3-Day Jiankou to Jinshanling Great Wall Hiking Discovery Tour
3-Day Jiankou to Jinshanling Great Wall Hiking Discovery Tour
City
Beijing
Wild and Wonderful Great Wall Hiking
Make your dream of hiking the Great Wall a reality with Hello China Trip’s 3-day adventure, exploring some of the most iconic sections of this historic landmark. Start by experiencing the untamed beauty of the Jiankou and Gubeikou sections, where the original, unrestored bricks and stone towers stand as a testament to the Wall’s ancient history. These sections vary in their condition, with each tower offering a unique glimpse into the past.
Next, visit the Mutianyu section, showcasing the impressive restoration efforts made in the 1980s, offering a more accessible and well-preserved experience. Finally, reach the Jinshanling section, renowned for its rugged beauty, lush surroundings, and a mix of authentic, original towers alongside stunningly restored areas.
This 3-day hiking tour, from Jiankou to Jinshanling, gives you the perfect opportunity to explore both the wild and restored sections of the Great Wall, offering a comprehensive and unforgettable journey through history and nature with Hello China Trip.
Suggested 3-Day Itinerary
In the morning, your private guide will be waiting for you in your hotel lobby at around 8am.
It takes about 2½ hours to drive to Xizhazi Village, which is at the foot of the Great Wall at Jiankou. Start in Xizhazi Village and hike for about 1 hour to reach the Wall. From there you will hike eastward to the restored Great Wall section at Mutianyu.
There will be a sharp contrast when you arrive at the Mutianyu section, which has a restored wall and towers.
Descend from the Wall, enjoy your lunch at a restaurant near Mutianyu. Then you will be transferred to beautiful Gubei Water Town and stay there overnight.
Your day will start at about 9am and you will spend about 5 hours hiking on the wall. This is a long day but the walk is leisurely compared with the hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu.
The scenery at Gubeikou is not as spectacular as it is at Jinshanling or Simatai but this section is more interesting historically.
After 2 hours of hiking on the Gubeikou section of the Great Wall, you will need to descend from the wall to avoid a nearby military area. Walking along a path through cornfields for 1½ hours, you will reach the Wall again at the Jinshanling section.
Lunch is at a restaurant near Jinshanling. Then transfer to Gubei Water Town again for the overnight stay.
Start your trip at about 8am with a 30-minute drive to the Great Wall at Jinshanling.
At this time of day, there are usually no other tourists on the wall, so you will have the Wall to yourself. It takes about 3 hours to hike from Jinshanling to Simatai West, the junction of the Jinshanling and Simatai sections.
This section has breathtaking views and offers stunning photo opportunities that vary with the seasons. As this section is half-restored, you can see both the unrepaired ancient watchtowers and a restored section of the Wall during the hike.
After having a lunch at the foot of Jinshanling, your guide and driver will accompany you back to Beijing.
Tour 'Wow' Points
Conquer the Most Challenging and Majestic Section of the Great Wall at Jiankou：
The Jiankou section of the Great Wall is renowned for its majesty and steepness. You will hike the east part, which was left untouched for centuries.
Explore the Most Rural and Wild Section of the Great Wall at Gubeikou：
The Gubeikou section of the Great Wall is bleaker and less elevated, but it gives you a sweeping sense of what it would have been like in its original glory. Enjoy having the wall to yourself during the hike as there are no crowds and often no-one else in sight on the Wall.
Hike the Most Photogenic Section of the Great Wall at Jinshanling：
The Great Wall at Jinshanling has the most beautiful natural and manmade scenery. You will get a wider variety of shots than you can at any other section of the Wall. Many professional Great Wall photos are taken at this section.
Enjoy an Overnight Stay in Beautiful Gubei Water Town：
After hiking in the daytime, relax your body in a hot spring, take a leisurely boat ride on Duck Lake, or appreciate stunning night views of the town and Great Wall above from the balcony of your hotel room.
Hotel Selection
—the Icing on the Cake
Boutique hotels are recommended to enrich your travel experience.
Inclusions / Exclusions
Inclusions:
- Admission fees: to sightseeing spots and activities specified.
- Accommodation: hotels based on double/twin occupancy as specified.
- Meals: as specified in the itinerary.
- Tour guide: excellent private English-speaking guide.
- Transfers: land transfer with drivers as specified.
- Travel Agency Liability Insurance during the tour.
- Government taxes and fees.
Exclusions
- International flights to/from China.
- China visa fees.
- Gratuities to guides and drivers and any expense of a personal nature.
- Our tour package does not include travel insurance. Please purchase travel insurance before your trip to protect for any unforeseen circumstances.
- CNY150.00/per person of the service charge on the Yangtze River cruise.
- Small group tour travelers – Airport transfer service from hotel to Hongqiao or Pudong Airport in Shanghai.
Important Information
Important information – PRIVATE TOUR
- This is a private tour for your group of family or friends. There will be no other travelers in the group apart from you.
- Smart casual dress and comfortable walking shoes are recommended
- Prices based on twin occupancy.
- The prices shown are not valid during China’s Official Holidays (such as National Day and Chinese Spring Festival).
- The tour guide may adjust the itinerary due to the closure of the museums each Monday.
- Optional tours to Suzhou, Hangzhou or nearby Watertown, and other destinations are also available
- Any city not included in the existing tour package can be added to this tour and taken as an addition to this Private tour.
- Entering and exiting China from Hong Kong and Taipei are also available.
- Stays at entering and exiting cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei) can be extended.
Important information – SMALL GROUP TOUR
- This is a small group tour with a fixed itinerary and guaranteed departures.
You will travel with other people (maximum of 12). - Smart casual dress and comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
- The tour guide may adjust the itinerary due to closure of the museums each Monday
- At the conclusion of the tour, a transfer from your hotel to Hongqiao or Pudong Airport in Shanghai is available upon request at a surcharge.
- Stays at entering and exiting cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei) can be extended.
- Prices based on twin occupancy.
- The prices shown are not valid during China’s Official Holidays (such as National Day and Chinese Spring Festival).
- The maximum number of passengers in a small group tour is 12 people.
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