China Long-Distance Walking Routes
China’s long-distance walking culture is less developed than its European or North American equivalents — the infrastructure of waymarked trails, maintained paths, and walking-focused accommodation that exists in Spain, the UK, or the US is largely absent. But the routes themselves exist, and a growing community of both Chinese and foreign walkers has developed practical knowledge about the most rewarding extended walks.
The Great Wall Wild Sections: Hebei
The unrestored sections of the Great Wall in Hebei Province — outside the tourist circuit of Mutianyu and Badaling — offer the most dramatic walking in northern China: wall sections in various states of ruin, crumbling towers with vegetation growing through them, and ridge-top walking with extraordinary views.
Key sections for walking:
Jiankou–Mutianyu: The most famous wild wall walk; 10 km between the untouched Jiankou section (extremely photogenic; crumbling towers; steep; vertigo warning) and the restored Mutianyu. One-way with taxi return. Full day; moderate to difficult.
Gubeikou–Jinshanling: A 10–12 km walk along a mix of restored and unrestored wall; the Gubeikou section in particular has remarkable, barely-maintained tower ruins. One-way; full day.
Zhuangdaokou (庄道口): Less visited; the wall here runs along a steep ridge above a reservoir; the views are extraordinary and the crowds minimal.
Practical: Most wild wall sections lack official trails; GPS track downloads (from Wikiloc or local hiking communities) are essential. Bring your own water; no services on the wall itself.
The Tea Horse Road (茶马古道): Yunnan Section
The Ancient Tea Horse Road (茶马古道) was the trade route connecting Yunnan’s tea-producing regions with Tibet. Several sections of the original stone-paved footpath remain walkable in a journey format connecting villages.
The Shaxi to Tiger Leaping Gorge route: An increasingly popular multi-day walk connecting the Shaxi ancient market town (in the Jianchuan valley) north through Tibetan villages to the Tiger Leaping Gorge and Lijiang. Approximately 6–9 days; altitude ranges from 1,900m to 3,500m; accommodation in village guesthouses throughout.
The Hengduan Mountain sections: More remote; guides essential; the most intact original tea horse path sections are in the high pass country north of Deqin in Yunnan.
Tibetan Pilgrimage Circuits: Kailash and Ganden–Samye
Mount Kailash Kora (冈仁波齐转山): The holiest pilgrimage in all of Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism; a 52 km circumambulation of Mount Kailash at 4,700–5,700m altitude. Takes 3 days for most walkers; the high pass (Dolma La, 5,636m) requires good physical condition and altitude acclimatisation.
Requires: Tibet permit + Kailash special permit; organised tour recommended for the remote location.
Ganden–Samye Trek (甘丹寺–桑耶寺): A 3–5 day trek between two ancient Tibetan monasteries crossing two high passes (5,200m+); one of the classic Tibetan trekking routes combining monastery architecture with extraordinary highland scenery.
Wutai Mountain Pilgrimage Circuit (五台山)
Wutai Mountain — one of China’s four sacred Buddhist mountains — has a traditional pilgrimage circuit connecting the mountain’s five peaks (North, South, East, West, and Central Terraces) by foot.
The Outer Circuit: A 7-day walk connecting the outer monasteries and peak terraces; altitude range 1,500–3,061m (North Terrace is the highest); accommodation in monastery guesthouses throughout.
The Inner Circuit: A 2-day walk connecting the five peak terrace viewpoints; more accessible for most visitors.
Sichuan Tibetan Border Treks
The eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau in western Sichuan (Ganzi and Aba Prefectures) has exceptional trekking in less-permitted territory:
Yading Nature Reserve (亚丁): A 3-day loop circuit around three sacred peaks — Chenrezig (6,032m), Chana Dorje (5,958m), and Jambeyang (5,958m) — at 4,000–4,700m altitude. Now requires park tickets and ranger accompaniment for some sections.
Luorong Pastoral Circuit: A full-day walk from Luorong camp to the high meadows at the base of all three Yading peaks.
Practical Information for Long-Distance Walking in China
Navigation: Few routes have consistent waymarking. Download offline GPS tracks before any multi-day walk. Komoot, AllTrails (limited China coverage), and Chinese app 两步路 (Two Steps) have the best track databases for China.
Accommodation: Guesthouses (kèzhàn 客栈) are available in most village waypoints on established routes; book ahead in peak season (July–August, October holiday). Camping is technically restricted in most scenic areas; in practice, wild camping above treeline is tolerated on remote routes.
Permits: Tibet requires a Tibet Travel Permit for all non-Chinese visitors; some specific areas (Kailash, northern Tibet) require additional permits.
Guides: Recommended for the Sichuan-Tibetan border region; English-speaking guides are available through Chengdu-based trekking agencies.
Long-distance walking in China rewards people who don’t need perfect infrastructure — the routes exist, the landscapes are extraordinary, the logistics require more preparation than in Europe, and the rewards include landscapes and community encounters that are inaccessible by vehicle.