t was an amazing experience! diverse parts of the wall, great views, hikes and food. nice to have had a fit group. (hours hiking are a bit shorter then)

t was an amazing experience! diverse parts of the wall, great views, hikes and food. nice to have had a fit group. (hours hiking are a bit shorter then)

What an amazing experience! Definitely the highlight of our Beijing trip. Not to be missed!! Thank you for being so accommodating Fred & Heidi.

What an amazing experience! Definitely the highlight of our Beijing trip. Not to be missed!! Thank you for being so accommodating Fred & Heidi.

It was just awesome. I did the Chen Castle Hike + Sleeping on the Great Wall. All equipment is provided as well as food, drinks and transport. The Hike could have been a bit longer for my liking but was still good. Great view and really quite, away from all the tourist. I recommend to do more then only one night because hiking there gets you hoo...

It was just awesome. I did the Chen Castle Hike + Sleeping on the Great Wall. All equipment is provided as well as food, drinks and transport. The Hike could have been a bit longer for my liking but was still good. Great view and really quite, away from all the tourist. I recommend to do more then only one night because hiking there gets you hooked and afterwards you dont want to go back to the city as fast.

Visited June 2015

I did the 2 day 1 night chen castle trip, and it was a great experience. We travelled along an overgrown but picturesque stretch of wall, with a great view of the sunset in the evening. I would highly recommend foregoing the touristy reconstructed parts of the wall and going with Fred and Heidi instead, particularly if you're a solo traveller, a...

I did the 2 day 1 night chen castle trip, and it was a great experience. We travelled along an overgrown but picturesque stretch of wall, with a great view of the sunset in the evening. I would highly recommend foregoing the touristy reconstructed parts of the wall and going with Fred and Heidi instead, particularly if you're a solo traveller, as it gives you a chance to join up with a group.
My only regret is that i couldn't just keep going on the wall, the view is that good!

Visited August 2015

We did an overnight trip to Chen Castle and had a great time. There were about 12 of us total (half doing a day hike and half staying the night) and we didn't see anyone else on this section of the wall all day. I've been to three other great wall sections with hired drivers before and all of them were swarming with people.

Fred and Heidi were ...

We did an overnight trip to Chen Castle and had a great time. There were about 12 of us total (half doing a day hike and half staying the night) and we didn't see anyone else on this section of the wall all day. I've been to three other great wall sections with hired drivers before and all of them were swarming with people.

Fred and Heidi were friendly and everything was well organized. The food was delicious and the camping and hiking equipment provided was good quality. Everything was clearly communicated, we knew exactly what to expect, and that's exactly what we got.

I would personally have liked a bit longer walking, but again we knew how long the walk would be when we booked the trip and it was exactly as organized. And it would have been nice to have a less hazy day so we could have seen the sunrise, but nothing Fred and Heidi can do to solve Beijing's polution problems! :)

Everything about this trip was terrific.

Visited May 2014 source: tripadvisor

Joined a 2 day hike and camping trip with Fred and Heidi over the October holiday. The whole trip was really well organized, from food and gear to the transport. Great to see more remote parts of the wall where you don't have to share it with hordes of other tourists. The view was spectacular, the food was great and Fred and Heidi do everything ...

Joined a 2 day hike and camping trip with Fred and Heidi over the October holiday. The whole trip was really well organized, from food and gear to the transport. Great to see more remote parts of the wall where you don't have to share it with hordes of other tourists. The view was spectacular, the food was great and Fred and Heidi do everything they can to make it a memorable experience. Well worth it.
2014-10-10

Me and my girlfriends hiking trip with Fred and Heidi to the wall were simply the best day out of our 7 days in Beijing.
We were picked up at a central metro station and had a 2 hour drive to a part of the wall. We then had lunch at a local small city. After lunch we climbed a somewhat steep mountain to get to a wild part of the wall. The 4 hou...

Me and my girlfriends hiking trip with Fred and Heidi to the wall were simply the best day out of our 7 days in Beijing.
We were picked up at a central metro station and had a 2 hour drive to a part of the wall. We then had lunch at a local small city. After lunch we climbed a somewhat steep mountain to get to a wild part of the wall. The 4 hour walk on the wall started from there. Simply an amazing, breathtakingly beautiful view of the wall and surrounding mountains. The route our guides had planed took us from some wild unrestored wall over some partly restored wall with watchtowers and ramparts still intact. It was only our small group on the wall, no hordes of tourists as some places on the wall.
Our guides Fred and Heidi were extremely helpful. They really know the wall well and arrange the best hiking trips there. Had a talk with Fred and calculated that he had done around 200 hikes on the wall. They really knows it well :-)

Pictures from our trip can be found on Dandelion Hikings Facebook page under "August 27 Great wall hiking camping trip at Chen castle".2014 Aug

Me and my partner did this hike last October 2013. I can't recommend it enough. Such an amazing experience and you have to see the wall this way!!

Me and my partner did this hike last October 2013. I can't recommend it enough. Such an amazing experience and you have to see the wall this way!!

I've enjoyed visiting tourist sites in downtown Beijing, and even another portion of the Wall that was thoroughly reconstructed, but this trip to the Wall was the most rewarding by far! Myself and my friends were constantly in awe of the beauty of our surroundings and had a wonderful time visiting an authentic part of the Great Wall. We truly en...

I've enjoyed visiting tourist sites in downtown Beijing, and even another portion of the Wall that was thoroughly reconstructed, but this trip to the Wall was the most rewarding by far! Myself and my friends were constantly in awe of the beauty of our surroundings and had a wonderful time visiting an authentic part of the Great Wall. We truly enjoyed a great, refreshing time with a guide who knew much and helped us enjoy our hike more through his knowledge. The campsite was beautiful, situated among the mountains with a view of the Wall. This tour was my favorite thing about my time in China and I will remember it forever.
Visited June 2014/ Source tripadvisor

Can't speak highly enough of our trip with Dandelion Hiking. Joined a small group led by the wonderful Heidi on the Chen Castle overnight camping trip. Began with a great local meal at a village near the wall, a short hike and some amazing views, then set up camp on top of the wall to watch the sunset, followed by dinner and a campfire under the...

Can't speak highly enough of our trip with Dandelion Hiking. Joined a small group led by the wonderful Heidi on the Chen Castle overnight camping trip. Began with a great local meal at a village near the wall, a short hike and some amazing views, then set up camp on top of the wall to watch the sunset, followed by dinner and a campfire under the stars. Not another soul on this fantastic old section of the wall. Can't imagine how different this must be from the crowded tourist spots we passed en-route. Hike was fantastic value, and was a real pleasure to spend time with Heidi and her friends. Without a doubt, the highlight of our three weeks in China. Not to be missed.

Visited June 2014 / Source tripadvisor

We booked a camping tour with Heidi and Fred to celebrate a birthday milestone. A tour was not listed for the dates we wanted but they accommodated our request and arranged a new tour for the dates we requested.

A fantastic group of 8 hikers joined the tour with 2 guides (Jan and Er Hu). We travelled along an old part of the wall in original co...

We booked a camping tour with Heidi and Fred to celebrate a birthday milestone. A tour was not listed for the dates we wanted but they accommodated our request and arranged a new tour for the dates we requested.

A fantastic group of 8 hikers joined the tour with 2 guides (Jan and Er Hu). We travelled along an old part of the wall in original condition which was amazing and it felt authentic. There were no other groups on this section of the wall, just us and the rolling mountains.

We hiked with backpacks containing tents, sleeping bag, water and personal items. The hike was challenging so you would need to have reasonable fitness to climb stairs with a backpack.


Tents were pitched either on the wall or beside the wall on a small flat area. Camping was great fun, people brought wine and beer and we played music.

The weather was perfect both days of the tour and we were lucky to have high visibility across the valley.

Last but not least, safety was always considered. The tour was changed from 3 days to 2 days due to lightening forecasted for day 3. We also felt very safe with the driver.

I highly recommend this tour company.
Thank you to everyone at Dandelion Hiking!

Visited June 2014
Source tripadvisor

We booked the 2-day trip to Chen Castle with Fred & Heidi. From the start everything was handled quick and easily. We didn't have to think about anything, everything was arranged for; food, drinks, camping gear, ..To our happy surprise, Fred was a fellow Belgian, settled in Beijing after having travelled the world. Fred and Heidi are great peopl...

We booked the 2-day trip to Chen Castle with Fred & Heidi. From the start everything was handled quick and easily. We didn't have to think about anything, everything was arranged for; food, drinks, camping gear, ..To our happy surprise, Fred was a fellow Belgian, settled in Beijing after having travelled the world. Fred and Heidi are great people and we had a lot of fun with them. The walk is leisurely and you decide your own pace (the trip we took may however be too casual for more seasoned hikers). This part of the wall is very quiet, we didn't see any other people. It was just us on a wild, crumbled and overgrown part of the wall surrounded by beatiful nature. We had a nice little dinner on the wall, prepared on the selfmade bbq, with a cup of wine and some Belgian beers! We watched the sun set, gazed at the stars and then got in our tents after our little fire burned out. Waking up the next day in the middle of the Great Wall is an experience I wont soon forget. I warmly recommend Fred & Heidi to anyone who likes to travel off the beaten track!

This was an awesome trip! Fred and Heidi are excellent guides. After a van took us outside of the city, we stopped for a traditional Chinese meal, prepared for us by a farmer and his family, before setting off on the hike. The hike was plenty challenging, with heavy packs on our backs and the steep inclines and declines of the wall, but so much ...

This was an awesome trip! Fred and Heidi are excellent guides. After a van took us outside of the city, we stopped for a traditional Chinese meal, prepared for us by a farmer and his family, before setting off on the hike. The hike was plenty challenging, with heavy packs on our backs and the steep inclines and declines of the wall, but so much fun enjoying a part of the wall that not so many tourists see. There were ample rest stops for all, where we could take in the breathtaking scenery all around. We set up camp in a comfortable flat spot adjacent to the wall and took in a spectacular sunset in the evening and sunrise the next morning. Our dinner was some of the best camp food I have ever had, and Hieid and Fred are wonderful hosts. They accommodated our every need, from camping equipment such as sleeping bag, tent, backpack, to satisfying food and plenty of water, all included in the price.

Visited June 2012

With great determination, I embarked on my fist hiking/camping virgin trip with Fred, Heidi and a bunch of lovely nature lovers.

The weather was wonderful, at least during day time, and the road less travelled has proven to be much more breathtaking. Hidden away from dreadful tourists and coaches, the unrestored Great Wall revealed her genuine...

With great determination, I embarked on my fist hiking/camping virgin trip with Fred, Heidi and a bunch of lovely nature lovers.

The weather was wonderful, at least during day time, and the road less travelled has proven to be much more breathtaking. Hidden away from dreadful tourists and coaches, the unrestored Great Wall revealed her genuine beauty eventually while we were climbing towards the mountain ridge. As we walked along the meandering mountain ridge, on which the Ming Great Wall was built, I was completely mesmerised by the sheer grandeur of this ancient structure.

The hike has proven to be manageable and Fred paced the whole trip very well, so nobody was left behind. We also had several stop points as we marched towards the camping ground. This gave us ample time to appreciate the magnificent view, so we never felt been rushed.

The most exciting and thrilling experience for me during the trip was definitely the unexpected fast-approaching thunderstorm at dusk. Being an inexperienced hiker, I was getting anxious as the wind starting to pick up. However, my lovely fellow hikers and Fred gave me a lot of help in setting up the tent quickly. Fred even asked me and another single hiker to move into his tent, staying inside until the thunderstorm had passed. Fred's professional knowledge, sensible decision, clear instruction and swift action ensured our safety in that rare and horrendous weather condition.

In general, I have absolutely fallen in love with hiking/camping and wonder why I didn't start doing it earlier? I will totally recommend my friends to join any hiking/camping trip conducted by Fred and Heidi.

Visited July 2013 (source:tripadvisor)

This trip was the highlight of our holiday in China. We hiked along an unrestored part of the wall a few hours from Beijing, where the views were amazing and there were no other tourists. We had a good lunch at a local restaurant before starting, and a nice BBQ dinner by the wall. The equipment provided was good quality, keeping us dry during th...

This trip was the highlight of our holiday in China. We hiked along an unrestored part of the wall a few hours from Beijing, where the views were amazing and there were no other tourists. We had a good lunch at a local restaurant before starting, and a nice BBQ dinner by the wall. The equipment provided was good quality, keeping us dry during the thunderstorm at night.

Visited September 2013

My husband and I didn't want the typical tourist trip to the Great Wall, we wanted something unique and this certainly fit the bill! Fred ended up being sick, but Heidi did a great job as our guide. The food for lunch was delicious and plentiful, as was the BBQ dinner. It was the perfect way in which to see the wall...there were no other people ...

My husband and I didn't want the typical tourist trip to the Great Wall, we wanted something unique and this certainly fit the bill! Fred ended up being sick, but Heidi did a great job as our guide. The food for lunch was delicious and plentiful, as was the BBQ dinner. It was the perfect way in which to see the wall...there were no other people out there but us!
Also, it was a great price. I received emails from other companies stating (without my asking) that other companies with cheaper prices are just tricking the tourists. Not with Fred and Heidi!! They give a great experience at an affordable rate!

Visited September 2013

Had a great time at an ancient and unrestored piece of the wall. A proper hike and a very good walk at the wall. When we arrived at camping spot the bbq was allready being prepared and finished the night with a camp fire. Heidi did a good job despite Fred being sick. Well organized. Would reccomend it to everyone!

September 9, 2013

Had a great time at an ancient and unrestored piece of the wall. A proper hike and a very good walk at the wall. When we arrived at camping spot the bbq was allready being prepared and finished the night with a camp fire. Heidi did a good job despite Fred being sick. Well organized. Would reccomend it to everyone!

September 9, 2013

I've just come back from a Great Wall Camping Trip with Heidi and Fred. They make a great team and are so helpful. Even though I met them for the first time on this trip, it felt just like travelling with friends (but without the hassle of having to do the organising). In fact, as I live in Beijing, I will now consider them as friends!

I've just come back from a Great Wall Camping Trip with Heidi and Fred. They make a great team and are so helpful. Even though I met them for the first time on this trip, it felt just like travelling with friends (but without the hassle of having to do the organising). In fact, as I live in Beijing, I will now consider them as friends!

Such an incredible weekend. I've visited other parts of the Great Wall, but this is something completely different! Transport, food, hiking back pack and camping gear is all included. Heidi and Fred prepare some delicious food for lunch, dinner and breakfast. To walk along the Great Wall as it meanders through the valleys is such an experience, ...

Such an incredible weekend. I've visited other parts of the Great Wall, but this is something completely different! Transport, food, hiking back pack and camping gear is all included. Heidi and Fred prepare some delicious food for lunch, dinner and breakfast. To walk along the Great Wall as it meanders through the valleys is such an experience, and the scenery is beautiful. The sunset was the most amazing I have ever seen, and then to be outside of urban Beijing and look at the glittering stars in the night sky as fireflies were buzzing around, this was definitely the highlight of my visit to Beijing. Heidi and Fred are very passionate about what they do, and this shows in the way they deliver such a great experience. I would recommend this to anybody. Thanks to you both, and all the best for the future