FOR a breathtaking Great Wall experience, little can beat the heights of Simatai. The narrow edifice almost defies gravity as it snakes up and down hills as sharp as dragon’s teeth.

This outing is not for the fainthearted. The excursion involves a three-hour drive from Beijing along highways where the biggest vehicle has right of way. The visitor pays £2 for entry and £2 for a cable car that deposits you two thirds of the way up the mountainside after a leisurely ride with views of the wall and its turrets. Those with a strong stomach can save a few minutes by jumping aboard an almost vertical funicular railway and then joining the path to clamber the last couple of hundred yards on to the wall itself.

This is famed as the steepest part of the wall accessible to visitors and, indeed, you may want to cling to the side in parts. For those still in need of a thrill, a harness will sweep you high above a reservoir and down almost to the car park.

Perhaps the most rewarding outing is to Jinshanling, a few miles north of Simatai. Starting from this lonely section of the wall, you can walk for six miles along the top of the wall to Simatai. The views are stupendous, over the hills of Inner Mongolia and with another bend in the wall always in sight. The only cloud on the trip is the ubiquitous hawker. At each watchtower, vendors wait to pounce on the visitor and shatter the silence with cries of “Postcard, postcard,” or “Iced water only 10 yuan”.

Farther off the beaten track is Huanghuacheng, about two hours east of Beijing. Entry is free, but enterprising locals wait at the foot of the hill and for £1 a person will drive tourists up a winding hill track. The stroll along the wall lacks the drama of Simatai, but the peace and good condition of the wall make for a rewarding day out.

For those more pressed for time, a trip to Mutianyu takes about two hours from Beijing and offers dramatic views. However, its location means this section of the wall can be a little crowded with queues for the cable car.

The Great Wall is also accessible for those with just half a day to spare. An hour’s drive along a special motorway from Beijing brings you to Badaling — the site where every visiting head of state from the Queen to Bill Clinton has posed for a photograph.