Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
China: Walking the Great Wall from Jiankou to Jinshanling
8 days from Beijing: the Forbidden City and the hutongs, then four walking days on the Great Wall at Huanghuacheng, Mutianyu, wild Jiankou and Gubeikou to Jinshanling.
8 days · Round trip from Beijing · up to 12 guests
The Great Wall at Jinshanling. Photo: H2v5o68z, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great_Wall_of_China_at_Jinshanling_11.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Beijing
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Active
Four walking days of 3 to 6 hours each (days 3 to 6), 6 to 10 km a day with about 300 to 500 m of climbing, much of it on uneven stone steps. Huanghuacheng and Mutianyu are restored, with steep stairs and handrails in places. Jiankou and the stretch from Gubeikou are unrestored: broken steps, loose stones, short scrambles and no shade, and the steepest pitches are always optional, with a path around or a place to wait. Day 2 is about 5 hours on foot in Beijing. Hiking boots with grip are essential; poles help. Two nights are in a simple village guesthouse at Gubeikou and one at Jiankou, with private rooms and bathrooms but no hotel service.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 430 (estimated price)
- Season
- Best April to June and September to November
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Forbidden City at its 8:30 opening and the view over its roofs from Jingshan Park
- Lunch in a family courtyard home in Beijing's hutongs
- Huanghuacheng, where the Ming wall runs down into a reservoir between chestnut groves
- Mutianyu early in the morning, walking tower to tower before the day crowds
- The unrestored towers of Jiankou above the village, with the steepest pitches optional
- A night in a village guesthouse with home cooking and the wall on the skyline
- Gubeikou to Jinshanling past the 24 Window Tower, the trip's longest and quietest walk
- Sunrise on the wall at Jinshanling, then a Peking duck farewell in Beijing
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 430 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Beijing
Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) airport to central Beijing
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Beijing
- Drive about 1 h
We meet you at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) or Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) and drive you to your hotel in Dongcheng, the old centre east of the Forbidden City, about an hour from either airport. The rest of the day is yours to rest after the flight; the hutong lanes around the hotel are good for a first short walk.
Evening
In the early evening the group meets for a briefing that matters more on a walking trip than most: your guide runs through the four walking days, the easy and hard lines on each, what goes in your daypack, and which bag stays at the hotel from day 4 to day 7 while we sleep in the villages. Boots and poles get a quick look too. Then we walk to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner of northern Chinese dishes, dumplings, noodles and stir-fries shared at one round table. If your flight lands too late, we meet you at breakfast.
Included
- Pick-up at Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) airport
- Evening briefing on the walking days and kit
- Welcome dinner at a local restaurant
Free time: Afternoon free to rest
Activity: Land by about 4 pm to join the briefing and dinner.
The Forbidden City and the hutongs
Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, then the hutongs around Shichahai
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Beijing
We walk from the hotel to Tiananmen Square and go through the Meridian Gate into the Forbidden City as it opens at 8:30, ahead of the main crowd. Tickets are capped each day and sold in your name, so we buy them as soon as your dates are confirmed. For almost five centuries this was the palace of the Ming and Qing emperors, and your guide takes you along the central axis of great halls, then into the quieter side courts and the imperial garden. Leaving by the north gate, we climb Jingshan Park for the view back over the yellow-tiled roofs.
Afternoon
Lunch is in a family courtyard home in the hutongs around the Shichahai lakes, home-cooked dishes with time to ask questions about life in the lanes. Afterwards we walk to the Drum and Bell Towers.
Evening
The late afternoon and evening are free: rest your legs before the wall, or find dinner by the lakes with your guide's suggestions.
Included
- Tiananmen Square with your guide
- The Forbidden City (Palace Museum) at opening
- Jingshan Park viewpoint
- Lunch in a family courtyard home in the hutongs
- Hutong walk to the Drum and Bell Towers
Easier option: Skip the Jingshan climb, about 15 minutes of steps, and your guide calls a taxi from the hutong lunch back to the hotel, a short ride we pay for.
More active option: Walk on around the Shichahai lakes in the free afternoon, about 5 km.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 5 hours on foot on stone paving. The Forbidden City closes on Mondays, so departures never start on a Sunday.
Huanghuacheng, the wall by the water
Beijing to Huanghuacheng in Huairou and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Beijing
- Drive about 3 h
A warm-up day on restored wall. We leave at 8 am and drive about an hour and a half north into the hills of Huairou to Huanghuacheng, where the Ming dynasty wall climbs steep ridges on both sides of a valley and runs down into the water of a reservoir. We arrive as the section opens and walk with your guide for about three hours: up a long flight of steep steps to the first towers, along the ridge for the views back over the water, and down through old chestnut groves to the valley. The steps are high and uneven, a fair test of the boots and the legs before Jiankou, and the guide sets an easy pace.
Afternoon
Lunch is in a farmhouse restaurant in the valley, often with the trout raised in the local streams.
Evening
We are back in Beijing by mid-afternoon, with the rest of the day and the evening free.
Included
- Huanghuacheng Great Wall entry and a guided walk of about 3 hours
- Farmhouse lunch in the Huanghuacheng valley
Easier option: Walk to the first towers and back, about 1.5 hours, and wait by the water.
More active option: Climb on to the higher towers on the far ridge, adding about an hour.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 6 km and 3 hours, with 300 m of steep steps.
Mutianyu, then a night below Jiankou
Beijing to Mutianyu, then Xizhazi village below Jiankou
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Jiankou (Xizhazi village)
- Drive about 2 h
Main luggage stays at the hotel; you bring a daypack and a small overnight bag.
Morning
We leave at 8:00 for the drive of about an hour and a half to Mutianyu, one of the best-preserved stretches of the Ming wall, and are on the wall before the late-morning coaches fill the cable car queue. Walk up on the stepped path or take the cable car, then walk west along the wall from tower to tower for three to four hours, the climbs getting steeper toward the far end of the open section.
Afternoon
Come down on the toboggan, by cable car or on foot, and have lunch in the village below. A short drive brings us to Xizhazi, a village under the Jiankou ridge, and a family guesthouse: a private room with its own bathroom, simple and clean. In the late afternoon, look up at the broken towers you will walk tomorrow.
Evening
Dinner is home cooking at the guesthouse table.
Included
- Mutianyu Great Wall entry at opening, with your guide
- Cable car or toboggan down (or up)
- Walk along the Mutianyu towers, about 3 to 4 hours
- Village lunch at Mutianyu
- Guesthouse dinner at Jiankou
Easier option: Cable car up and down and a gentle hour on the section near the station.
More active option: Walk up the stepped path, about 40 minutes, and on to the last open tower.
Free time: Late afternoon free in the village
Activity: About 7 km and 3 to 4 hours, with long stepped climbs. The guesthouse is simple; see good to know.
Jiankou's wild wall, then Gubeikou
Xizhazi to the Jiankou ridge and back, then Jiankou to Gubeikou
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Gubeikou
- Drive about 2 h
The day the trip is named for.
Morning
We start straight after breakfast, with a local village guide who knows the paths, and climb through forest for about an hour to the ridge near Zhengbei Tower. Here the wall has never been restored: towers stand roofless, steps crumble, and the wall follows knife-edge ridges in a way no rebuilt section does. We walk along the ridge for two to three hours, at the pace of the slowest walker; the steepest, most broken pitches are optional, with a path around or a tower to wait in.
Afternoon
Off the ridge before the afternoon heat, we return to the guesthouse for a late lunch. In the afternoon we drive about two hours east through Miyun to Gubeikou, an old garrison town at a pass where the wall crosses the Chao River valley, and settle into the guesthouse that is home for two nights.
Evening
Dinner is at the guesthouse.
Included
- Guided walk on the Jiankou wall with your guide and a local village guide, about 4 to 5 hours
- Village access fees
- Lunch at the Jiankou guesthouse
- Transfer to Gubeikou
- Guesthouse dinner in Gubeikou
Easier option: Climb to the first tower for the view and come down with the village guide, about 2 hours.
More active option: Take the steepest optional pitches on the ridge with the village guide.
Free time: Evening free in Gubeikou
Activity: About 6 km and 4 to 5 hours, 450 m of climbing on loose, broken steps. Not walked in rain; we switch to restored wall instead.
Gubeikou to Jinshanling
Gubeikou's Panlongshan section to Jinshanling, then back to Gubeikou
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Gubeikou
- Drive about 45 min
The longest walk and, for many, the best. We start early from the edge of Gubeikou and climb onto the Panlongshan section, original wall from the Ming period with grass in the cracks and few other walkers. The route passes the 24 Window Tower, a three-storey tower with windows on every side, then follows the ridge east toward Jinshanling. Part way, the route leaves the wall for village paths around a restricted area and climbs back on near Zhuanduokou.
Afternoon
Lunch is a packed meal in a tower or in a village along the way, depending on the season. The last two hours are on the restored wall at Jinshanling, wide and well built, with towers close together and long views north. Our vehicle meets us at the Jinshanling gate for the half hour back to Gubeikou.
Evening
In the evening your hosts show you how to fold dumplings, and we eat them for dinner.
Included
- Guided walk from Gubeikou to Jinshanling, about 5 to 6 hours
- Gubeikou and Jinshanling Great Wall entries
- Packed or village lunch on the walk
- Dumpling-making with your hosts and dinner
Easier option: Skip the Gubeikou ridge and walk the restored Jinshanling section only, about 2 to 3 hours, with the cable car up if you like.
Free time: Late afternoon free
Activity: About 10 km and 5 to 6 hours, the trip's hardest day, with little shade. Carry 2 litres of water.
Sunrise at Jinshanling, back to Beijing
Gubeikou to Jinshanling and back, then Gubeikou to Beijing
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Beijing
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
For anyone who wants it, an early start: we drive the half hour to Jinshanling in the dark and walk up to the wall to watch the sun rise over the towers and the ranges to the east, then walk a short stretch in the first light while it is empty. Everyone else sleeps in, and the group meets for breakfast at the guesthouse.
Afternoon
Mid-morning we drive back to Beijing, about two and a half hours through Miyun, and arrive in time for a late lunch on your own near the hotel, where your main luggage is waiting. The afternoon is free: a foot massage after four walking days, a quiet hour at the Lama Temple, or simply a long shower.
Evening
In the evening the group meets for the farewell dinner, Peking duck carved at the table, and a last toast to the wall.
Included
- Optional sunrise walk at Jinshanling with your guide
- Transfer to Beijing
- Peking duck farewell dinner
Easier option: Skip the sunrise and sleep in until breakfast.
More active option: Join the sunrise walk, about 1.5 hours on the restored wall.
Free time: Afternoon free in Beijing
Activity: The sunrise start is about 5 am in May and June and later in autumn; it depends on the gate opening, confirmed for your dates.
Depart from Beijing
An optional early walk at the Temple of Heaven, then Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1 h
The last day has no fixed start.
Afternoon
For anyone with an afternoon flight, your guide offers an early walk in the Temple of Heaven park, where emperors once prayed for good harvests and where Beijing's retired residents now gather in the mornings for tai chi, dancing, cards and singing. We enter by the east gate, where the long corridor is busiest with card players and singers, walk to the round Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, then south along the raised walkway to the Circular Mound Altar, about two hours, and are back at the hotel by mid-morning. Otherwise the morning is yours: a last coffee in the hutongs or a slow breakfast. We drive you to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) or Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), about an hour from the centre, at a time that suits your flight. If you are using the 240-hour visa-free transit, your onward flight must go to a third country, not back to where you started. For international flights, allow three hours at the airport.
Included
- Early walk at the Temple of Heaven with your guide, entry included (for afternoon flights)
- Drop-off at Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) airport
Free time: Morning free
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 2 pm to join the Temple of Heaven walk.
- Beijing3 nights
- Jiankou (Xizhazi village)1 night
- Gubeikou2 nights
- Beijing1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: April to June brings mild days and blossom, then the green on the ridges; June can be warm, so walks start early. September to November is the clearest season, with autumn colour on the hills from mid-October and cold mornings by November. July and August are hot and humid with afternoon thunderstorms, which make unrestored steps slippery; winter is dry but below freezing on the wall. We avoid the holiday weeks in early May and early October, when the restored sections are packed.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Regular hikers who want the Great Wall on foot, not from a cable car viewpoint
- Travellers who want unrestored wall at Jiankou and Gubeikou as well as the restored sections
- First-time visitors who still want a proper day in Beijing for the Forbidden City and the hutongs
- Walkers who like a choice of an easy or a harder line on each day
- Solo travellers who want a small group and a published single price
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who cannot manage several hours of steep, uneven steps on consecutive days
- Those uneasy with heights: some ridges are narrow and exposed, although the worst pitches are optional
- Travellers who need hotel comfort every night: three nights are in simple village guesthouses
- Visitors who want the Terracotta Warriors or Shanghai: see our Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai trip
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Beijing3 nights
- Jiankou (Xizhazi village)1 night
- Gubeikou2 nights
- Beijing1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 4 in a central Beijing hotel of a 3-star-plus standard in Dongcheng (3 at the start, 1 at the end), 1 in a family guesthouse in Xizhazi village below Jiankou, 2 in a family guesthouse in Gubeikou
- Guesthouses with private rooms and their own bathrooms, simpler than the hotel
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- Hotel and guesthouses named when we confirm your dates
- Main luggage stored at the Beijing hotel from day 4 to day 7
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) airport
- Our own vehicle and driver for the group on every day outside Beijing, meeting the group at the end of each walk
- The Mutianyu cable car or toboggan
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 8, walking every section with you
- Local village guides on the unrestored sections at Jiankou and Gubeikou
- No shopping stops and no commission on anything you buy
Activities
- Beijing: Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, a hutong walk to the Drum and Bell Towers, and the Temple of Heaven park
- Huanghuacheng: a guided walk of about 3 hours on the wall by the reservoir
- Mutianyu: a guided walk of 3 to 4 hours
- Jiankou: a guided walk on the unrestored wall of 4 to 5 hours
- Gubeikou to Jinshanling: a guided walk of 5 to 6 hours
- Jinshanling: an optional sunrise walk
- A dumpling-making evening in Gubeikou
- All entrance and village access fees for included walks and sights
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 5 lunches: a hutong family lunch, a farmhouse lunch at Huanghuacheng, a village lunch at Mutianyu, a guesthouse lunch at Jiankou and a packed or village lunch on the Gubeikou walk
- 5 dinners: a welcome dinner, a guesthouse dinner at Jiankou, two guesthouse dinners in Gubeikou (one with dumpling-making) and a Peking duck farewell
Not included
- International flights to and from Beijing
- China visa, where your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed above: lunch on days 1, 7 and 8, and dinner on days 2 and 3, with your guide's suggestions
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide, village guides and driver
- Hiking boots, poles and personal walking gear
- Personal expenses, such as a massage in Beijing
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 430 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 6% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 2,180 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 2,250. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 2,320.
What does the price include?
Seven nights (four in a central Beijing hotel, three in village guesthouses), 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 5 dinners, airport transfers at both ends, our own vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, local village guides on the wild sections, and every entry, including the Forbidden City, all four Great Wall walks and the Mutianyu cable car or toboggan.
How fit do I need to be to walk the Great Wall?
You should be a regular hiker. There are four walking days of 3 to 6 hours, with 300 to 500 m of climbing a day on steep, uneven steps, and the longest is about 10 km. The steepest pitches on Jiankou and the Gubeikou ridge are optional, and on the longest day you can walk the restored Jinshanling section only.
Is it legal to walk the wild, unrestored Great Wall?
Beijing's rules restrict walking on sections that are not opened to visitors. We confirm the open routes and village access at Jiankou and between Gubeikou and Jinshanling before each season, walk with local village guides, and use the nearest open section if a route is closed. You will always know which section you are on and why.
What are the guesthouses like?
Simple and family run. You get a private room with its own bathroom, heating in spring and autumn, and home cooking at a shared table, but no lift, porter or hotel reception. They sit right under the wall, which is the reason to stay. We name each one when we confirm your dates.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, never more. On narrow sections of unrestored wall that matters: the group moves at a steady pace, the guide can see everyone, and guesthouse dinners are at one table rather than in a banquet hall.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the airport pick-up to the airport drop-off and walks every section with you. Local village guides who know the paths join on the unrestored wall at Jiankou and Gubeikou, and our own driver meets the group at the end of each walk.
I'm travelling solo. Is there a single supplement?
Yes, and it is published up front: a room of your own is CAD 430 on top of the twin-share price, shown before you book. Guesthouse single rooms are limited, so we confirm yours when you book. Solo travellers walk, eat and share the guide's time like everyone else.
When is the best time to walk the Great Wall?
April to June and September to November. Spring brings blossom and green ridges; autumn is the clearest season, with colour on the hills from mid-October. July and August are hot with thunderstorms that make broken steps slippery, and winter is below freezing on the ridge. We avoid the holiday weeks in early May and early October.
Do I need a visa for China?
Canadians can currently visit China visa-free for up to 30 days under a policy set to run until 31 December 2026; we confirm the rule for 2027 dates. US citizens need a visa, or can use the 240-hour visa-free transit if they fly in from one country and out to a different third country. Beijing and Hebei are both covered.
How does booking work?
Choose a date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, with the final timings, and no payment is taken until we have confirmed. We need your passport details at that point, because the Forbidden City is booked in your name.
Can we walk it privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 4,175 per person, with your own guide and vehicle and the pace set by you. If you would rather travel independently, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the route without a group.
Are there shopping stops?
No. We never take the group to jade, silk, tea or other factories or showrooms that pay commission, and your guide earns nothing on what you buy. If you want to buy something, the village shops and Beijing markets are there in your free time.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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