Mini Group Jinshanling Great Wall Hiking Tour

We’ll pick you up one by one from your hotels you booked on your own in urban Beijing. The guide will contact you a day in advance to confirm the pick-up time. You are suggested preparing some fast food or snacks in advance like Snickers to fuel energy during the hike, as commodity prices at tourist sites are normally higher than usual.

Buckle up for a 2.5-hour road trip to Jinshanling Great Wall, and we’ll arrive at around 11:00. Along the way, your guide will explain the background of Jinshanling, including its construction and its role in history, as well as the remnants of the walls and towers you will see immediately. We will tour for nearly 5 hours, including a hike of at least 3 hours on the wall, along a tried-and-true path:

Medial Gate → Zhuanduokou Pass → General Tower → Shalingkou Pass → Xiaojinshan Tower → Dajinshan Tower → Houchuankou Pass → Guaijiao Tower → East Five-Window Tower → East Gate

Enter from the Medial Gate or the main entrance and ascend, passing by farm stays, restaurants, and a commercial street. In half an hour, the square of Zhuanduokou Pass will come into our view. Here we’ll find a giant white-marble statue of and learn about Qi Jiguang, the Ming-era (1368 - 1644) general and national hero, who had stayed here for 16 years with his army guarding and consolidating the wall. The layout we see today of Jinshanling is none other than a masterpiece of his. He’s the man behind the unique constructions like horse-blocking barriers and hollow watchtowers, which served as shelters for soldiers as well as sustenance and munitions.Head more east and we’ll reach the General Tower, the building that epitomizes the military defense system with a complete series of fortifications including barrier wall, buttress, and beacon tower. The hike next to Shalingkou Pass would be a little challenging that requires hands and feet, but you’ll be rewarded with an unparalleled scene of the magnificent wall. It’s interesting to note that the following Xiaojinshan and Dajinshan Towers have a distinctive architecture typical of South China, as they were built to console the soldiers Qi brought from his homeland in the south, with names taken from two hills. The wall segment was also named for this. Enjoy absorbing tranquility from Dajinshan Tower, from which the number of tourists begin to diminish.

We will continue east until the East Five-Window Tower, as time is limited and the way further ahead are too steep and dangerous to walk. The Five-Window Tower is the highest point on the east line, so take the chance to savor ravishing panoramas where there’s hardly anyone around, only the wall snaking on crest lines before overlapping mountains. Then we’ll descend and in another half an hour exit from East Gate.

Let’s get back to downtown Beijing and say farewell at your hotels. On the drive back, you may ask for insider tips from your local expert guide on next destinations or where to discover Beijing’s culinary heritage. If you are interested, we may leave you at Houhai Lake scenic area for lively nightlife and authentic local snacks. Go beyond the most famous Peking Duck and Noodles with Soybean Paste to try Door-Nail Meat Cake, Steamed Glutinous Rice Rolls, and more!