Departure Times:
Summer: 11:30 am to 12:00 pm
Fall and Spring: 10:00 am to 10:30 am
Winter: 10 am.
The Great Wall at Jiankou is about 80km/50miles northeast of Beijing. Your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and drive you to a village called Xizaizhi at Jiankou Great Wall's bottom. To hike on Jiankou, first, we have to climb up a path for about 60 minutes to reach it. The Jiankou Great Wall was an essential section of the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644). Without renovation, the wall is regarded as one of the most dangerous sections of the Ming's wall. For your safety, we are taking the path that is not dangerous but still breathtaking. Because of the time of day, the weather should not be overly hot (in fact, quite comfortable), so this hike shouldn't be too taxing on you.
Our hike will today take about 3-3.5 hours and will cover 10km/6 miles. The Jiankou section is known for its ruggedness and wild beauty, and you will be in awe of the marvelous views it affords. As soon as we reach Jiankou, we will see a deserted watchtower that gives you a panoramic view of the entire valley. This section of the wall is not well known by tourists, although if you see a picture of the Great Wall from exotic traveling magazines, chances are from Jiankou.
We'll start from Zhengbeilou, which is the best place to take photos. This part of the wall is often empty so that you will have some peace and serenity on your hike today. Because we are here late in the afternoon, there probably won't be anyone else out there.
From Jiankou, we will cross over onto Mutianyu, a section of the wall that has been largely restored. Although it has gotten a face-lift, it avoids the army of tourists that plague Badaling. Mutianyu offers some breathtaking views of the valley. There are low wall crenels on both sides of the top of the wall, which can resist the enemy on both sides, and there are also horse-blocking pits excavated on the outside to make the defense function more perfect. This is a major feature.
It is from Mutianyu that we'll wait to see the sunset drape over the Great Wall, and this will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your trip to China. We hope you have your cameras ready!
Before we drive back to Beijing, we'll stop by a Chinese restaurant to treat you with a dinner with traditional stir-fries and rice. If you are vegetarian, there is no problem. We'll order unique dishes for you. We'll drop you at your hotel for the night.
While this hike will be a bit long, it will easily be the highlight of your time in China. It is also a perfect activity to have loads of fun while stretching their legs for those who work in Beijing.
