yangste Valley.
David’s opinion: The Yangtze is a majestic river that stretches over 6,300 km. Approaching it, hearing it, smelling it, and experiencing it is a truly emotional experience. One can only remain humble in the face of this power bestowed by Mother Nature.
The Tiger Leaping Gorge, in North Yunnan and only 1 hour 15 minutes’ drive from Lijiang, is undoubtedly the site not to be missed if you want to breathe in the space, the water, the mountains and their peaks culminating at nearly 5,600 meters. In the hollow of the two massifs of the Jade Dragon and Haba Mountain winds the Yangzi River, strangled, roaring. The gigantism of the place necessarily invites you to reconnect with nature, to reconnect, to refocus on the essential. The hike then takes on its full meaning and we then venture on sometimes narrow and dizzying paths on the cliffside, on the heights of the gorges. What magic! What beauty! The tumult of the Yangzi below does not leave us. The water, the mountain and the sky come together and envelop us.
Barely a 4-hour drive from there, on the other side of the river that we cross by ferry, we head towards the very remote and little-visited region of Wumu, a Naxi village perched on a valley of the Yangzi. We don’t pass through Wumu by chance, we go to Wumu with a very specific purpose: to settle down, far from everything. Moreover, the small, narrow, recently paved road that winds up to the village is a dead end. On the terrace of the Huahuasei Lodge, a wonderful place run by a Naxi-Belgian couple, we are breathless by the breathtaking unobstructed view of the Yangzi and the reliefs that border it. From the lodge, venture to the banks of the river, a superb downhill walk punctuated by stops to enjoy successive panoramic views. Captivating. We reach the Yangzi, whose waters are very peaceful at this point. A boat then awaits us for a cruise to the village of Baoshan (the stone village), a small, picturesque town perched overlooking the river. Yunnan, which we didn’t expect, offers us yet another of its unsuspected riches.
Discover our tours :
Disconnect at Yunnan
Yunnan in slow travel
Lights of Yunnan
Trek around Jade Dragon Mountain