A Pilgrimage Along the Great Wall's Defenses
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 by 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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Great Trip with Tom
Tom was a Perfect Guide and made my Trip a Great expérience! Driver is also great.I visite d q lot of good places.I enjoyed BBeijing a lot more
May 2025, Sybil
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Visita a China, una experiencia histórica, moderna y gastronómica única!
"Una experiencia inolvidable. La organización del tour fue excelente, y lo que realmente marcó la diferencia fue NUESTRA GUIA LIDIA. Siempre atenta, clara en sus explicaciones, simpática, y con una actitud cálida y muy profesional en todo momento, lo que hizo que cada lugar cobrara vida. Gracias por una experiencia tan bien gestionada y humana." more
May 2025, natalia c
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short trip to peking
We do had three days in Beijing with Jiang. The organisation, driver and guiding was really great. We have been a group of 2 (couple). I think we would have needed nearly +30 percent more time to find the right queueing line at all the places. For us it was a hassel free and seamless enjoyment - to visit all the places and having a long hiking track at the great wall of china. thank you very much Jiang & china highlights & team. ps: we also tasted a lot of vegetarian food which was really great. more
May 2025, Matthias
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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 Balaling Ancient Great Wall
Begin at semi-restored Badaling Ancient Wall, hiking 5km along crenelated battlements with sweeping views of rippling mountains and a vast reservoir. This section balances accessibility with wild charm—partially repaired but retaining rugged beauty.
Next, challenge yourself at untamed Shixiaguan Great Wall (2km hikeable), where crumbling steps and overgrown slopes demand careful footing.
After the hike, your guide and driver will accompany you to Jiankou Village for a camping experience on the Wall.
Hiking distance:7 km (4½ miles)
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.
Hiking distance:10 km (6 miles)
Your day will start at about 8 am, 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 Water Town for your stay.
Hiking distance:10 km (6 miles)
Start at about 8 am 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 the hike, transfer back to Gubeikou Water Town again for your stay.
Hiking distance: 6 km (4 miles)
Start early, at around 8 am. Drive to the Great Wall at Huanghuacheng in preparation for your 4-hour hike.
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.
Enjoy a lunch on the way back to Beijing.
Hiking distance:4 km (2½ miles)
Hotel Selection
—the Icing on the Cake
Boutique hotels are recommended to enrich your travel experience.
Price includes: