GW13: Gubeikou to Jinshanling Great Wall Hiking

Gubeikou to Jinshanling Great Wall hiking is a classic route among outdoor adventurers. The route spans from the old and ruined Gubeikou Great Wall to the restored Jinshanling Great Wall with a length of 12 km (7.5 mi). Someone says this route can be called a museum of the Great Wall as it owns the most densely-distributed watchtowers among all sections. The route from Gubeikou to Jinshanling meanders through the mountains and bushes, and you will enjoy a breathtaking view during the hike.

 Route: Gubeikou Town – Gubeikou Great Wall Entry - General’s Tower – 24-Window Tower - Detour Military Zone – Taochunkou – Zhuanduokou – Jinshanling Great Wall Exit
 Distance: 12 km (7.5 mi)
 Hiking Duration: 5 – 6 hours
 Difficulty: ★★★☆☆ 
 Scenery: ★★★★☆
 Altitude Rise: 217 – 466 m (712 – 1,529 ft)
 What to prepare: walking stick, sneakers, knee pads, long sports wear, drinking water, food and snacks for lunch
 Best Time: April to June; September to October

After picking you up today from downtown Beijing, our guide will accompany you directly to the Gubeikou Great Wall by train. The day before, he or she will contact you to confirm the location of your hotel and discuss the time to meet you. 

→ Train S501 departs from Beijing North Railway Station at 06:58, stops at Qinghe Railway Station from 07:10 to 07:12 to pick up passengers and arrives at Gubeikou Railway Station at 09:23. Beijing North Railway Station can be reached by subway line 2, line 4 and line 13; and buses 145, 375, 438, 632 and 4 Express. Qinghe Railway Station is accessible by subway line 13 and Changping Line and buses 521, 623 and Zhuan 139. 
→ On arrival, hire a taxi to the entrance to Gubeikou Great Wall at Gubeikou Town, which needs 10 minutes or so.  

 This is a guided tour by eco-friendly public transport. If you need a private car, feel free to contact our travel consultants to arrange it for you.

1. Gubeikou Great Wall: Gubeikou Town - General’s Tower – 24-Window Tower

Gubeikou Great Wall consists of Wohushan and Panlongshan two sections and its Panlongshan section stretches eastward to Jinshanling. Our guide will lead you up to Panlongshan and hike eastward on the Great Wall. 

Comparatively speaking, this section, about 5 km (3 mi) long and dotted with 19 watchtowers is smooth without much difficulty in hiking. After a short gentle climb, reach the General’s Tower, a critical commanding post in the past. It owns an advantageous location to look over the surroundings. The square tower has two floors, with a height of 10 meters (33 ft). About 80 years ago, a fierce war happened there and the tower was severely damaged. Today, you can still see the bullet holes on the tower.

After about 1.5-2 hours’ hike, reach the 24-Window Tower. As most watchtowers on wild Great Walls do not have official names, people often distinguish them by the number of arrow holes on the watchtower. The 24-Window Tower used to have six arrow holes on each of the four sides, hence its name. Nowadays, due to little protection and natural erosion, only three walls are left, supported by iron shelves. 

2. Detour the Military Zone – Jinshanling Great Wall West Entrance – Taochunkou

In front of the 24-Window Tower, there is a white board stating “A Closed Military Zone. No thoroughfare”. To bypass the forbidden zone, follow the guide to go down from the Great Wall and hike along its foot.

Walk along the trail paralleling the Great Wall for about 3km (1.9mi), you will arrive at the west entrance to Jinshanling Great Wall. Although not very long, the trail is full of bushes and it may take as long as 2-2.5 hours to cover the distance. Next, keep hiking forward for a while, you will reach Taochunkou, where you can climb over to set foot on the Great Wall again. Please note the Taochunkou usually opens for entry from 9:00 to 16:00. 

3. Jinshanling Great Wall: Taochunkou - Zhuanduokou

Keep hiking eastward along Jinshanling Great Wall for about 1 hour, you will reach Zhuanduokou, passing by West 5-Window Tower, which is a great site to overlook the surroundings and appreciate sunset. This section is better preserved than the wild Panlongshan, so less energy-consuming to hike on. 

From Zhuanduokou, get down to find the main gate of Jinshanling scenic area and then the guide will escort you back to downtown Beijing. 

 Today’s hike only covers the west section of the Jinshanling Great Wall. If you are interested in further exploring its east section and enjoying the sunrise over the Great Wall, please contact our travel consultants in advance. 

→ Hire a car at Jinshanling to Gubeikou Railway Station; it takes about 20 minutes 
→ Connect to train S504 back to Beijing. The train leaves Gubeikou Railway Station at 17:20, arrives at Qinghe Railway Station at 19:37 and Beijing North Railway Station at 19:52.
→ Transfer to subway or city bus as you come in the morning to your hotel. 

 Photos of Gubeikou, Photos of Jinshanling