DAY 1: Hike the Magnificent Jinshanling and West Simatai Great Wall
Between 6:30 am and 7:30 am, you will be picked up from your hotel by your English-speaking guide and driver if you are staying in a hotel within the 2nd Ring Road. Otherwise, you will meet us in the Chaoyangmen Subway Station to board the bus for today's tour. From Chaoyangmen, we will make the approximate 2.5-hour drive to the Great Wall at Jinshanling.
There are usually 20-25 in summer and 10-15 in lower seasons. But, few will join from the group will continue to camp today. The rest of the group will return to Beijing after the hiking. You will even enjoy private camping in some cases.
Today's hike takes about 3.5 hours at Jinshanling and across to West Simatai or called "Second Valley," also a part of Jinshanling. The Great Wall at Jinshanling is one of the Great Wall's best-preserved parts with many original features. It got its name because it was built on the Greater and Lesser Jinshan (‘Gold Mountain’) Ranges. The Jinshanling Great Wall has not been repaired since 1570. It is a remote and relatively isolated section of the Great Wall. As there are relatively few tourists at Jinshanling Great Wall, it is an excellent place to explore on foot.
Upon reaching the gate of "the Second Valley" (the east gate of Jinshanling), you have officially completed today's hiking. We will treat you with a gourmet lunch in a local restaurant. Soon, our local support staff from our Gubeikou camping base will meet you in the restaurant and transfer you to Gubeikou where you will relax and have a chance to watch the beautiful sunset. Toward evening, we will treat you with a country-style dinner in our camping base, a family-owned hostel. After dinner, our friendly support employee will set the camp for you to sleep on the Great Wall.
DAY 2 : Watching the Beautiful Sunrise
Waking up at about 5 am in the summer, or 6:30 am in the winter, you will meet the magnificent sunrise from the Great Wall. Take a lot of pictures and videos!
After having continental breakfast, our local support staff will send you to the bus terminal at Gubei Watertown, where you will take the express bus to Dongzhimen Bus Terminal of Beijing. Follow the instruction on this page. You can transfer to Subway Line 2 to go back to your hotel or take Airport Express to catch your flight.
Since a bullet train line between Gubeikou and Beijing has been operating, it is even more convenient and comfortable to return to Beijing at 10:00 am and arrive at Beijing N. Station at 12:15 pm.
Optional Extended Hikes on Day 2
Don't want to go back to Beijing so soon? Paying an extra $39, you can walk the Gubeikou section where you have just camped for two hours and return to Beijing in the afternoon.