Since 2001, WildChina has been the leader in cultural immersion and adventure expeditions for student travel in China. This year, WildChina is thrilled to be leading a select group of 2012 WildChina Student Expedition Explorers to Beijing, Yunnan and Tibet to experience elements of community service, physical challenge and cultural immersion.

On the 26 day journey, students will climb the Great Wall at Jinshanling, an off-the-beaten path portion of the wall and then spend the night of a lifetime barbequing and camping out alongside one of the wonders of the world. Immerse yourself in the rhythm of life in a small mountain village as you work with local villagers in the rugged and gorgeous southwest province of Yunnan. Spend three days trekking in Tibet, in areas infrequently visited by international travelers. Expect to complete 40 hours of community service.

Trip Highlights:

Wander across the behemoth Tian’anmen Square, stroll through the sprawling Forbidden City, and marvel at China’s most stunning – and deservedly iconic – sites

There’s more to China than the famous images we can all conjure. Spend an unforgettable morning at Beijing’s Huiling School for the intellectually disabled, exchanging games, activities, and crafts

In Old Town Lijiang in Yunnan province, weave between atmospheric cobblestone streets, willow-lined waterways and decorative arched bridges as you explore one of China’s most beautiful cities

Roll up your sleeves and get to work helping the proprietor of an eco-lodge in Shangri-la. There’s plenty of landscaping and painting to be done!

Do as the Tibetans do: in the far north of Yunnan, we’ll sample the salty Tibetan tea and cheese, dance with a gleeful Tibetan family, master the basics of the Tibetan language, and receive an introduction to the ancient art of Thangka painting

Bike a kora around Lhasa, stopping by Jatson Chumig School for a day of service and cultural exchange with the school’s orphans

Undertake a trek you may never top: three nights of hiking and camping through the Tibetan countryside to the pass of Jeshul La, stopping to explore villages and a monastery before reaching Yamdrok Lake at 14,500 feet, which kisses the sky above with equally blue water

With the assistance of local Beijing, Yunnan and Tibet guides, the trip will be led by Devin Corrigan, a WildChina Manager and experienced tour leader. Devin originally hails from the Boston area and has spent nearly three years living in China. In addition to his projects in the office, he also leads many of our education trips – a continuation of an interest he developed in college while leading fellow students on hiking and camping excursions near Washington, D.C. In his free time, Devin conducts research work for The New Yorker magazine, devours travel writing, hunts for new sections of the Great Wall to hike, and squeezes in as many trips around Asia as he possibly can. Devin graduated with an honors degree in Chinese language and English literature from Georgetown University.