Best Great Wall Hike: Top 5 Wild Hiking Routes

As one of the best Great Wall hike destinations and also one of the most dangerous wild Great Wall sections, Jiankou Great Wall was built on the steep ridges with dangerous cliffs. The craggy and steep terrain makes it very popular among hikers. Its shape is like an arrow with the arrow nock and there are 28 towers in total, highlighting the famous views like ‘Upward Flying Eagle’, ‘Beijing Knot’, and ‘Sky Stair’. Many classic photos of the Great Gall are shot there.
 

Jiankou Great Wall

 Best Time: April, May, September and October
 Scenery:  
 Difficulty:  , suitable for advanced hikers; Hikers may need to move away on hands and knees. 
 Recommended route: Xizhazi Village - Xidaqiang - Beijing Knot - Eagle Flies Facing Upward - Jiankou Spot - Stay overnight in Xizhazi Village - Zhengbei Tower - Ox Horn Edge - Take the mountain road back to Xizhazi Village
 Distance: 20 km (12 mi)
 Hiking time: 2 days; 11 – 13 hours 
 Elevation:  610 m - 1140 m (2,000 ft. - 3,700 ft.)
 How to get there: Take No. 916 Express Bus from Dongzhimen Transit Hub to Yangjiayuan Station, then carpool a private car to Xizhazi Village.
 Approximate cost: Entrance fee for Xizhazi Village CNY 20, transportation CNY 150 - 200, meals CNY 100 - 200, accommodation CNY 150 - 200  

Detailed in Jiankou Great Wall Hiking

The hike from Gubeikou to Jinshanling starts at the Panlongshan section of Gubeikou. Here, the Great Wall walls are mottled and the paths are overgrown with weeds. As the hike progresses, it gradually leads to the relatively well-preserved Jinshanling section. Typically, this hike can be finished within a day. Hikers can thus enjoy both the original charm of Gubeikou and the breathtaking scenery of the renowned Jinshanling section on the same day. 
 

Gubeikou Great Wall

Jinshanling Great Wall

 Best months: September and October
 Scenery:
 Difficulty: , suitable for hikers with good physical fitness
 Recommended route: Gubeikou Town - Panlongshan Great Wall - General Tower - 24-window Tower - Walk the mountain road - West Entrance of Jinshanling Great Wall - Taochun Pass - Zhuanduokou Pass - Exit of Jinshanling Great Wall 
 Distance: 15 km (9.3 mi)
 Hiking time: 5 - 6 hours 
 Elevation: 217 m - 466 m (712 ft. - 1,529 ft.)
 How to get there: Take a train from Beijing North Railway Station or Qinghe Railway Station to Gubeikou Railway Station. Then, take a taxi from Gubeikou Railway Station, and it will take about 10 minutes to Gubeikou Town. 
 Approximate cost: Entrance fee for Gubeikou CNY33; Entrance fee for Jinshanling CNY65, transportation CNY140 - 180.

The Simatai Great Wall and Jinshanling Great Wall are two sections of the Great Wall adjacent to each other in the northeastern part of Beijing. Since Jinshanling is the most beautiful section of the Great Wall and Simatai is the most perilous one, the hiking route from Simatai to Jinshanling has always been the first choice for photographers and hiking enthusiasts. However, due to the extreme danger in the middle part of this route, it has been closed to tourists for safety reasons. Nevertheless, you can hike along both sections of the Great Wall separately: first, go east from Jinshanling to the west of Simatai, and then hike along the east of Simatai. Meanwhile, the Gubeikou Ancient Town at the foot of the Simatai Great Wall is also worth visiting. At night, the lights of Simatai Great Wall and Gubeikou Ancient Town complement each other beautifully.

Simatai Great Wall

Gubei Water Town

 Best months: May, June, September and October
 Scenery:
 Difficulty: , suitable for moderate hikers
 Recommended route: Jinshanlin Great Wall - Gubei Water Town - Simatai Great Wall
 Distance: 12 km (7.5 mi)
 Hiking time: 2 days 
 Elevation: 335 m - 986 m (1,099 ft. - 3,235 ft.)
 How to get there:
-Take the high-speed train from Beijing North Railway Station or Qinghe Railway Station to Gubeikou Railway Station, then take a taxi to Jinshanling Great Wall.
-After hiking Jinshanling, take a taxi to Gubei Water Town for about 40 minutes.
-There are shuttle buses between Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall.
 Approximate cost: The ticket to Jinshanling Great Wall is CNY 65, the combined ticket of Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town is CNY 170 during the day and CNY 280 at night, transportation costs CNY 150 - 180, and accommodation may cost CNY 500 - 1,000.

Read detailed Jinshanling to Simatai Great Wall Hiking

This route, though less challenging, ranks among the best Great Wall hiking routes for tourists, thanks to its breathtaking scenery. The route blends mountains and lake, offering a serene environment and a relatively low difficulty level, making it perfect for a laid-back hike. Moreover, Huanghuacheng features the only underwater Great Wall in existence. There’s a lake right in the center of the scenic area, making it an ideal spot for hiking and water-related activities during summer. 

Huanghuacheng Great Wall

 
 Best months: June, July, August and September
 Scenery:
 Difficulty: , suitable for beginners
 Recommended route: Shuiquangou – Xishuiyu – Huanghuacheng
 Distance: 9.5 km (5.9 mi)
 Hiking time: 4 – 5 hours
 Elevation: 248 m - 455 m (814 ft. - 1,490 ft.)
 How to get there: Taking public transportation from downtown Beijing to Shuiquangou is rather inconvenient, as the journey takes 4 to 5 hours. It is advisable to hire a car with a driver instead, which only takes about 1.5 - 2 hours for single journey and costs around CNY 600.
 Approximate cost: Entrance fee for Huanghuacheng CNY60, transportation CNY500 - 800

This hiking route features several unique landscapes of the Great Wall of China, seamlessly integrating mountain panoramas, sea vistas, ancient cities, and the iconic Great Wall itself. The Jiaoshan Great Wall, the first mountain peak the Great Wall crosses to the north, is renowned as the “First Mountain of the Great Wall.” Shanhaiguan is known as the “First Pass Under the Heaven”. There is an ancient city inside the pass, and the Shanhaiguan Great Wall Museum inside the ancient city gives visitors the opportunity to get a closer look at the history of the Great Wall. The Laolongtou Great Wall, where the Great Wall terminates at the sea, presents a breathtaking combination of historical grandeur and natural romance, leaving visitors in awe of its visual impact.

Laolongtou Great Wall

Shanhaiguan Great Wall

 Best months: May, June, September, October
 Scenery: 
 Difficulty: , suitable for moderate hikers
 Recommended route: Jiaoshan Great Wall - Shanhaiguan Pass - Shanhaiguan Great Wall Museum - Great Wall of Shanhaiguan - Laolongtou Great Wall
 Distance: about 22 km (14 mi), including driving distance.
 Hiking time: 8 - 10 hours
 Elevation: 25 m - 520 m (82 ft. - 1700 ft.)
How to get there: It takes about 15 minutes by taxi from Shanhaiguan Railway Station to Jiaoshan Great Wall. The distances between Jiaoshan Great Wall and Shanhaiguan Great Wall, as well as between Shanhaiguan Great Wall and Laolongtou Great Wall, are also only about 15 minutes by taxi.
 Approximate cost: Entrance fee for Jiaoshan CNY40, Shanhaiguan CNY 50, Laolongtou CNY 60; transportation about CNY200 - 300; meals CNY80 - 100