Great Wall Camping
Jiankou - Jinshanling - Gubeikou Great Wall Camping
Camp inside a watchtower and watch the sun set over Jiankou Great Wall . Hike the restored staircases of the famous Jinshanling Great Wall and take your best picture of Beijing's oldest Great Wall at Gubeikou. This 19 km Great wall camping trip offers you every highlight a Great Wall camping trip can give in 2 full days.
- Key Info
- Discounts & Inclusions
Meeting/drop-off point: Lama temple subway exit B (How to get there?)
in The April 11 I been guide three people hiking from Gubeikou to Jinshanling Great wall and camping next to the Jinshanling Great wall
usually we hiking the opposite driection start from jianshanling Great wall and nighe camping next to GubeikouGreat wall but this time the day before i check the weather , the wind level is 4-5, so in the morning we decided start hiking from Gubeikou Great wall and night camping next to Jinshanling Great wall, because the Jinshanling Great Wallit camp site is more sheltered
together is four of us ,me Heidi and two Dutch Nicky and her boy friend , one Norwegian Hans there are so nice people ,i like then a lot , after we set up tens We talked under the moon and the stars. Nicky will traveling a one year in Asia, and Hans is law professor teach at Peking University short-term
during the day there are some cloudy and wind ,
Hike the Great wall from Jinshanling to Gubeikou
but we are lucky afternoon around 4 clock the sky became clear when we arrived camping site we have a good sunset and beautiful moon and the stars at night
Gubeikou to jinshanling Great wall hiking camping
Jinshanling Great wall camping
Gubeikou to Jinshanling Great wall hiking camping
Gubeikou to Jinshanling Great wall camping
I bought a new camera, hoping to take the stars pic , because I often take guests camping on the great Wall, often see a very beautiful starts , Unfortunately my little camera is not good enough, maybe good enough , i just should learn good from camera manual . the Stares pic is not beautiful like a reality ,
hiking the Jinshanling Great wall
The happy prospect of another expedition with China Hiking. We join the crowded highway heading out of Beijing. Many are leaving a crowded place in order to spend their free time among more crowds. But we are heading for solitude, to a wilder section of the wall where there are no vendors or garbage bins.
This solitude is remarkably easy to find. The watchtowers stand alone. There are two main seasons up here. The green season and the brown season. At this time of the year (the last part of the green foliage season in our case) wild apples and berries can be picked and enjoyed en route. The sun is shining and there is a pleasant breeze.
The wall never fails to impress as it snakes across the landscape. The shapes of distant hills layered into the horizon in various shades of grey. It is a photogenic place and I have never witnessed any hiker up here who has been disappointed with the views.
I have brought a bicycle with me. I like to think it’s the first one that has ever made it to this section of the wall. It’s not a real one, but a model. A gift from a friend who cannot be here because of work commitments, but who I hope will appreciate being remembered. This mini-bike looks remarkably at home nestled among the stones of the watch towers and crennelations of the wall borders. I can’t help thinking about the sentries and guards who watched over this place. They would have found these full sized metal and aluminum horses incredibly useful. It was to be hundreds years before other invaders brought bicycles to this land.
Fred and I rxchange comments of enthusiasm about the place. We never get bored of being here. As guide and customer respectively we feel privileged to be allowed to come back to the Great Wall.
It is our favourite wall in the world.
Heidi and Fred support the local people. A nearby farmhouse supplies dinner. The food is ferried up a steep path to the campsite on a huge wooden plank. Delicious. Later, this and the accompanying wine and beer, induce an exchange of songs from a variety of different countries. This takes place around the crackling campfire at this time of the year. During the brown season it is strictly forbidden as the risk of starting a bush fire is too great.
Banter joins the sparks on random trajectories when darkness descends. As the moon and stars appear the conversation topic switches briefly to constellations. Everyone is in a good mood. Our tents, mats and sleeping bags are in position to transport us to sleep.
. . .
After a sumptuous outdoor breakfast at the farmhouse, which includes noodle soup and current buns, we conclude the journey by hiking the remaining few kilometers to the minibus with our clothes smelling of campfire smoke and the desire to repeat this unforgettable experience at some point in the future. In my case hopefully before the green season is over!
Gerald Bagge
A delightful camping trip with China Hiking to an unfamiliar (to me) section of the Great Wall. Heidi and Fred have dedicated years to researching scores of hidden pathways leading from the villages and lonely sections of small rural roads to sections of the wall that can then be followed for a stretch before eventually descending again, sweaty but enriched.
great wall trekking
great wall trekking
After a delicious buffet lunch at a local eatery, everyone can go at their own pace. The triathlon-level athletes can go ahead, reach the top first and explore the watch towers and summit sections before the others arrive. Photographers, would-be athletes, lapsed athletes and complete non-athletes, children can go at their own pace. China Hiking has a team of guides on every trip to help those who need it and make sure everybody gets to the top in the end.
But don’t underestimate the power and stamina of children. Our two eleven year olds stormed ahead at times carrying their day packs and fluffy mascot animals that would later serve as pillows, leaving us in a cloud of dust!
Can a selfie stick also serve as a walking stick? That’s for you to find out….
The photographs you take home are of the wild wall. No smooth surfaces. Clumps of bushes, even trees growing out of the stonework. It’s amazing how much of this structure survives relatively intact after hundreds of years of neglect.
Charman Mao said “You’re not a hero until you have climbed the Great Wall”. Later he also encouraged the locals to harvest the stones for local building projects. But the Wall has always been way too mighty to yield to such actions. It’s simply colossal and magnificent. It follows an incongruous and irregular, often complex path across the landscape. It is still capable of keeping people from the north out! But Fred and Heidi have located hundreds of access points. Once you are on the wall you can admire the views and appreciated the refreshing breezes. Then off into the sunset to find a camping spot. In our case, this meant camping either on the wall itself or inside and on the roof of a watch tower. We feel privileged to be able to do this as sit around a blazing camp fire and exchange stories and banter. There is nobody else around for miles. The mule that carried our dinner has long returned to the valley. Below, the twinkling of village lights. Above the twinkling of the stars. The alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks you have diligently carried up here will taste marvelous in the open air. And if you’re lucky, somebody will have brought some marshmallows to roast on the embers.
great wall camping
great wall camping
great wall camping
great wall camping
great wall camping
Back at my workplace, I can look back on a superb trip. We had excellent weather conditions, dry enough to allow us to camp without the outer layer on the tent and gaze at the moon until we fell asleep.
I will be back for another trip with Fred and Heidi as soon as I can.
J.I was waiting for us with the driver at the meeting point, and after a ~ 1h drive we stopped for lunch close to the start of the trail. J.I has b...
I did a 2 day hiking / camping trip with China Hiking and we were taken care of from start to finish. The evening meal (including pork and chestnuts) on top of the wall under the stars was pretty special. T...
Visited September 2016
Visited September 2016
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Private tours are great way to travel if you have a group of friends, family or colleagues ready to explore nature. Also for school trips or company team building activities a private tour is the way to go. We have experience guiding trips with up to 60 people from international schools and companies. Price of private tours will vary depending on the number of people, the chosen transport and accommodation. Let us know your desires and we will customize a trip for you. Open tour
Are you planning far ahead but your favorite trip is not on our schedule at the time you’re coming to China? Are you an indepentdant traveler that wants to keep the costs as low as possible? Just let us know your favorite trip and starting date at least 6 weeks in advance and we will add your trip to our hiking agenda. As soon as we have 6 people joining the trip we are good to go!
Private tour prices for Jiankou – Jinshanling – Gubeikou Great Wall Camping (2 Days)
Prices are per person and include:
- Pick up and drop off by private bus at your hotel (Please let us know the pick up address)
- English speaking guide, entrance tickets, hiking sticks
- All meals as described in the itinerary and water for during the hike
- All camping gear (tents, mats, sleeping bags, backpacks)
| Group Size | Price pp in CNY | Price pp in USD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults | Kids <18 | Adults | Kids <18 | |
| 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 3 | 2700¥ | 2430¥ | 408$ | 367$ |
| 4 | 2300¥ | 2070¥ | 348$ | 313$ |
| 5 | 2150¥ | 1935¥ | 325$ | 293$ |
| 6 | 2000¥ | 1800¥ | 302$ | 272$ |
| 7 | 1850¥ | 1665¥ | 280$ | 252$ |
| 8 | 1800¥ | 1620¥ | 272$ | 245$ |
| 9 | 1750¥ | 1575¥ | 265$ | 238$ |
| 10 | 1700¥ | 1530¥ | 257$ | 231$ |
| 15+ | please contact us for larger group prices | |||
Day 1: Jiankou Great Wall
Hiking distance: 7km / 4h
Camp on the Wall
Incl. meals: lunch, dinner
Day 2: Jinshanling to Gubeikou Great Wall
Hiking distance: 12km / 5h
Incl. meals: breakfast, late lunch
Highlights
Wild & restored Great Wall
Authentic farmhouse meals
Don't see the date you want?
Don't see the date you want?
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Jiankou Great Wall Camping
From our meeting point (Lama Temple subway station), we drive for about 2 hours till we reach the picturesque Dazhenyu village. We enjoy a good farmhouse lunch in a yard surrounded by chestnut trees and with a view on the Jiankou Great Wall and get ready for our Great Wall adventure. Today we hike 8 km hike with a total ascend of 600 meters, so you will need a fair bit of energy to make it to the top.
Jiankou Jinshanling Gubeikou Great Wall camping. Jiankou Great Wall during fall
Jiankou Jinshanling Gubeikou Great Wall camping. Our first watchtower on Jiankou Great Wall.
We ascend about 500 meters and follow a small trail up the mountain for about 1 hour till we reach the Great Wall at the second beacon tower. From this point of the hike, it’s all about enjoying the scenery.
Jiankou Jinshanling Gubeikou Great Wall camping. Continuing our trek on the Jiankou Great Wall
As our trek on the Great Wall continues you can enjoy fantastic views over valleys, mountains and the famous middle Jiankou Great Wall. We walk through and over 7 beacon towers, the best-preserved ones are called the 5-eye watchtower and the Jade tower.
Just before we reach at the 6th tower, we will pitch our tents on top of the Great Wall, cook dinner on a wood fire and watch the sunset with a glass of local wine. A small campfire will keep us warm while we watch the stars.
Jiankou Jinshanling Gubeikou Great wall camping. Pitch your tent on the Great Wall or in a watchtower.
Day 2: Great Wall trek from Jinshanling to Gubeikou Great Wall
After breakfast, we pack our tents and leave this beautiful place without a trace. We hike down the mountain on an easy dirt trail for about 1 hour and get a our last spectacular view of the Jiankou Great Wall dropping down into WangQuan (Spring valley) and climbing back out almost vertical .
Down in the Valley we go for a good breakfast before we make our way to the Jinshanling Great Wall.
The hike starts with a climb of the infamous staircases of the Jinshanling Great Wall. The Jinshanling section has a total length of 10km with intact watchtowers almost every 100 meters.
Jinshanling Great Wall Trek
As we walk toward south, the Great Wall becomes less renovated, tourists become sparse and new views unfold. Just before we reach the restricted military zone, we take a detour of the Wall and hike up to a hill top where you have a fantastic 360 degrees view of the Great Wall winding on the mountain ridges.
We head down a small dirt trail that leads to a local farmer who will serve us an excellent lunch. With renewed strength, we follow a 5-km trail that curls alongside the Wall, over the hills, through a small forest and pops out of a bush at the General Tower of the Gubeikou Great Wall. Here is where we have reached the highest point of the day and another magical place for pictures.
Jiankou Jinshanling Gubeikou Great Wall camping. View from the Gubeikou Great Wall General tower
The whole Winding Dragon and Crouching Tiger section of Gubeikou Great Wall are stretched out in front of you. We hike the Gubeikou Great Wall till the 5th watchtower and take a small dirt trail down the ridge, walk through the bush till we reach a small lake where our driver will be waiting for us. By 7pm we will be back at our meeting point in Beijing.
Jiankou Jinshaling Gubeikou Great Wall camping. The last section of our hike on Gubeikou Great Wall
Level 2: Medium-Strong
We rate this Great Wall camping trip level 2 because both days of the hike include an intense hike. The trail on the first day includes a good uphill hike and the trail on the second day is long enough to give it a medium strong rating. People with normal physical condition will be able to enjoy this trip.
Planning a trip ahead or want a private tour?
