Adventure

Great Wall Hiking: Small Group

Adventure

Great Wall Hiking: Small Group

From US$ 158 per person

This hiking trip of Great Wall will show you both Simatai and Jinshanling sections of the wall within 3 hours. You will experience both original and restored Wall on a less-visited sections.

About this activity

Free cancellation
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Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Duration 9 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
English
Small group
Limited to 8 participants

Experience

Highlights
  • Discover the wild Great Wall at Simatai West
  • See the restored Great Wall at Jinshanling
  • Enjoy great photo opportunites
  • Have a traditional unch at local farmer’s restaurant
  • Experience it all in a small group of travelers (maximum of 8)
Full description
your guide will meet you at 8am and then drive to Simatai West. You will start the hiking around 10:30am, and it will take about 3 hours to complete. A lunch at a local farmer’s restaurant will be organized after the hiking before returning to the city. This section offers arguably the finest hiking anywhere on the Great Wall. It is extremely photogenic, with over 15 watch-towers, and steep gradients that give constantly changing perspectives and wide, open views. There is fascinating variety in the watch-towers here. Some have two storeys, others three. Some have flat roofs, others rounded and others again are pitched with upturned eaves. This section of the wall is wild, ruined, preserved and original. On a clear day, it is difficult to fail to take good photographs here. 
Includes
  • Air-conditioned vehicle with experienced driver
  • Personal English-speaking hiking guide
  • Entrance fees to Great Wall for the two sections
  • Unlimited bottled water; snacks on the Wall; lunch in a local farmer’s restaurant
  • A certificate of completion for hiking on the Great Wall of China
  • Travel insurance
  • Chairlift
  • Personal expenses
  • Tipping to hiking guide/driver recommended on good service
Not suitable for
  • Pregnant women

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

McDonald's at Oriental Kenzo, 48 Dongzhimenwai Dajie. 东直门外大街东方银座麦当劳 Meeting directions: Dongzhimen Station, subway line 2, Exit C. Turn right after getting out of the shopping mall. Guides will place a company logo in front of their van, and your guide will hold a Great Wall logo.

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Important information

What to bring

  • Passport or ID card
  • Comfortable shoes
  • Sunglasses

Not allowed

  • Pets
  • Smoking

Know before you go

  • What to take:
  • Comfortable shoes or boots, sun cream, sun-glasses, lip balm and cap
  • Notes:
  • There is no toilet on the Wall. There are toilets at the entrance of Simatai West and Jinshanling. Please prepare before hiking and always carry toilet paper
  • You will be followed by local farmers when starting the hike. If you don’t like this, you have to say NO firmly at the beginning (MAYBE LATER does not work in Chinese culture) or just ignore them and not speak a word with them; otherwise they can be very persistent
  • Unlimited bottled waters are stored in the provider's car/van, and you need a day pack to carry them
  • Travel insurance is optional and is the sole responsibility of travellers
  • As responsible travelers, 'take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprint'
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.9 /5

based on 29 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.9/5
  • Transportation
    4.9/5
  • Value for money
    4.8/5
  • Safety
    4.8/5

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Star rating:

What an amazing day! We had wonderfully blue skies and very little wind on our hike from Simatai to Jinshanling. Tau was a fantastic guide. He provided great insight to the wall, region, history, and peoples. He made sure everyone was comfortable with the pace and had plenty of time for photos whenever we liked. Mind you, there are a lot of stairs to climb on this 15 tower trek, but they are doable and so worth it. ADDED BONUS: I didn’t expect too much from the included lunch after reading previous reviews, but it was one of our favorite meals during our stay in China! Highly recommended!

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January 13, 2020

Our experience was incredible. Our guide Tao was very knowledgeable and let us pick our climbing pace. Lots of opportunities to stop, take photos and enjoy the view! The hike up To the wall is quite steep, but once on the wall it is gentle going. We were the only group booked in on our day, and we only met a few people on the wall. Totally recommend this time of year. Cold, snowy and spectacular. Tao checked our dietary requirements and made sure that the meal cooked at the farmers home was allergy free and he even made sure we were safely in a taxi at the drop off point. The wall was fantastic and the experience was perfect because of our guide Tao.

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December 22, 2019

Tao was an amazing guide. Very professional yet fun. It was like making a new friend on an adventure. If you are reasonably fit and want to see a view of The Great Wall without a gazillion people in your way this is the way to do it. Take the road less traveled and you won't regret it

November 6, 2019

Product ID: 52602