Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Gubeikou to Wild Jinshanling Great Wall Hiking
From our meeting point (Lama Temple Subway exit B), we drive for about two hours to the border of Beijing and Hubei provence where where the Gubeikou Great Wall is located. By lunchtime we reach our local friends that run a small homestay at the back of a valley surrounded by the Great Wall. With a view on the Crouching Tiger Great Wall we enjoy a truly delicious meal. From here our adventure starts.
Hiking towards the Gubeikou Great Wall General tower
It takes us only 15 minute hiking up the hill behind the farmhouse before we get our first glimpse of the Gubeikou Great Wall. A few more turns on a little dirt trail, and we are on top of the Great Wall. We hike from tower to tower and take breaks inside or on top of the watchtowers. The rooftop breaks a great chance to take some awesome pictures of this 1400 years old section of the Great Wall. Three hours later we arrive at the first highlight of today’s trail, the Gubeikou General Tower. From this 2 story high tower you can see the entire “Gubeikou- Jinshanling-Simatai Great Wall ” . On a clear day we can even see the Fairy Tower, the highest tower of the Simatai Great Wall.
View of the Simatai & Jinshanling Great Wall from the General tower at Gubeikou Great Wall
Here we side track a bit from the Wall to get around the restricted military section of the wild Gubeikou and Jinshanling Great Wall. It’s a really beautiful trail that meanders through farm fields and over the hill ridges next to the Wild Jinshanling Great Wall. Just when you think “we are in the middle of nowhere’ a small farmhouse appears. The farmers have been living there for 3 generations and will prepare us an excellent dinner. They love playing badminton so if you are up for a game with Great Wall as a background, this is your chance.
Wild part of Jinshanling Great Wall sunset
Day 2: Magic sunrise over Jinshanling and Gubeikou Great Wall and hike Jiankou to Mutianyu
If you are an early bird you can get up early today to watch a fantastic sunrise over the Jinshanling and Gubeikou Great Wall. This is the moment to take the best picture of your China trip. The view point is just 20 minutes walking form the farmhouse so we highly recommend the effort. After breakfast a short hike out of the valley brings us back to the main road where our driver will be waiting to drive us to the Jiankou Great Wall
Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall hike
.After lunch at a local farmhouse with view on the Great Wall we start hiking a steep dirt trail that leads to the Great Wall. It is a 500-meter ascent that takes us about 1 hour. Our efforts are rewarded when we stand on top of the Zhengbeilou Watchtower (991m) where some of the most spectacular pictures have been taken.
Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall hike
We walk east on the Wall to the highest point of Jiankou (1029 meters), allowing you to see the entire Mutianyu Great Wall plus most part of Jiankou as well. It’s a very enjoyable walk on top of the well preserved Great Wall where we pass the famous “Bull’s Horn section”.
Famous “Bull’s Horn section/Oxhorn Edge section” at Jiankou Great Wall
After a good hour hiking on top of the Jiankou Great Wall, a tree full of prayer flags announces the start of the Mutianyu Great Wall. Here the Great Wall is restored. A short hike on the Mutianyu Great Wall leads us past 4 guard towers before we take start our 1 hour downhill hike through the valley. The trail ends at a picturesque village where our driver will be waiting for us. By 7 pm we should be back at our meeting point in Beijing.
Level 2: Medium-Strong
We rate this hike level 3 medium-strong because of the distance. There are no steep climbs on the first day but on the second day we do start with a strong up hill hike. We don’t have to carry any camping gear hence the medium-strong rating, Anybody with a normal to good physical condition will enjoy this trip very much.
Planning a trip ahead or want a private tour?