"Musical" to "Lakeside" Great Wall Hikes
Have you heard of the "Musical Great Wall" or the "Waterside Great Wall"? Do you know which sections of the Great Wall are most majestic and most unique? Find out firsthand by hiking the most unique, storied, stunning, steep, restored, and watery Great Wall sections near Beijing!
This tour is designed for those whose are keen hikers and people who want to discover the Great Wall in depth. We have selected the six most recommendable sections of the Great Wall near Beijing to explore in five wonderful hikes.
On this 5-day Great Wall hiking tour, you will see both wild and fully-restored Great Wall, conquer a majestic section, get lost in photo ops on a super-photogenic section, experience one night camping in an original Great Wall watchtower, enjoy stunning views of a sunset and sunrise on the Wall, and more!
Tour 'Wow' Points
Walk on Wild and Restored Sections of the Great Wall
See original Great Wall remnants at Jiankou and Gubeiou, contrasting repaired and ruined walls at Jinshanling, Huangyaguan, and Huanghuacheng, and beautifully-restored wall at Mutianyu.
Explore the Most Unique Section of the Great Wall at Huangyaguan
When hiking in this section, you will see various watchtowers built in different shapes, for example, the rounded watchtower is only found in Huangyaguan.
Huangyaguan is also called "the musical Great Wall" because of the rhythmic echoes produced when people (over about 50 kg or 110 lb) walk on a part of this wall.
Sleep in a Medieval Great Wall Watchtower
Enjoy one night of camping on a secluded section of the Great Wall surrounded by majestic mountains. Feel the awesome atmosphere, get a historical perspective from your guide, and enjoy this special night.
Enjoy an Amazing Sunset and Sunrise on the Great Wall
Appreciating the stunning views including a sunset and sunrise over the Great Wall could be your unforgettable experiences.
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.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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An amazing experience in Beijing !
We had a wonderful time visiting the Beijing Zoo and the Great Wall with our guide Paul! He was exceptionally kind and knowledgeable and took exceptionally good care of us. We enjoyed conversing with him and learning about life in Beijing as well as the history of the Great Wall. He was also helpful in finding us food to fit my dietary needs which I appreciated. Everything about our trip has been smooth and we had such good fun. I would absolutely recommend China Highlights and Paul for their professionalism! more
Sep 2024, Ann-Marie M@E2527CAannmariem
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Family Fun Beijing!
Great experience with China Highlights!!! Great sightseeing, wonderful people! Thank-you Selinda (Tour guide) for a wonderful time! more
Sep 2024, DSD
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Guide Olivia
Olivia was an excellent and thoughtful guide. Would highly recommend. H as d an excellent trip to Beijing in September 2024 more
Sep 2024, RupertL
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Itinerary Quick Look
Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour according to your interests.
Your private guide will meet you at around 8:00am in your hotel lobby. Transfer to the Great Wall at Huangyaguan in the Tianjin region with after about 3 hours' driving.
The Great Wall at Huangyaguan is the venue of the annual International Huangyaguan Great Wall Marathon Race.This section is unique in that it has round Great Wall watchtowers as well as the common rectangular/square watchtowers.
You will hike about 3 hours from Taipingzhai to Huangyaguan and have a late lunch afterward. Transfer to Gubeikou Village for your overnight stay.
Your day will start at about 8am and you will spend about 5 hours hiking on the wall. The walking is leisurely (not steep) compared with the hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu.
The scenery at Gubeikou is not as spectacular as it is at e.g. Jinshanling or Simatai but this section is more interesting historically.
After about 2 hours of hiking on the Gubeikou section of the Great Wall, you will need to descend from the wall to avoid a 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 Gubeikou Village again for your hotel.
Start at about 8am with a 30-minute drive to the Great Wall at Jinshanling.
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 to Jiankou Village for a camping experience on the Wall.
The Jiankou to Mutianyu hike offers a wonderfully satisfying experience of the Wall.
Enjoy a beautiful sunrise on the Wall. You will have a breathtaking view of the Jiankou section at Zhenbeilou Watchtower. 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 finely-restored walls and towers. Descend from the Wall, enjoy a late lunch at a restaurant near Mutianyu, and stay overnight at the foot of Mutianyu.
Start early, at around 8am, for the hour's drive to the Great Wall at Huanghuacheng in preparation for your 4-hour hike.
Huanghuacheng was built on steep mountain ridges, and it can be seen from afar. You will be greeted by impressive panoramic views of the lakeside Wall when you get to the first watchtower of Huanghuacheng. Continue hiking up and down the ridge top Wall, meandering through bushes and forested areas, until you end your hike at Xishuiyu.
Enjoy a special hot pot lunch on the way back to Beijing. You will get back to hotel at 4–5 pm.
Hotel Selection
—the Icing on the Cake
Boutique hotels are recommended to enrich your travel experience.
Price includes: