North China Road Trip — Great Wall, Chengde & Datong
Wall sections beyond the day-trip crowds, Chengde's imperial summer resort and Datong's Yungang Grottoes — or a route you've sketched yourself. If it can be driven, the team can build it.
The north, beyond the day trips
From Beijing, most visitors take a bus to one crowded stretch of Wall and come straight back. By car, the north opens up: Wall sections at Jinshanling and Gubeikou where you can walk between towers nearly alone, then northeast to Chengde — where the Qing emperors escaped Beijing's summer in a vast resort of lakes and temples — and west to Datong, whose Yungang Grottoes hold 51,000 Buddhist statues carved into a cliff in the 5th century. This is the most customisable route on the page: treat the days below as a shape, then tell us what you'd change.
Day-by-day itinerary
This is a sample itinerary, so you can see what each day actually looks like — the driving, the scenery and where you sleep. Every road trip is built per group: the order, pacing and overnight towns are adjusted to your dates, and your confirmed day-by-day plan, with named hotels, comes with your quote.
- Day 1
Beijing — the imperial city
If the capital is new to you, start with the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven with your guide. If it isn't, skip straight to a hutong evening and an early night — the hills are waiting.
- Day 2
The Wall by road — Jinshanling & Gubeikou
Drive northeast beyond the day-trip sections to where the Wall runs wild over the ridges. Hike tower to tower for as much of the day as your legs want; your driver meets you at the far end of the walk.
- Day 3
Beijing → Chengde
Expressway northeast to the Qing emperors' summer retreat: a palace-and-lake resort bigger than the Forbidden City and Summer Palace combined, ringed by temples built to impress — and reassure — Tibetans, Mongols and everyone in between.
- Day 4
Chengde → Datong — the long leg west
The big driving day, across the northern hills into Shanxi. We say so plainly: it's long. The payoff is tomorrow morning — and the road itself, through country few visitors ever see, is half the reason to come this way.
- Day 5
The Yungang Grottoes & depart
A whole cliff of 5th-century Buddhist carving — 252 caves, 51,000 statues, and a 17-metre Buddha who has sat out fifteen centuries. Then depart from Datong, or ride the high-speed train back to Beijing (about 2 hours) for onward travel.
What's included
✓ Included
- Private car and experienced local driver for the road legs
- Fuel, expressway tolls and parking as quoted in your plan
- English-speaking guide (throughout, or in each region — as quoted)
- Hotels in each overnight town at your chosen tier
- Entrance fees for listed sights
- WhatsApp support before and during the trip
✕ Not included
- International flights to/from China, and any domestic flights or trains you add
- China visa, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance (please arrange your own)
- Meals not marked in your plan, personal expenses, gratuities
Price
Price on request
Quoted individually for your dates and hotel level. Message us on WhatsApp for a free quote.
Road trips are quoted per trip: the price turns on total distance, days, car size and hotel tier. Send your rough dates on WhatsApp and you'll get one itemised quote within 24 hours. Nothing is booked until you've seen it and said yes.
Deposit & cancellation policy
Deposit & payment: a 10% deposit confirms your booking once you approve the itinerary. The balance is due 30 days before departure; bookings made within 30 days of departure require full payment to confirm.
- 30 or more days before departure: full refund, minus costs already incurred.
- 15–29 days before departure: 70% refund.
- 8–14 days before departure: 50% refund.
- 0–7 days before departure, or no-show: no refund.
- Issued flight, train and cruise tickets are refunded per supplier rules.
If we have to cancel your trip, you receive a full refund — see the Booking & Refund Policy page for the full terms.
North China FAQ
Can we start in Beijing and finish in Datong?
Yes — that's how the sample above ends. Datong has high-speed trains back to Beijing (about 2 hours) and onward connections, so there's no need to backtrack by road.
Can we swap Chengde or Datong for somewhere else?
Freely — this route is the custom one. Pingyao's walled old town, the Hanging Monastery near Datong, or extra Wall days all slot in. Tell us the drive you've been sketching and we'll build it with you.