Jinshanling Great Wall Hike

Meet your guide this morning at your Beijing hotel for the roughly 2.5-hour drive (120 km/75 miles) to Gubeikou, the start of today's hike. Built in 1378, Gubeikou was one of the most heavily fortified and frequently attacked sections of the wall during the Ming Dynasty, positioned to help repel Mongol incursions from the north.

The trail runs through the Panlong (Hidden Dragon) and Woho (Crouching Tiger) mountains, passing a string of watchtowers, garrisons, and defensive diversions built into the terrain. Partway through, the route drops into a valley and threads through farmland to skirt a restricted military area before climbing back up to rejoin the wall at Jinshanling.

Named for the Jinshan Mountains it follows, Jinshanling is one of the wall's most striking sections: nearly 70 watchtowers, each built in a distinct architectural style, with poems and inscriptions still visible carved into some of the brickwork. You descend into Jinshanling by evening and settle into a hotel near Jinshanling Great Wall for the night, with dinner included.

Trekking distance: 10-13 km (6-8 miles)
Trekking time: 4-6 hours
Difficulty: Difficult, with uphill and downhill trail

After breakfast, you head back to the wall and pick up the trail heading east along a different stretch of Jinshanling, regarded by many as the best-preserved section of the entire Great Wall, with most of its original stonework still intact. The first two hours climb steadily toward the mountaintop, including a steep run of stairs hikers call the sky ladder, with the views opening wider at every watchtower you pass.

The trail ends at Dongkou, the eastern edge of Jinshanling. From here, the Simatai section of the wall is walled off and inaccessible, so you take a downhill path instead, reaching the parking area in about 30 minutes. A drive of roughly 1.5-2 hours returns you to Beijing. Breakfast and lunch are included.

Trekking distance: 6-8 km (4-5 miles)
Trekking time: 3-4 hours
Difficulty: Difficult, with uphill and downhill on steps and trail