6-day Great Wall Trek

Day 1 · Shixiaguan-Badaling

Shixiaguan (Stone Gorge) Pass, 5km southwest of the Badaling section of the Great Wall. It is one of the most intact parts of the whole Great Wall. Despite severe damage, the winding wall set in the lofty mountains reveals its grandeur. The wall remains relatively untouched because of its strategic location. The pass was initially built in the reign of Ming Emperor Wanli (about 1600 AD), which was then a key pass guarded by a large number of soldiers.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Good Fortune Inn or camping on the Great Wall at Huanghuacheng

Day 2 · Jiankou Trekking

Jiankou is the part where the shape of the mountain looks like an arrow, with the collapsed ridge opening as its arrow nock. It 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.

Once we descend from the Great Wall, we will spend the night at a farmer’s inn.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Laohe's Inn

Day 3 · Jiankou to Mutianyu

From Jiankou, we will cross over onto Mutianyu, a section of the Wall that has been largely rebuilt in the 1980s. 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 famous for visiting foreign leaders and celebrities.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Good Fortune Inn

Day 4 · Jinshanling to West Simatai

Our hike will start from Simatai, and we will make our way west along the wall into Jinshanling. This is the classic Great Wall that hikers are very thrilled about. Wall enthusiasts have done. The Wall runs from deteriorated wild state to the restored in the end to allow hikers to compare the differences between the two wall status.

Tonight, we will camp on the Great Wall in an ancient watchtower.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Camping on the Wall

Day 5 · Gubeikou-Jinshanling

Gubeikou is mostly Wild Wall. It was first built during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-557) and rebuilt in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). There are 172 watchtowers, 14 beacon towers, 16 passes, 3 water passes, 3 barbarians, and 6 fortresses along it.

In 1933, the Chinese army fought against Japanese invasion troops at Gubeikou. In the four-month-long battles, over 5,000 Japanese soldiers and 9,000 Chinese soldiers died. You can see that Gubeikou is not merely a relic. It remained a battlefield in the modern world, although it got more smushed by Japanese airplane bombers.

We will drive to Huangyaguan in the late afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Accommodation: Huangyaguan Hotel or similar

Day 6 · Huangyaguan

Today we'll start with Peace Fort (Taipingzhai) that begins from Banlagang Mountain in the east and arriving at Guafu Tower (Widow Tower) in the west. There are six watchtowers, one battlement, and one shortcut leading to the wall.

Waking westward, we will get to the steepest segment of this section, the Huangya Sky Ladder. This long stairway stretches to the top of the ridge, seemingly leads to the sky. Climbing over the ladder, we will reach the primitive Great Wall built in the Northern Qi Dynasty, marking the end of the Huangyaguan section.

We will return to Beijing in the afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch