Arguably the most famous destination for your Far East holiday within China will be the Great Wall. The earliest references are around 656 B.C., when the Chu State wall was erected to protect the Chus people from their neighbours to the north, and it went on to have a building process that would last well over 2,000 years and turn into the Wall as we know it today, listed as one of the 7 Wonders of the World.
The easiest way to access the Great Wall of China for the average traveller is via Beijing. There are many day-trips that leave this city by either tour bus, public bus, or by hiring local transport. The most popular spot is the Badaling Section, which has been open to visitors since 1957, but if you don’t want to deal with masses of people congregating together to see the same thing, you can also visit other sections of the wall.
If taking it all in is your goal, there is no better way than to hike along the Great Wall. One of the easiest ways to do this is to get with your hotel and arrange for transportation to Jinshanling. Once you get there you need to buy a pass. To go from Jinshanling to Simatai is a 12 km (7.5 miles) trek, so it can take 4-5 hours, and transportation to and from your starting and end-point destinations will take around 2 hours each way.
While any visit to the Wall is a must when you go to China, simply talk with your hotel upon arrival in Beijing to determine which method will be best for your personal tastes.
I’d love to walk the great wall, I think it would be great and I would imagine that you don’t need to be that fit to walk it.