For the more adventurous at heart, spend two days hiking along a lesser-visited portion of the Great Wall. Start your hike at the Gubeikou section and hike west to Jinshanling. Parts of the wall are covered with vegetation, and you hike along a trail in some portions. Overnight at a hotel near the wall and hike the rest of the way to Simatai the next day. Enjoy breathtaking views on this active addition to any China trip!
Highlights
Admire Jinshanling, considered to be the most well-preserved section of the Great Wall
Spend two days hiking along a lesser-visited portion of the Great Wall
Relax in a comfortable hotel offering the closest location to the wall for hikers
Requires high-intensity physical efforts that push the limits of one's fitness. May include tours with multiple days in a row of strenuous physical activity or single requiring more than 7 hours of activity. Recommended for travelers maintaining a demanding fitness level.
Meet your guide this morning in your Beijing hotel lobby shortly after breakfast and drive 2.5 hours to Gubeikou, the starting point of today's trek. This section of the wall was originally built in 1378 to assist in China's defense of the Mongols from the North. Set amidst the Panlon (Hidden Dragon) and Woho (Crouching Tiger) Mountains, follow past Gubeikou's numerous watch towers and garrisons. Half way through, wind your way into a valley through several farms to bypass a military area, before rejoining the wall at the Jinshanling section. Named after the Jinshan Mountains it straddles, this section holds nearly 70 watchtowers built in different architectural styles. Look carefully as you hike and you may spot old poems and stories etched into the brick. The 5-6 hour trek concludes with your arrival and descent at Jinshanling's main gate and a short walk to the nearby hotel. This basic yet comfortable hotel offers the closest location to the wall for hikers.
Hiking Distance: 10-13 km (6-8.5 miles). Moderate to difficult with uphill & downhill trails.
Day 2: Jinshanling Great Wall, Return Beijing
1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch
Today, check out of your hotel and meet up at the gate to continue trekking on the wall where you left off the previous day. The Jinshanling section is considered by many scholars to be the most well-preserved section of the Great Wall as most of its original features remain intact. The first two hours of your 4-5 hour trek ascends along the Great Wall with impressive scenery on either side. Arrive to Dongkou at the eastern end of the Jinshanling Great Wall, and take a path downhill towards Simatai, a section of the wall that was blocked off from the Jinshanling section. Arrive at your vehicle in the parking lot and drive the hour and a half back to Beijing.
Hiking Distance: 8-10 km (4-6 miles). Moderate to difficult with steep uphill and downhill trails.
Dates & Prices
Per person starting at
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$636
Notes
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Rates based on current exchange rate CNY/US dollars. Please contact us for exact quote in US dollars.
Initial deposit is 30% of Land Cost + Total Transportation Fare required at the time of confirmation of the reservation, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
We are so glad that we chose Adventure Life. The service is top-notch. Everything is well taken care of and we just have to print the documents and go. Franny even gave us timely updates on possible airport strike.
KC Chan
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.