China Great Wall Hiking Tours 2023/2024
There is no better way to explore China's Great Wall than by hiking or walking along with it. Tread the centuries-old bricks and walk through watchtower ruins. Take your time and feel the history come to life.
We understand that you want a top-notch hiking experience and we will present you with the best hiking tours and tips here to help you have an enjoyable Great Wall hike. The history will come alive for you with an expert guide. In short, if you love a hiking trip with no hassle, no disappointments, and pleasant surprises, you will love our tours and tips.
The Best Great Wall Hiking Routes
There are about nine sections of Great Wall around Beijing. Here we have recommended these two best routes for you to consider due to their scenery, the hiking experience needed, and the accessibility.

Route 1: Jinshanling to Simatai West
This route is also called Jinshanling Great Wall hiking. It is definitely the best hiking route if you want to see the original Great Wall including some ruined sections as well as some fabulous scenery that includes the wall snaking along the mountain ridges into the distance.
- Distance from Beijing: 2.5 hours by road
- Wall conditions: half ruined
- Time needed: about 3 hours on the wall
- Length: 5 kilometers (3 miles)
- Difficulty: 3 stars
- Best tour: Hike the Picturesque Great Wall at Jinshanling (1 day)
Route 2: Jiankou to Mutianyu (Wild Hike)

This is a totally wild hiking trip. You will trek on the Great Wall ruins along the mountain ridges.
It is challenging — on the way, you need to climb wooden ladders, step over piles of stone blocks, weave around trees growing on the wall, and descend a 50-degree slope on the wall.
The experience will be extraordinary. When you reach the mountain ridges, you'll have a panoramic view of the wall snaking along the sheer peaks.
What's more, there are no crowds around you — it's just you, the mountains, the ruined wall, your guide, and the history behind these ancient wall ruins.
- Distance from Beijing: 2.5 hours by Road
- Wall conditions: totally ruined
- Length: 10 kilometers (6 miles)
- Time needed: about 5 hours
- Difficulty: 5 stars
- Best tour: Conquer the Most Challenging Great Wall Section (1 day)
Map of the above two best Great Wall hiking routes:
Our Best Great Wall Hiking Tours
Our Great Wall hiking tours are private. There are no strangers with you. You can travel at your own pace, giving you plenty of time to take great photos or just to feel the majesty of the wall at certain places. Our hiking itineraries can be customized, which means your travel advisor can help you make the tours unique to suit you.
- See both wild and repaired Great Wall
- Enjoy walking on the most photogenic Wall
- Conquer the wild Great Wall at Jiankou
- Enjoy the restored glory of the Great Wall at Mutianyu
- Discover the 3 most popular hiking sections
- Stay overnight in beautiful Gubei Water Town
Great Wall Camping Tours
The following itineraries are designed for people who want to have a unique Great Wall camping experience — enjoy a sleepover on the Wall with a BBQ meal and great views including sunset and sunrise... They are flexible and can be customized to suit your budget and interests.
- Enjoy a BBQ dinner on rugged Great Wall
- Sleep under the stars on aged ramparts
- Walk on incredible waterside Great Wall
- Sleep in a Great Wall watchtower
- Discover the Great Wall in depth
- Enjoy amazing sunsets and sunrises from the Wall
Great Wall Hiking Tips (FAQs)
Customers from 5 years old to senior couples in their 70s have hiked on the Great Wall with us. So the key factors are how fit you are and what the weather conditions are like.
Some rugged and steep sections are challenging but your private guide is patient — if you need more time then so be it! Free trekking poles are also available.
More Great Wall Travel Articles
Read more articles from our local travel experts to help you plan your Great Wall trips:
- How to Visit the Great Wall (Great Wall Travel Guide)
- The 10 Best Sections of the Great Wall
- Best Hotels at the Great Wall
What Our Customers Said
Great Wall Day Trip with Ivy
She answered our questions thoroughly and she also provided us with recommendations for food and things to see outside of our Great Wall day trip. The driver was also a very safe driver and made it a comfortable drive from the city center. We hope to use China Highlights again for future trips. And if you’re in Beijing, you can request for Ivy as your guide. moreFeb 2023, kattaubry
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Great Wall Tour with Ivy
Ivy was a wonderful guide! We took a day trip to the Great Wall and she made our time enjoyable and customized to what we wanted. She was obviously very knowledgeable and passionate about the city. We also avoided tourist traps and she took group photos for us! moreFeb 2023, Customer
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Great Wall Tour with Ivy
We recommend booking with China Highlights! They were able to create a custom trip for us with just a day’s notice. They’re very responsive on WeChat and very professional. moreFeb 2023, Customer
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Fantastic Beijing Tour with Tour Guide - Angela
Had a great time visiting Beijing over Chinese New Year! The city was quiet, but that made it easier to see everything that we wanted to. Our tour guide, Angela, was very knowledgeable and friendly. We found a local brewery, Slow Boat, that we went to twice it was so good. Amazing beer and best burger of my life! We can't wait to book another trip with China Highlights. moreFeb 2023, Kate P
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Beautiful experience in Beijing
The Forbidden City was a highlight of the tour. With Christina's knowledgeable and engaging commentary, we learned about the history of the imperial palace and its role as the center of Chinese politics for over 500 years. The complex is massive, and it was impressive to see the intricate details of the architecture and gardens. moreFeb 2023, Valeria RP
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Amazing 2 day trip to Beijing
Our guide Lily and driver Leo were amazing and super conscious that we were traveling with a toddler. Lily was knowledgeable about all of our stops and was very conscious of our time. She even took special time to relate and connect with our daughter which made the trip even more enjoyable for all of us. moreJan 2023, Jessica T
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Amazing 2 day trip to Beijing
Maggie was so helpful in making sure we logistically could see what we wanted to see in a short time. We only had 2 days. Maggie also took into consideration that we were two adults and a 2.5 year old, the cable cars to the wall was the perfect suggestion. moreJan 2023, Jessica T
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Mutianyu Great Wall of China
We booked a Chinahighlights guide who drove us from our hotel door in Beijing to the Great Wall of China. The guide explained everything very well in perfect English.The guide then took us to lunch at a spectacular restaurant where we tried the most varied typical dishes of Beijing.Thanks for everything Yuan Yuan and Chinahighlights!! moreJan 2023, Artur Benitez
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