Great Wall Full-Day Hike: Immersive Experience from Simatai West to Jinshanling
5.0
236 Ratings
WCRP+934
Embark on a full-day hike along the Great Wall of China, from Simatai West to Jinshanling. Explore untouched and restored sections, meet local farmers, and capture stunning photographs.
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Jinshanling Great Wall - Partially restored and original section of the Great Wall.
- Simatai Great Wall - A short part of Simatai West instead of Simatai East section.
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle with experienced driver
- Personal English-speaking hiking tour guide
- Unlimited bottled water and snacks on the Wall
- Lunch at a local farmer’s restaurant
- Certificate of completion for hiking the Great Wall of China
What's Not Included
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- travel insurance
-
- chairlift
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- personal expenses
Additional Information
This is the go-to hike of the Great Wall surrounding Beijing, showcasing both undeveloped and renovated parts of the Wall at Simatai West and Jinshanling in just 3 hours. The journey to the Wall starts from the Kylin Tower in Simatai West, continuing westward towards Jinshanling. We will descend from the Wall at Shalingkou, Jinshanling, yet if you have the energy, you could hike an extra 30 minutes before descending at Zhuanduokou. The unrefurbished Wall with its watch and beacon towers winds east to west along the mountains. Enjoy the opportunity to make friends with local farmers, sample home-cooked local cuisine, and get an insight into local community life. It’s a photography enthusiast’s paradise along the Wall. As for the level of difficulty, the hike is moderately challenging and suitable for all ages.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Children under 5 are not allowed to take this tour
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- There is no toilet along the path on the Wall. There are toilets at the entrance of Simatai West and Jinshanling. Please prepare before hiking and always carry toilet paper by yourself.
- Please don’t make any appointment after the trip as the return depending on the traffic between 5-6 pm.
- You will be followed by local farmers when starting the hike. The farmers will give you help along the way, as a reward they will sell some souvenirs. If you don’t like this, you have to say NO firmly at the beginning (MAYBE LATER does not work in Chinese culture) or just ignore them and not speak a word with them; otherwise they can be persistent and follow you all the way on the Wall.
- Unlimited bottled waters are stored in our car/van today, and you need a day pack to carry them.
- We will bring trekking poles in our car/van and please tell your guide if you need one.
- Travel insurance is optional and is the sole responsibility of travellers. It is encouraged to have coverage of injury or accident.
- As responsible travelers, we “take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprint”.
Location
WCRP+934
Exit C, Dongzhimen Station, Subway line 2 & 13. Please bring passports in case of police-checking on returning.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(236 Ratings)
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Lochin
Jul 12, 2023
Professional service delivers perfect experience - We took the tour with Great Wall Hiking in early July. The entire process was smooth and professional.
I contacted Gary about the hike in May. He was prompt to reply. In our interactions, he was always clear, friendly, and flexible. His English is impeccable. The information in the PDF provided by the company is clear and detailed.
On the day of the hike, our guide Jason and our driver Mr Zhang arrived early to pick us up. Jason is a great guide — he’s open, knowledgeable, and has interesting perspectives to share. The pace of the hike was good, Jason’s explanations were informative, and the lunch was tasty. We left and came back as per schedule.
When we look back on our trip, this tour was a highlight. We spent one month in China, went to many museums, historical sites, etc. The Great Wall tops anything I have seen in China and elsewhere in the world. There is just no other place that will offer you both a site of great historical significance and human genius, but also breath-taking views of nature. Hiking the wall means walking over mountains for kilometers onwards on a historical monument.
Could you do this on your own and pay less? Sure. But it would probably a pain. Knowing exactly which part of the wall to go to, getting dropped and picked up there, getting to speak to an informed local with a rich background… That’s all worth the price, especially since China is only slowly reopening to foreigners and there are many hurdles to get over. If you want to have a perfect, worryfree experience, I’d recommend you book the tour immediately.
I’m already thinking about when I can go back next and book the longer trip with Great Wall Hiking!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Theophaniaseattle
Jun 5, 2023
Truly Unique Experience - Since tourism hasn't quite bounded back after China's years of zero-Covid policy, this tour was only available as a private tour rather than a small group tour. Which meant, as a solo traveler, I was paying a not insignificant amount. But it was worth it.
I know there are other ways of seeing the Great Wall. There are wheelchair accessible sections and sections where you can go up by cable car and down by toboggan. There are sections where there are so many people you can barely see the wall itself. There are tours that take you there and back from Beijing in a half-day.
If that is what you want/need, go for it. But if you are open to reserving a full day and participating in some semi-strenuous hiking, you will be rewarded with zero crowds, gorgeous scenery, the ability to see both restored and unrestored sections of the wall, and a truly unique experience.
Most of us only get one shot to go to The Great Wall. You can trust Gary and his crew to make it count.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carloslh5645pg
May 5, 2023
This is a life changing experience - I found this agency watching "Alan por el mundo" YouTube channel and the recommendation was simply great. The company communication is fluent and fast, also the way of payment and follow-up.
The companion of Woddy our guide was amazing, the tour began on the way from the hotel picked up to the Great Wall and was a top-of-the-line history class about the origins of the Great Wall and the history of Chinese dynasties.
The walk of a life-changing experience and the locals were so kind and welcoming that you get to feel special.
I hope that anyone that is planning on visiting China take this trip or many others available to really taste this beautiful and friendly country.
God bless you all.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicolele3497wh
Apr 27, 2021
Great experience! - Fantastic experience. I just went with myself and my dad and our tour guide, Jimmy. We went pre-pandemic, this is a late review. But when we went it was fantastic. Since it was just our small group it was very personal and we could tailor the day to whatever we wanted to do. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the area and history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Achingineconomyseat
Dec 11, 2019
Great Wall Tour - You can (fairly) easily see the Great Wall closer, cheaper, and less strenuously than on this tour. What made this tour great WAS the physical challenge and the remoteness of the section visited. My guide Peter took me to Dinjangling, a sparsely populated area on the far outskirts of Beijing.
Peter spent the long drive to the site explaining the rich history of the wall network’s construction. I dare say I came away with a much greater understanding of modern China by learning about this important piece of its past. When you’ve been fending off invaders to your homeland for centuries, it tends to have a strong influence on one’s national psyche and policies at home and abroad.
This tour is for people who want a good workout with a great amount of history and fascinating facts thrown in. I consider myself a pretty experienced hiker, yet some steep stair descents forced me onto my hands and behind to avoid tumbling face-first off the wall. Total hiking time was only a few hours, but the many elevation changes made it a worthy challenge.
Some unexpected highlights: Receiving a shiny thumb drive full of photos Peter took of me and unique Wall features during the hike. In addition to being a superb historian, he is also an excellent photographer! We ate lunch at a rural roadside restaurant; what it lacked in five-star Beijing opulence, it made up for in local authenticity and flavor.
I went during the low season (late November), so there were only a few people on the wall peddling wares to passersby, and even fewer tourists. It made for a memorable and truly private first encounter with one of China’s best-known marvels.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Annprsnd
Dec 2, 2019
Easy and organised - I went in early November, luckily the weather was still good and in fact it felt quite warm at times. I went solo and we formed a small group of one couple and another solo traveller with Peter as our guide. Learned a lot about the history and features of the wall. While there were other people at Jinshanling, it was by no means crowded (noting November is the beginning of low season). In terms of the walk itself, a few steep areas but if you're of average fitness (ie walking and stairs are usually no issue) with grippy shoes (I wore running shoes) you'll be fine - the stairs to the top at the beginning I found more strenuous than the wall itself (but I hate stairs).
My review sounds underwhelming but it was absolutely amazing - I'm glad I picked Jinshanling and this company to take me as it was pretty much a perfect experience, with enough variability in the walk to make it fun, excellent views and an escape from crowds. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Phoebe
Nov 30, 2019
A truly memorable way to see the Great Wall! - Our guide was Tao. He is very knowledgeable about Beijing and the Great Wall. The group that I went with was 8 people. We all definitely bonded after our trek on the Wall! Trekking the Wall felt physically demanding and challenging. There are hiking sticks that are provided at the beginning. I wish I used one, although other people felt like it ended up being something else they had to carry. The initial climb up the stairs to get to the Wall was by far the most challenging part! Luckily, a local dog joined us for the beginning and made it that much more fun. When you're on the Wall, the views are incredible. It was cold, but the weather was overall great for a hike. The lunch that is provided at a local restaurant is delicious as well. This was definitely a highlight on my trip. :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Blairb2222
Nov 29, 2019
Excellent way to see the Great Wall - This was an excellent trip and way to see the Great Wall. It was a challenging hike with lots of steep parts going up and down, but amazing views so totally worth it. The tour guide, Tao, was great and was able to tell us a lot about the history of China. Definitely the highlight of my trip to Beijing and something I would do again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Regina
Nov 18, 2019
Amazing views - Very challenging but we enjoyed every minute of it. If you are fit and like the outdoors, this is for you. We were a group of 6, and learned a lot about China and the Wall thanks to our guide Dany. Thanks Dany!
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Rsomazab
Nov 12, 2019
By far the best part of my trip to China - It was an amazing walk in the wall, the tour guide "Danny" had all the information regarding chinese culture and The Great Wall, and was kind enough to answer all of our questions. With a tour like this your only concern is to be on time at the meeting point in the morning, then you just have to enjoy.
If you wanna visit the wall i stongly recommend that you use this tour
It was one in a lifetime experience
Thanks
Review provided by Tripadvisor
