Layover Tour: Xiangshuihu Great Wall Scenic Resort with Villages Visiting

This layover tour in Beijing is a truly amazing experience that you wouldn't get anywhere else. It is not one of those mass tours that shuttles you around to be with a million other tourists. This is an experience to spend a night like a true farmer in a small village, outside the city, in China. I was picked up at the airport, even though it took a bit longer to get through customs then was put on our schedule. I was met by Storm, who was very friendly and ready to chat about my life and tell me all about the area, in proficient English. He was full of knowledge. We drove from the airport to his farm house, making a few stops for sweets and veggies on the way. When we got to his home, he showed me around and when his wife arrived she made me a traditional meal which was very tasty. They knew I was a bit jet lagged so they were happy to let me get some sleep soon after dinner. I had asked to see the Great Wall the next morning instead of that evening, and since the weather was clear, Storm suggested we go for sunrise. He met me at my room around 5 am with a warm coat since I was not prepared for the weather to be as chilly as it was, and we drove a very short distance to a private section of the wall. We then hiked up to the Wall, again with Storm filling me with knowledge about the area and the Wall. When we got up to the top the view was unreal. It was truly amazing, and we were the only two people in view. We watched the sunrise for an hour. Storm was very patient, letting me take my time, taking as many pictures as I wanted and offering to take photos of me since I was alone. And of course he did not run out of information to give me as we waited and walked. When we decided to head back, we were met with warm tea and a huge breakfast. Being daylight now, Storm showed me around the village a bit more, including the Dragon Temple, and answered any questions I had. Storm and his wife, filled my bags with fruits and snacks for my next plane ride and delivered me to the airport with plenty of time to get through immigration and navigate to my gate. It was an amazing, unforgettable experience, and Storm and his wife are very accommodating and friendly. If you are looking for something different, an out of the ordinary experience with great views, I would highly recommend this tour.

This was an amazing tour, we were so happy that we did it. We went our whole week without being wow'ed by any of the food in China, the meal we had at Storm and Vicki's house was BY FAR the best meal we had on our entire trip, including our week in South Korea. We could not recommend this tour more, sadly we did not know about it in time or else we would have stayed the night there too so we could wake up early and catch sunrise on the great wall. If you are looking for a part of the Great Wall with little to no people on it, then this is the place to go. We saw a total of 4 other people on the wall. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone!

We weren't sure quite what to expect on this tour, but we loved it! Our guide, Storm, was very knowledgeable and fun. Our other guide, Vickie, was so friendly and welcoming, she made us feel as if we were family. Some things that made this a particularly amazing trip: 1 We did this tour backwards because our flight came in after 5pm. Because of this, we saw the great wall the next morning instead of that night. I wouldn't have changed this for anything! We got up SUPER early and climbed the wall in the dark, then watched the sun rise above some of the towers. We didn't see another person on the wall besides our small group. Every time I hear about the great wall, people tell me it's packed. But for us? It was like we had the wall to ourselves. 2 The food! Vickie and her family prepare everything fresh at the farm and it was SO delicious! There was way too much food for the four of us, but we stuffed ourselves silly with all the deliciousness. 3 This was such a cultural experience! Most tours everything you learn you've already read on the internet while researching. But this tour was full of culture and seeing how a family really lives. Vickie even taught us how to do Chinese calligraphy! We slept on a traditional Chinese brick bed--something I never expected to do. A couple of tips if you book this tour: 1 Bring a headlamp. They have flashlights, but I thought it would have been nice to have my headlamp. 2 Have about 300 in Chinese Yuan per person for food and entrance fees and any extra for tips. There wasn't a place to get money and we barely had enough. Wished we could have left more for a tip. 3 Something to keep in mind, there is a LOT of climbing. My fitbit read 62 flights of stairs when I got to the top and you do it in about 30 minutes. Some of these steps were really tall up to my knee.