Great Wall Trek

Meet your guide this morning at your Beijing hotel and drive about 2.5 hours to Gubeikou, the start of today's trek. Built in 1378 to help defend against Mongol raids from the north, this section winds past watchtowers and garrisons through the Panlong (Hidden Dragon) and Woho (Crouching Tiger) mountains.

Partway through, the trail 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, this section holds nearly 70 watchtowers, each built in a different architectural style, with old poems and inscriptions still visible carved into the brick. The trek ends with a descent at Zhuanduokou, a short walk from tonight's hotel within the scenic area.

Trekking distance: 10-13 kilometers / 6-8.5 miles
Trekking time: 4-6 hours
Driving Time: 2.5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult, with uphill and downhill

Drive 5 minutes to the East Gate of Jinshanling to start today's hike. About 45 minutes of trail and stairs lead up to Dong Wu Yan Lou, a five-eye watchtower, then the route continues east past four more towers to the Simatai border.

The connection onward to Simatai itself has been closed since 2010, when the Gubei ancient water town was built across the gap, so the trail turns back at the border tower. From there, you hike west past Jinshanling to Shalingkou's central gate, with the option to continue six more towers to Zhuanduokou, yesterday's

Trekking distance: 8-10 kilometers / 5-6 miles
Trekking time: 4-5 hours
Driving time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: Uphill and downhill, with large steps on the wall

Today's hike starts right from the hotel, heading through the forest along the mountain slopes for about 1.5 to 2 hours to reach an ancient village. From there, you climb to Wangjinglou watchtower, whose name means "the tower where you can see the city of Beijing in the distance."

A single stretch of wall links Wangjinglou to the Simatai section, part of the same UNESCO World Heritage listing as Jinshanling, but it's closed to hikers due to the danger. After a picnic lunch at the top, descend to meet your vehicle for the roughly 2-hour transfer to tonight's hotel near Mutianyu Great Wall.

Hiking distance: 8-12 kilometers / 4-7 miles
Hiking time: 4-6 hours
Driving Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate, with uphill and downhill

Drive about an hour to Xizhazi Village, the starting point for today's hike on Jiankou, one of the wall's most dramatic and least-restored sections. The first hour climbs to Zhengbeilou, one of the highest watchtowers in the area, with sweeping views of the wall along steep cliffs to the west.

From there, the trail flattens out heading east to Horn Tower, where you'll stop for a picnic lunch. Rather than joining the crowds at the main Mutianyu entrance, the route turns off onto a steep, rocky side trail down to Beigou village, a descent of about 1.5 hours where trekking poles come in handy. From Beigou, it's a drive of roughly 2.5 to 3 hours back to Beijing, where the trip ends.

Trekking distance: 8-10 kilometers / 5-6 miles
Trekking time: 5-6 hours
Driving time: 2.5-3 hours
Difficulty: Steep and rocky in sections