The best small group hiking on the Great Wall at Jinshanling in Beijing.

Small Group Highlight of Great Wall Hiking: One-day from Simatai West to Jinshanling

Trip name: Small Group Highlight of Great Wall Hiking:One-day from Simatai West to Jinshanling

Trip code: GWGA11

Trip length: 1 Day

Hiking sections: Simatai West and West and Jinshanling

Meeting time: 08:00am; The traffic in Beijing is very busy in morning rush hours, please make your own way at least 15 minutes earlier; it’s difficult to wait for your late arrival as a group tour

Meeting & Finishing point: See Details below

Finishing point and time: 17:00 – 18:00 (Dependent on traffic)

Hiking duration: 3 Hours

Hiking distance: 6km

Physical rating: ★★★☆☆ Moderate

Guaranteed departure: daily between 16th March to 15th November; Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday between 16th November to 15th March; even for one single traveler

Meeting point

McDonald’s at Oriental Kenzo, 48 Dongzhimenwai Dajie. 东直门外大街东方银座麦当劳

Meeting directions: Dongzhimen Station, subway line 2, Exit C. Turn right after getting out of the exit. Our guide will hold a blue Great Wall Hiking logo at the gate on ground floor of McDonald’s. Please note that there are two McDonald’s on both sides of the street, the meeting point is at subway Exit C side. The McDonald’s is next to the shopping mall entrance and you have to go over the parking lot.

Price

USD 136 per person

Children between 12 and 6 receive 30% discount. Children under 5 are not allowed to take this tour.

Remember when comparing price, you get what you pay for. We don’t earn money by taking you to commissioned shopping stops, a common practice in China, wasting your time. Our guides are carefully selected, highly trained and well-paid to be friendly and patient travel companions. We are not the cheapest, but we are one of the best.

Highlights

Wild Great Wall at Simatai West
Partially restored Great Wall at Jinshanling
Stunning photo opportunity of the Great Wall
Countryside-style food at local farmer’s restaurant
Small group of maximum 8 travellers

Detailed itinerary

As the most popular hiking trip of the Great Wall around Beijing, it will show you both Simatai and Jinshanling sections of the wall within 3 hours. A 40-minute steps walking up will lead you to East-Five-Eye watchtower at Simatai West. 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 to Jinshanling. We will get off the wall at Shalingkou at Jinshanling, alternatively 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.

Notes:

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 travellers, we “take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprint”.

Additional Information

Included

Air-con vehicle with experienced driver
Personal expert English-speaking hiking tour guide
Entrance fees for the Great Wall
Unlimited bottled water; snacks; late lunch at farmers restaurant after hike
A certificate of completion for hiking on the Great Wall of China

Not Included

Travel insurance
Cable car, chairlift, toboggan (slideway), flyingfox (zipline) or any other additional local facilities
Personal expenses
Tipping of hiking guide/driver recommended on good service on a 2:1 ratio separately