Your tour guide will pick you up anywhere in Beijing, probably at 3 am in summer, and 5 am in winter. We will drive directly to the Gubeikou Great Wall. The drive should take a little over 2.5 hours.
Gubeikou occupies a strategically important location, which is difficult to access. Situated between Shanhaiguan Pass and Juyongguan Pass, and about 62 miles to Beijing, it is the bastion protecting the northern gateway to the capital. There are 14 beacon towers, 143 watchtowers, 16 strategic pass, three citadels, and many other military constructions. Many of them are famous cultural relics, such as the Big Flower Beacon Tower of the Northern Qi Dynasty, Fairy Tower, General Tower, and the dominant Wangjing Tower.
Today we will hike for around 4 km at Gubeikou, where you will catch the beautiful sunrise. Gubeikou is entirely unrestored, covered with over 140 watchtowers, all differing in size and design. You will witness how the wall twists and winds along with the steep mountain ranges. If the weather is clear, you will be able to see the shimmering blue lake of the Miyun Reservoir.
In 1933, the Gubeikou Anti-Japanese War was carried out here. The remains of more than 360 soldiers were buried at the Gubeikou Great Wall's foot, and the tomb of the soldiers was built.
After the walk, we will drive you back to Beijing. You'll get back to your hotel in the morning before noon so you can plan something else to do in the afternoon. If you pay an extra $50/person, your guide will walk with you for additional two hours to Jinshanling Great Wall. From the east of Jinshanling to the towering Wangjing Building, with a total length of 10.5 kilometers, there are five related towers, 67 enemy buildings, and three towers along the line. Because of its broad vision, dense enemy buildings, strange landscapes, exquisite architectural art, and military defense, the system is sound and well-preserved, and well-known globally. It's well worth walking down and experiencing the older wall.