Thorn Tree travel forum

1

The tobaggan is fun, BUT try really hard to be in line behind friends who you know will go fast, or perhaps strangers who look adventurous! I've done it twice, once at my first time to the Wall, and it was great. The second time, when I had a friend staying with me, I was stuck behind someone who wanted the "scenic" tobaggan experience, and we crawled along. Too bad.

If you're concerned about it, and don't know who you're behind, just tell the operator at the top (who tells you when to go) that you want to wait. And just sit there, til you're ready. You can't go too fast, though, since they have people along the route yelling at you to slow down, but it helps. The track isn't straight, has some good curves, but I think you'd have to work pretty hard to wipe out.

For your other questions - from the cable car (not the ski lift) the tobaggan is right once you're on the wall. From the ski lift, which I prefer, it's right there, but that means you have to backtrack on the wall to come back to the tobaggan.

All the transportation ends up at the same place down the hill - right in front of all the stalls of "I Climbed the Great Wall" merchandise.

Have fun!

2

I've had it recommended and it sounds fun. Just the thing to do with our two boys (5 and 8), but can they handle it? or can we sit together?

Has anyone tried this with kids?

Liselotte

3

By the way, is it at Mutianyu? I thought it was at Simatai?

Liselotte

4

Toboggan is definitely available at Mutianyu cos I saw it there on my last visit.
Cheers!

5

There may be one at Simatai - I've never been - but my post refers to Mutianyu.

I don't know about kids. IIRC, the tobaggans themselves are really small, so I'm pretty sure the 8 year old would go on his own, and probably love it. There may be a height restriction (like roller coasters) so you should check that out before you buy tickets. I think you can do that before you go up the Wall.

If you get up there and he can't go, the ski lift is right next to it, so you could all go down on that.

6

Hi there,

I rode it last year. It certainly shouldnt be your primary concern at the great wall of china but it was ok. Go up the cable car and start walking to the left to enjoy the views etc, (you can only walk to the left up the mountain so far and then it is closed off) then back track the other way and finish your walk by going down the tobbogan.

My tip is to not get stuck behind a chinese person. They seem to think it is the scariest thril ride in the world. believe me it isn't. It is a bit of a laugh. Trust me it is really safe and you cant go too fast. One person to a toboggan, you have a little handel which you press down to go faster and pull up to stop. But if you are not intentionaly pushing it down you slow down anyway. It is funny when us westerners are on there because we like to go a bit quicker than the chinese (read a lot quicker) and you hear the shril voices of locals shouting "brake! brake! Slow down!" it is hillarious. Go on it even if it is just to hear that. It cracked me up. If you go on after a chinese erson wait until they are well and truely out of site before you start. I waited about 10 minutes and still caught up to them. There was this bumper to bumper cue of westerners going down the hill behind this one chinese lady who was coming to a complete halt every meter down the slope and screaming like she was on a roller coaster.

If you dont want to go on the tobbogan you can walk down too. The tobbogan ends were all the souveneir shops are and near where your bus will be.

have a blast.

"your worst day of your holliday is always better than your best day at work"

7

Hey! Thanks for all the great advice... We had a blast a Mutianyu!! It had snowed the night before we went and the wall and the surrounding mountains were dusted with silver. There were very few people and those we met were a lot of fun. We took the number 915 bus from the Longdistance Bus Station next to the Dongzimen Metro station, and were the only foreigners on the bus. This morning the bus station was jammed with people and absolutely chaotic. It was a little hard to find the right bus. We were lucky that an employee of the bus station saw us looking around and took us under his wing to get us where we were going. We paid 6 rmb each way and went to Huairou, which is not the end of the line, so ask the bus 'stewardess' to tell you when to get off.

At the Huairou stop, (just a plain ol' bus stop on the side of the road in this midsized town), we were met by a private minibus. My partner and I were the only ones in the minibus and the one mistake I made was foolishly not negociating with the minibus driver before taking off. However, we good naturedly negociated as we were driving on down the road (whew!) and we paid 65rmb each way, with the driver waiting on us while we were on the wall. If I had negociated before getting IN the bus, I probably could've done some better. But he was a friendly sort of guy and did us right, not pressuring us to stop for expensive meals or at factories we didn't want to see. We went straight to the wall and straight back to the stop where we managed to exactly meet the bus.

We took the skilift up which was peaceful and grand sailing among the pines and yews up to the broad expanse of the wall snaking off into the mist. Walking the wall itself was a true experience; in addition to the snow slick steps, it is really steep in some places! Not quite ladder like but certainly like an Amsterdam staircase, if you're familiar with those! Just take it easy and remember that you're in the mountains and the air is thinner (as well as polluted, I suppose!) You will be rewarded along the way by some wonderful scenery!! Also, if you need to, make sure you use the toilet before going up: I didn't see any facilities.

The toboggan was really really fun! Because there were so few people, I just whizzed down the mountain in the closest thing to a luge that I'm liable to see! The views are awsome and the speed is exilarating! I'd go back up just to toboggan down again!

"Toto, Ah think we'uns ain't in Nawth Ca'lina, no mo'"

8

#7, I think you should really save all these wonderful reports of yours and post it perhaps on a travel site like VirtualTourist (like I do) or TripAdvisor.
Cheers!