Day 1:  Beijing-Jinshanling-Gubeikou (B+L+D, 4-5 hours of hiking)

Your English-speaking guide will pick you up from your hotel at about 8:30 am. From there we’ll make the drive to Gubeikou, which should take about 3 hours. At Gubeikou, we’ll get started on our trek. The Gubeikou Great Wall occupies a strategically important location, which is difficult to access. Situated between Shanhaiguan Pass and Juyongguan Pass, and about 62 miles to Beijing, it is the bastion protecting the northern gateway to the capital.

There are 14 beacon towers, 143 watchtowers, 16 strategic pass, three citadels and many other military constructions. Many of them are famous cultural relics, such as the Big Flower Beacon Tower of the Northern Qi Dynasty, Fairy Tower, General Tower, and the dominant Wangjing Tower. We’ll hike until we reach the landmark of the General Tower. We will have lunch on the wall, and the countryside in front of us will provide the perfect backdrop. We’ll continue on to Jinshanling in the afternoon. We’ll then stop by a farmer’s house and yard in Panlongshan (Simatai West) to do some traditional Chinese activities –such as paper artistry, working on a grain-mill and grain-picking. We’ll sleep in the courtyard of the farmer’s home. 

Day 2: Panlongshan/West Simatai  to Jinshanling (B+L+D, 3-4 hours of hiking) 

After breakfast, we’ll hike starting from Panlongshan (the Second Valley or called West Simatai) for about 3 hours. This

Before it gets dark, we'll go up to the mountain and sleep overnight in a watch tower.  We'll prepare the necessary camping facilities such as sleeping bags so you don't have to bring anything but yourself. Here it is the sound sleeper's paradise - let the mountain valley and the Great Wall echo your snoring sound!

We'll prepare the necessary camping facilities such as sleeping bags so you don't have to bring anything but yourself. If you prefer sleeping in a local hostel or a farmer's house, you certainly can without extra charge. However, in cold winter, we'll only overnight in a local hotel for safety reasons, because the temperature on the Great Wall is usually 10 degree Celsius lower than it is on the ground.

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Day 3: Wohushan - Crounching Tiger Mountain (B+L+D, 3-4 hours of hiking)

 Wohushan is quite high, but you don't have to be a great athlete to hike this trail. An easy 1 hour trail through the cornfields, about 1 hour of Great Wall hiking and another hour down through the farmlands will complete this nice loop. During lunch on top of the great wall we will tell you some more of the historical importance of this place.

After our hike through Wohushan we will drive about 3 hours or so to the Jiankou Great Wall, and we will spend the night at a farmer’s inn at the foot of the Great Wall there.

You have the unique opportunity to camp in a watchtower at Jiankou tonight! You'll be able to spend the night on the Great Wall under the glow of the stars. Our local supplier, who owns a local restaurant and inn, will carry the tent and sleeping pads for you and place them in the watchtower. This will takes about 40 minutes, as he has to reach the Great Wall

Optional Camping on the Great Wall Tonight

Spend the night under the stars on the Great Wall for an Optional Camping on the Great Wall additional fee of 540 RMB/person (USD $89/person)

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Day 4: Jiankou-Mutianyu-Beijing (B+L, 4-5 hours of hiking)

In order to hike on Jiankou, first we have to climb up a path for about 60 minutes to reach it. Our hike will today will take about 4 hours and will cover 10km/ 6 miles. Jiankou is translated as 'Arrow Nock' in English, for the shape of the mountain is like an arrow, with the collapsed ridge opening as its arrow nock.  The Jiankou section is known for its ruggedness and wild beauty, and you will be in awe of the marvelous views it affords. As soon as we reach Jiankou we will see a deserted watchtower that gives you a panoramic view of the entire valley. In the early morning the view is priceless with its morning fog. This section of the wall is not well known by tourists, although if you see a picture of the Great Wall from exotic traveling magazines, chances are it is from Jiankou. This is the pinnacle of exotic Great Wall scenery.

This part of the wall is often empty, so you will have some peace and serenity on your hike today. Another highlight of Jiankou is the enemy observation tower known as, "Ying Fei Dao Yang", so named because this watchtower was erected on the highest peak in the area, and eagles and hawks often perch on it. Although the majestic wall is slowly being conquered by small trees and brambles, but the view from the top is still stunning!

From Jiankou we will cross over onto Mutianyu, a section of the wall that has been largely restored. Although it has gotten a face-lift, it avoids the army of tourists that plague Badaling. Mutianyu offers some breathtaking views of the valley and wall below, and if you look to your right you’ll see a large sign engraved in the side of the mountain encouraging you to “Cherish the teachings of Chairman Mao”. Mutianyu has also become popular for visiting foreign leaders and celebrities (former U.S. President Clinton visited Mutianyu on one of his trips to China).

You can hike down to the parking lot, take a cable car, or take a toboggan ride (highly recommended, and lots of fun!) down to meet our driver. We’ll then drive back to your hotel in Beijing, ending your tour.

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