Imagine hiking the Great Wall, from tower to tower, in quiet solitude—no throngs of tourists competing for your view, or stopping mid-stride to take a selfie. The moment goes from obligatory—"a China must-do"—to a lifelong memory.
It's more than a fantasy: We recently took a guided and chauffeured tour organized by the Opposite House, an ultramodern hotel in Beijing's energetic Sanlitun district. With the help of a registered guide, fluent in both English and Mandarin, and a chauffeured Audi A6, we were able to bypass the popular, overrun Badaling section of the Wall to explore less-touristed stretches—Mutianyu, Huanghuacheng, Simatai, or Jinshanling—free from bus groups and souvenir hawkers.
We traveled in air-conditioned comfort, nodding off during the hour-and-a-half ride to the outskirts of Beijing, completely free from the headache of public transportation and a rigid schedule. Due to crowds, a visit to the Great Wall can be as nerve-wracking as it is awe-inspiring; but our ability to dictate everything according to our individual interests (photography), time frame (a few hours before a business meeting), and energy level (relaxed) removed all potential frustrations. It let us just be there in the moment, experiencing one of the world's great wonders.
Beyond sharing the history of the Great Wall, our guide helped set up photos, remained patient whenever we got into Snapchatting, and even rode the Mutianyu section's famous toboggan track exit from the Wall with us. On the way back into Beijing, bellies grumbling, we requested a stop at the city's infamous Wangfujing Snack Street, where our guide negotiated with local food vendors to make our dream—a lunch of scorpions-on-a-stick—a reality.
When the day was done, we returned to our loft-style room, one of 99 at this hotel, where we could relax in an oak soaking tub. Downstairs at Jing Yaa Tang, the hotel's Chinese restaurant, classic Peking duck and fiery Sichuan chicken capped off the perfect day—one we'd been anticipating for weeks, and will remember long after.
Tickets are from 2,650 RMB ($425) for two people.
