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As the epic Silk Road journey drew to a close, Oasis Overland trip leader Alexis documented the final stretch through China - from the historic heart of Xi’an to the iconic sights of Beijing.
After months on the road crossing deserts, mountain passes, and cultural frontiers, this last leg brought the group full circle with ancient wonders, misty mountains, and quiet reflections on an unforgettable overland expedition.
In this trip report, Alexis shares the highlights: from a dumpling-making detour in rural Xi’an and a misty marathon trek across the Great Wall, to the emotional final day standing in Tiananmen Square. A journey that began in Istanbul four months ago now ends in Beijing - filled with stories, sweat, and memories that will last a lifetime.
XI’AN
Obligatory terracotta warriors day! It is easy to forget how monumental this is. The sheer scale of this terracotta army buried with Emperor Qin is just immense. Qin was the first emperor of a unified China and he took with him to the afterlife at least 8,000 terracotta warriors, 130 chariots, 520 horses among many figures and objects.
I wanted to do something a bit different after as our time had been predominantly spent in cities, so I arranged for a lunch in a more rural area, up in the mountains, where we can have a different look at local life and eat some new things. It was wonderful! Such great views, food and people. A successful experiment! We even got a dumpling making lesson!
The next morning I set out at 6:30 in search of my favorite Chinese breakfast street food, the jian bing. The best way to eat it is from the stalls set up only in the early morning. I have been to Xi’an 6 times before, but somehow I had never been to the Xi’an Museum and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda (dating back to the Tang dynasty) so I headed over for a lovely afternoon before our overnight train to Beijing!
XI’AN TO MUTIANYU GREAT WALL
Evening overnight train (our last!) took us to Beijing. While Beijing is our final destination we had one stop before! We were scooped up at Beijing West railway station and taken to the mountains. The Wall of China at Mutianyu to be exact!
Last year it was a brutal day of morning arrival, breakfast, drive to the Great Wall and drive back to Beijing. Not only did it limit our time at the wall, but it is such a long and hot day, we were all shattered by the time we got to the Beijing hotel, so this time I decided to try an overnight there and I think it worked perfectly!
We had over 5 hours to explore which made it very easy for those who wanted to walk from the 1st watchtower to the 20th and this year I did just that! It is nearly 1000 steps to walk up to the wall and 5.5 kilometers across it. That isn’t to say it is flat, it is absolutely not. 203 floors is what the app told me I climbed!
The final stretch to the 20th watchtower or hero platform, was the intimidating to look at, 500 steps directly up, but well worth the extra effort. Even the rainy day didn’t stop the views from being amazing.
I did cheat and take the cable car back down but I thought it would be good to have that experience as well and it was a great idea in that it also gives you a different vantage point, some really awesome views of the full wall as it snakes across the mountains.
Being at this section is also extra special having visited the very start of the wall way out west in Jiayuguan. It also differs from other Beijing adjacent sections like Badaling, in that there were times when I was entirely alone. I can’t tell you how unheard of this is in China, much less any section of the Great Wall.
We stayed in a quaint small town hotel that was lovely and while there were limited dining options, the food was actually fantastic I thought. But tomorrow is officially the last day of this trip.
MUTIANYU GREAT WALL TO BEIJING
Well this is it. 4 months and 9 countries ago I was in Istanbul full of nerves about to embark on this adventure I had never run in its entirety before. An overland journey following the ancient Silk Road across half the world, from Europe to the furthest reaches of Asia.
We have now made it, from Istanbul to Beijing. It is wild to think about. It is wild to think about it being over, it felt like a full lifetime was lived. The extraordinary experiences we’ve shared, the extraordinary places we’ve visited, the extraordinary people we’ve met, the sheer scale and complexity of this adventure! It almost doesn’t feel real, but oh boy is it ever.
Of course, our final day had to include a visit to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square before the last group dinner. The end of a trip is always bittersweet and this was certainly no exception. This was a big accomplishment for all!
Thanks to everyone on the trip, everyone who helped along the way, to Al the star driver and to all the wonderful people and places we were lucky enough to meet and visit. We did it! And now I have 2 weeks before I do it all again!