Route map
Route illustration. Your guide will confirm the final trail, access and travel times before departure.
Detailed itinerary
An early departure from Beijing
Your private vehicle collects you at approximately 7:30 AM for the drive to Gubeikou. Allow around 2.5 hours on the road before starting this long-distance Great Wall walk.
Gubeikou to Jinshanling
Set a steady pace over the unrestored ridges of Gubeikou. The towers here occupy a strategic mountain corridor, and your guide introduces their role in the defense of Beijing. Rough surfaces and repeated climbs make the opening stretch more demanding than its distance alone suggests.
Continue into Jinshanling, where sections of repaired masonry provide a change underfoot. Look closely at the tower entrances and defensive walls: their design varies with the slope and the line of sight along the ridge.
A countryside lunch break
Leave the Wall briefly for a meal at a local family-run restaurant. This is a chance to refuel before returning to the trail for the final part of the day.
Onward toward West Simatai
Resume walking through the eastern Jinshanling area toward the planned exit near West Simatai. The complete itinerary is approximately 16 km, with around seven to eight hours of hiking. Short breaks, your group’s pace and access conditions determine the final walking time.
After descending, meet your driver for the return to Beijing. A late hotel arrival, potentially around 9:00 PM, should be allowed for.
Planning your visit
Choose this route if you already enjoy long hikes and can manage steep steps and uneven ground. Avoid scheduling a same-evening flight or train connection around the estimated return time.