Home > Beijing > Full-Day Small-Group Great Wall Hike: Simatai West to Jinshanling
USD $136.00
Full-Day Small-Group Great Wall Hike: Simatai West to Jinshanling
Beijing, China
As the most popular hiking trip of Great Wall around Beijing, it will show you both untouched and restored sections of the Great Wall at Simatai West and Jinshanling within 3 hours. We will reach the Wall by Kylin Tower at Simatai West, and then walk westward to Jinshanling. We will get off the wall at Shalingkou at Jinshanling, or you can walk another 30 minutes if you feel energetic and then get off the wall at Zhuanduokou . The unrestored wall, the watch towers, the beacon towers snake on the mountain from east to west. You will have chance to meet local farmer friends, try local home-made food and learn local community development. It is the best place for keen photographers along the wall. Regarding fitness it is a medium-level hiking for all ages.
Meet you up at 8am and then drive to Simatai West. You will start the hiking around 10:30 am, and it will take about 3 hours to complete the hiking. A lunch at a local farmer’s restaurant will be organized after the hiking before returning your hotel.
This section offers arguably the finest hiking anywhere on the Great Wall. It is extremely photogenic, with over 15 watch-towers, and steep gradients that give constantly changing perspectives and wide, open views. There is fascinating variety in the watch-towers here. Some have two storeys, others three. Some have flat roofs, others rounded and others again are pitched with upturned eaves. This section of the wall is wild, ruined, preserved and original. On a clear day, it is difficult to fail to take good photographs here.
This small group tour was fantastic! We commenced our climb in a location where there were barely any tourists, we kept a comfortable pace and were allowed time to take photos. We didn't encounter many tourists on the part of the wall we walked, so that made it all the more special.
Review by: Robert F, April 2018
I'd give this experience six stars if I could. A really well organised day out with a fantastic guide Yaxin who made sure we got to make the most of this fabulous trip. We did it on a Monday and pretty much had the Great Wall to ourselves, the group was small seven and we went along at an easy pace with plenty of breaks. Snacks were provided too, I suggest bringing a small backpack to carry water and remember to wear layers. The route wasn't too challenging, some of the older hikers we met used poles - but by no means all of them. The end came all too soon and no one wanted to leave however, the post hike lunch was really enjoyable, great food and plenty of it with great company. We took two teenage boys who loved it and I'd recommend this hike in a heartbeat.
Review by: sean k, April 2018
This is an absolutely fantastic tour. I just completed the trip in March 2018. Our guide Tao was excellent and his knowledge of the history of China is really outstanding. A couple of items to note: First this hike is not for the faint of heart. They provide hiking sticks and you will want it as there are section where you'll want an additional point of contact with terra ferma besides your two feet. The start of the hike is all up hill but you start out in a very modern parking lot with nice facilities i.e. restrooms and use them as this will be your last chance. The hike up hill is a touch bizzare as the pathway up hill has been constructed and modernized. There is even music playing from speakers tucked into the hillside as you ascend toward the wall. When you get to the wall the authentic rustic and ancient feel returns and the music goes away. Warning when you reach the wall you may find a person or two selling great wall memorabilia. If you buy something they will set you free lol just remember to barter. There are sections of the wall on the hike that are a bit sketchy thus the hiking stick. Also to my surprise we came across a couple sections of the wall that were shared with bee colonies if you have a bee allergy you've been warned and bring your epi pen. When you finish the hike you again meet up with the music blaring from the bushes, You also finish the hike down in a disney like village that has recently been constructed... the only way to describe it is you feel like you've just walked onto a movie set.. Bottom line you must do this trip but you must be fit and have good knees..
Review by: Kiron N, March 2018
I took this tour last August and it was absolutely amazing! The tour guide, Jason, was knowledgeable and polite- and the tour as well as its logistics were well-planned, safe, and on-time. The provisions such as map, water, and the post-hike meal was more than adequate and the meal in particular was delicious. I was even told about some of the history of the village that I had lunch in during the meal- many of the villagers were descendants of the soldiers who were stationed on the Wall from when the lookouts were active. I visited the more tourist-populated Badaling section of The Great Wall a day or so before taking this tour because I wanted to compare the experiences this tour took me to the Gubeikou section however due to a closure along the advertised section at the time. With this hike, I felt more in touch with the history of the Wall since it was rather isolated and had that rustic, ruined look and feel that really made its legacy come to life._br/_ Trekking up the hill through the brushes and grasses, the Wall slowly came into sight and then after a while of walking its vista really came to life on top the ridge you could almost hear the silence of the rural countryside whisper The Great Wall of China ever so softly in the ear. On the wall itself, it was truly a humbling experience to walk in the footsteps of the guards of old and to see a view that they would have been accustomed seeing as part of their daily occupation. The fact that it was only myself and Jason the guide on this trip made my time with the wall even more intimate and personalized. I even had the chance to do a bit of dancing and filming on the Wall as part of a video for my China trip. It was one an experience that definitely goes down as one of the greatest of my life- to be able to say that I hiked a wild section of The Great Wall of China which few get a chance to do. _br/_ Thanks Jason and Great Wall Hiking for an once-in-a-lifetime experience!!
Review by: A E B, February 2018
The hike to Jinshanling was a great day out, our guide had snacks on hand, always happy to help out taking photos and telling us info about life in China._br/_ We were fortunate enough to have this section of the wall almost to ourselves in early Jan, passing only a few other groups over the trek maing for great photos. _br/_ My only critique is that this is not a full day hike, perhaps it would be with a larger group that lags but we were back in Beijing before 3pm._br/_ All in all highy recommended.
Review by: Tobias G, January 2018
Great trip, really would recommend, Robert was fantastic and knew the answer to every question. He gave some interesting insights about the Wall and also China. Really good tour, would recommend to anyone in Beijing and go on it myself again!
Review by: Jayne W, November 2017
Utterly stunning tour. Ok, so the drive took two hours to get there and three back due to rush-hour traffic, it was worth every second of it. We found this stretch of the wall deserted unlike the stories we heard about other parts of the wall where there are significant crowds and had it practically to ourselves. On top of that, it was a crystal clear day so the photos we've taken are spectacular. Our guide was informative and caring and happy to answer all manner of questions we threw at him. He also took us for lunch at a local restaurant where the food literally didn't stop coming! We spent three weeks all over China, and this was probably the best day of the entire trip.
Review by: Alja M, October 2017
This tour was amazing! Our guide Mark was great, aso food was delicius. The only thing we did not like was at the end, when van drop us off, he asked for the 10% tip for the driver.It was a bit strange, because tour is not cheap and we already gave tip to Mark earlier after lunch. Anyway great tour!
Review by: Steven G, October 2017
This trip was exceptional. Simatai was closed, so my tourguide Mark took me to the Gubeikou section of the wall, approximately 200km from Beijing city center. It was a fairly easy 6km hike with breathtaking views and minimal tourists. This portion of the wall hadn't been rebuilt for tourists and it felt so authentic and historic. Mark was an excellent hiker, my personal photographer, and my Chinese professor. He taught me so much about the Great Wall, Beijing, and Chinese history. He also fed me snacks, gave me plenty of water, and took me to the most delicious and seemingly authentic Chinese lunch a few km away from the Great Wall entrance. Mark made me feel at home in a place where I felt quite foreign I'm an American and a first time visitor to Beijing. In Mark, I made a friend, and I will never forget this incredible adventure and our time together spent hiking the Great Wall.
Review by: aaron s, October 2017
Our guide Tao was awesome - we walked over 10k, and only saw three other hikers on our trek. The group was small, and we had great weather. Definitely recommend.
Review by: Katherine M, September 2017
This was the highlight of my Beijing trip! We had a small group of 3 and Robert was a fantastic guide. The Jinshanling section of the wall was closed during September so we hiked around the Gubeikou section, which was stunning. This section of the wall is on the Beijing/ Mongolia border and away from the crowds. There are also plenty of guard towers to look out and take photos. A great way to spend a day in Beijing. Highly recommended.
Review by: Bryan K, September 2017
Due to landslide closure of Simatai to Jinshanling for several months this tour was relocated at Gu- Bei-Kau. The 2 1/2 hr drive was super comfortable and our guide Cheney gave us a nice briefing on the history of the Great Wall and this section. Cheney did an excellent balance of being informative, but leaving personal time for contemplation. It was Sunday 3-September and the weather was super, pretty clear air, a good breeze, warm but not hot. The Gubeikau section has had no restoration, the core of the wall is intact and made an easy hiking trail. The wall parapets about 6 foot sidewall on top of the great wall remained in only a few short sections. The watch towers are still roofed, but no 2nd story remains. All in all this hike gives a very realistic feel of the effects of time, it is dry, wind-swept, quiet, and on the edge of being isolated. We met perhaps 25 other hikers in the four hours of our hike. Ours was an intimate experience with our guide Cheney and his love of hiking, The Wall, and his country were very clear. He was kind, considerate, and knowledgeable. The lunch in the village was excellent quality, I'de been working in China for 2 weeks, staying at excellent hotels and eating at fine restaurants. The Gubeikau Village eatery was their equal in quality and more authentic, making us feel very welcome and comfortable. I consider myself lucky to have taken this tour and recommend this type of Wall tour to anyone that likes moderate level hiking.
Review by: Robert A, September 2017
This a great tour and Jason our guide was one of the best we had! We also met a real nice couple from Spain on the tour which made the day fun. They list this tour as moderate but I would say we are pretty fit and this would be a more than moderate on the 1 to 10 level of effort I would rate this on about an 8. Lunch was terrific in the small town and one the better we have had. I would say this is the best way to see the wall in it's natural state.
Review by: Kerri c, August 2017
Experience was so amazing, Mark was our tour guide and he was awesome! First part of the hike was a little challenging, I would say a strong moderate hike but I loved it. Lunch in the village was amazing as well. Fantastic experience, would highly recommend
Review by: Rich B, August 2017
Danny was great!! He was prepared for the hike and brought snacks and water for all. Would highly recommend if you would like to see the Great Wall without being around hundreds of other people. We saw less than 50 people during our entire trip.
Review by: jeffwsheley, June 2017
I really enjoyed how isolated the section of the wall we hiked was and, therefore, how few people we saw while hiking. The section was unrestored and we didn't come across 10 other people during the four hours we hiked. It took a little longer to get there, but well worth it to get away from the crowds on the closer sections of The Wall. Our guide, Danny, was great! Enthusiastic and knowledgeable.
Review by: Butterfly C, June 2017
This tour exceeds expectations!! This tour was just incredible from our tour guide Cheny who is so knowledgeable and kind. He was armed with snacks and water. Super friendly! We had a group group! a small group is the way to go! The lunch in the cute little inn at the local village was amazing as well. I would recommend this to everyone. You should have some kind of fitness level to do this trip.
Review by: Molly M, June 2017
I had a great tour. I was lucky that no one else booked on the same day as me so I had the tour all to myself with Jason who was great to talk with and knew a lot. We also pretty much had the entire wall to ourselves too! FYI this isn't the touristy part of the wall that is renovated, you're walking on a lot on dirt and the towers are not well preserved. If you want to have more elbow room, like hiking and want a knowledgeable tour guide then this is the tour for you!
Review by: Ami P, June 2017
No stops at commissioned shops, guide had plenty of water, bus was comfortable, and the included meal was tasty. I wish we would have stayed at the wall a little longer but this timing seems pretty standard based on what is offered on other tours.
Review by: Gregory H, May 2017
Perfect 1 day tour of the wall - terrific, knowledgeable guide, comfortable transfers. Definitely recommend the Jinshanling section of the wall, as there are no crowds, and there are still large sections that haven't been fully restored so feel more authentic.
Review by: Jennifer S, May 2017
Great tour guide and not a lot of tourists!
Review by: Ton C, May 2017
Great Guide Chenny and good driver
Review by: Carl A, May 2017
Mark, our tour guide was very helpful and spoke great English. The hike was wonderful.
Review by: dyuti13, April 2017
It and #39;s a 6 km hike. We loved every bit of it. Though not a very easy one coz of steps and steep slopes. The place is very less crowded which makes it a very personal experience with great wall of china. lunch provided was decent. Guide (Robert) was nice and helpful. Weather was just perfect in April
Review by: Julie, April 2017
It was amazing! Our tour guide was kind and nice and we went hiking on a spot, where not a lot of tourists were. Our guide took pictures during the whole trip and the lunch at the end of the hike was great as well. Definitely worth taking this tour!
Review by: G Glenn S, February 2017
Amazing tour. Very quiet surrounding.
Review by: Jay R, December 2016
This hike is amazing. Robert was a wonderful guide, I was lucky enough to have him as a guide on a previous hike on the Great Wall as well. I would highly recommend this to anybody who is reasonably fit and ready for a fairly challenging walk.
Review by: vhperry, December 2016
The package was exactly as advertised. The tour guide was very good in general. He knew his history and his English was good. He was very personable and did an excellent job in asking the needs of the small group. He went out of his way to make the tour a great success! I highly recommend the tour._br/_ Vic
Review by: Dianne A, November 2016
The tour was amazing _br/_ guide was fantastic _br/_ a great section of the wall _br/_ lunch fabulous _br/_ recommend this tour as a great way to experience the wall
Review by: Zachary S, November 2016
This tour was the highlight of our trip to China.
Review by: William W, November 2016
Great trip. The guide was friendly and knowledgeable. His English skills were good._br/_ The area where we hiked,Jinshanling, was not crowded and had many opportunities for great photos._br/_ A few sections of the wall are quite steep, and could get slick when icy or snow covered.
Review by: George W, September 2016
The tour and guide were excellent. We had 6 people in our group and encountered very few other tourists. The beginning hike to the wall on top of the mountain can be a bit difficult if you are not in decent shape. We stopped a few times but it took 45 min to reach the wall. The wall is also quite steep in some places. So be careful if it is raining. Be aware that there are two McDonald's at the Dongzhimen subway station. Do not go to the one at the bus station on the NE corner. The correct one is on the ground floor of an office building on the SE corner of the intersection. There will likely be a lot of tour buses parked out front as this appears to be a popular departure point for the wall.
Review by: Mark C, September 2016
Excellent, the trip was well run and the guide really good with stunning views
Review by: Joel W, September 2016
You won't find a better tour with a better guide Thank you Peter anywhere else, it's worth every penny. One of the top experiences of my life!
Review by: Warren S, September 2016
Fantastic tour
Review by: Miss S, September 2016
I am very happy with the tour I did in fact it was the highlight of my holiday I want to thank Robert so much as I fell twice on the Great Wall as I'm just a clumsy person he looked after me so well he held my bag and everything for me when I had to walk on trickier parts of the wall and then held my hand going down the steep parts and he always made sure I was okay he was so kind and cleaned my leg multiple times he took loads of photos of me and the rest of the people in the tour which me got on a usb stick which was great as he had a canon camera so I loved the photos also loads of refreshments which is needed I highly recommend this tour
Review by: Donna K, August 2016
Great trip, great tour guide. Highly recommended!
Review by: Vicky R, August 2016
This was well organised with good info beforehand to get you to the meeting spot in ok, which is pretty obvious. The guide worked hard and i learned more than i thought i would. lots of free little gifts and good refreshments. higly recommend this section for not being busy and great pics.
Review by: Andrew B, August 2016
Our group of 8 agreed: this tour is the ideal balance between price and private access to the wall. The guide Cheney was a professional, offering great history when asked and letting people enjoy the hike otherwise. Much of our 3 hours on the wall felt private with few other hikers. Highly recommended
Review by: janetwoollard, July 2016
Absolutely fantastic trip! Our guide was very knowledgeable and ensured the pace of the trek suited all of us - 7 people in total, including our 11 year old son.
Review by: Barbara m G, July 2016
This tour was FANTASTIC! Robert was a well versed and caring guide. We had a very small group of 4 people, which actually worked out to be the perfect size. Heat was extreme and climbing challenging at times, but well worth it! Lunch was delicious! Consider more explicit directions for meeting location in the future. Thank you!
Review by: Shawn H, July 2016
Definitely the highlight of our 15 day vacation. The trek up to the start is not for the weak, but well worth the effort, even for 50+ out of shape me. The hike along the Great Wall was an unbelievable experience with very little crowding and spectacular views. It and #39;s a must for any visitor to China.
Review by: Joan W, July 2016
This tour was all we hoped for and MORE! Robert was an excellent tour guide. Some of the climbs on the hike would not be possible for folks with knee or endurance challenges, but for all others, i would HIGHLY recommend this tour!
Review by: Patrick M, June 2016
I cannot state how amazing this hike was. It's a tough hike, so those not willing to walk for hours up and downhill should not do it. But for those that do, this is by far the best thing you can do on the wall. First, the wall has a lot less tourists than the areas closer to Beijing, so the 2 hour drive is well worth it. In fact, there were parts of the wall where it was only our group for hundreds of meters. If you want a good intense hike, and want to see the wall, do this hike! Wear comfy shoes and hiking clothes for sure.
Review by: Gabriela R, June 2016
Wonderful tour! The guide, Robert, was excellent. The views were beautiful. The lunch was also excellent. I will recommend this tour to anyone going to visit the Great Wall!
Review by: Pascal H, June 2016
The guide did a great job and the group had the right size (8 people excl. the guide). The hike is rather easy, but a really nice experience with a lot of opportunities to take scenic pictures of the great wall.
Review by: Pierre L, May 2016
Parcours plaisant sur la grande muraille en petit groupe nous étions 7. Quelques montées et descentes un peu raides mais rien de trop difficile._br/_ Déjeuner à l'arrivée dans un petit restau simple mais très bon_br/_ Guide très agréable parlant bien anglais et très disponible.
Review by: rob, April 2016
I've done the popular crowded great wall visit and this one, and there's no contest. This was full of history and context, not at all crowded, we experience much greater variety in the wall itself, and overall it felt like a much more intimate experience with the wall. There was a lot of walking, but our guide did a great job taking breaks and making it doable for this 54 year old. One important note, we were told to meet at the McDonalds at Dongzhimen Station. There are 2 McDonalds! We waited at the one in the station - the wrong one! Be sure to go to the one across the street from the station. It may be that they included the correct address, but navigating in Beijing is not easy. Even our Chinese friends thought this would be hard for them to figure out.
Review by: Lexi S, April 2016
We wanted to escape the large crowds of tourists and have a more personal experience with the Great Wall and we're so happy we chose this tour!! Our small group of 8 had the most spectacular time. Our guide Tao couldn't have been better. He was knowledgeable and patient with us, helping us along some of the very difficult and slippery portions of the wall. He also took some of our most memorable photos from the day. I HIGHLY recommend this tour when you take a trip to Beijing! :-
Review by: David K, March 2016
I had done this hike four years ago with another tour company that offered a private tour. I elected to take this small group tour this time because the other company did not have availability. I was not disappointed in the differences between the private tour and the small group tour the primary difference is that a private tour will pick you up at your hotel and the small group tour requires you travel to a central meeting place. Beyond that, the services were comparable.
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