In the morning at 8am we will depart to Huangyaguan, a 2.5-hour journey. We will walk the Wall from Taipingzhai to Huangyaguan in 3 hours. If you’re energetic, you may challenge yourself by climbing up to the top of Sky Stairs. A lunch will be organised after the hike and then we will drive to Gubeikou village and stay overnight in this village.

Originally built in 557 AD, the Huangyanguan Great Wall was repaired for the first time in Ming Dynasty with bricks and then restored again in 1985. It is 41 kilometres in length with its walls and towers built on mountain ridge with an average altitude of 738 metres. The name Huangyaguan translates to “Yellow Cliff Pass” and is named after the yellowish hills and rocks nearby. It is unique in that it has various different-shaped watchtowers. There are not many tourists in this area, as it is a remote and seldom visited location. The most unique feature here is the Street of the Eight Diagrams, an architectural wonder of the Ming Dynasty lying just below the pass. A labyrinth set up to confuse and entrap invading armies, this fortification design is based on the ancient trigrams of the Book of Changes. UNESCO placed Huangyaguan Great Wall on the UN list of the World heritage. In May each year marathon runners from around the world come here to participate in one of the world’s most demanding courses, with exhausting ascents, steep descents and more than 5,164 steps. We only walk this section once, rather than completing the circuit twice as is required of the marathon runners.

Meals: lunch/dinner

Accommodation: local farmer’s guesthouse with private bathroom and shower at Gubeikou village

Day 2: Jinshanling East to West (5 hours/10 km hiking)

Finish breakfast at 8am and then drive to Jinshanling East (Simatai West). You will start the hiking around 8:30 am, and it will take about 5 hours to complete the hiking. We will prepare sandwiches as picnic lunch on the Wall. We will drive to Gubeikou village after the hiking.

A 40-minute steps walking up will lead you to East-Five-Eye watchtower at Jinshanling East/Simatai West where you could have a panoramic view of both Simatai in the east and Jinshanling in the west in far distance. You may take a few breaths before reaching the Wall, and will be rewarded by the breathtaking panoramic view of this amazing human constructions. Take a short break and some photos here, we will then walk westward at Jinshanling. We will have a lunch break at Taochunkou after 3.5 hours walking, and then get off the Wall to walk through farming field for 1.5 hours until Jinshanling West.

This section offers arguably the finest hiking anywhere on the Great Wall. It is extremely photogenic, with over 50 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.

Our driver will take us back to Gubeikou village (20 minutes driving) after the hiking. You’re free to explore the village in the afternoon.

A dumpling-making lesson will be organised by our farmer host in the afternoon, and you will have a dumplings dinner with other local produces.

Meals: breakfast/picnic lunch/dinner

Accommodation: local farmer’s guesthouse with private bathroom and shower at Gubeikou village

Day 3: Jinshanling West to Gubeikou (5 hours/10 km)

We will drive to Jinshanling West in 20 minutes after breakfast, and start at the spot where we finished the day before. Walking through the jungles and bushes for 40 minutes, we will reach the 24-Eye Tower at Gubeikou. You will have a panoramic view of Gubeikou: Coiling Dragon Hill (Panlongshan) and Crouching Tiger Hill (Wohushan) in far distance. Continuing the hiking toward General Tower, which was bombed by Japanese in WWII. The Wall is becoming more ruined and delayed in the remaining 2 hours when approaching the village. We will walk straight to the local restaurant when completing the hiking.

Gubeikou, along with the passes at Shanhaiguan in the east and Juyongguan in the west, was a key strategic target in military campaigns since ancient times. Protecting these three passes was considered vital for keeping Beijing safe from the Mongolian nomads. There was also a fierce battle between Chinese and Japanese in the 2nd World War. The vistas of the sinuous Wall snaking its way over the ridges of the Yanshan Mountain are breathtaking.

We will drive a long distance (3 hours) to Huailai after lunch, a town close to the next hiking section.

Meals: breakfast/lunch/dinner

Accommodation: hotel in Huailai 

Day 4: Old Badaling to Shixiaguan (4 hours/7 km hiking)

Finish breakfast by 8am and drive for 40 minutes to Old Badaling (instead of the well-known Badaling which can accommodate 10,000 people every day) to start our hike toward Shixiaguan. It will take 4 hours hike on the Wall.

Badaling played a very important role to defend the capital from Mongols attacking in the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD-1644 AD). The mountain slope is very steep and the roads are tortuous. These features made it a military stronghold. The wall is like a strong dragon winding its way along the mountain ranges. We will walk on the less-visited part of Old Badaling and finish the hike at Shixiaguan.

We will drive back to the hotel again.

Meals included: breakfast/lunch/dinner

Accommodation: hotel in Huailai

Day 5: Chengjiapu, Beijing (5 hours/9 km)

We will drive to Chenjiapu after breakfast at 8am. There are almost no other people on today’s hiking section. The wall at Chenjiapu village connects Badaling in the north and is vital to protect the capital in the Ming Dynasty. There were also fierce battles between Chinese and Japanese invades in World War II. The major part of the Wall is original, ruined and slippery. Only a few watchtowers were restored and preserved. Currently the Wall is the border between Beijing and Hebei Province, and was the border between Han Chinese and nomadic Mongolians in ancient times. The Wall rises up and down on the mountain ridges with solid granite foundation and bricks steps. It’s strong wind and freezing cold here in winter.

We will have a late Peking duck celebration lunch en route before getting back to Beijing.

Meals: breakfast/Peking duck lunch