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.
![Jinshanling Great Wall Hiking](https://data.chinahighlights.com/grey.gif)
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)
![Mutianyu Great Wall](https://data.chinahighlights.com/grey.gif)
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
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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Beijing tour with family, tour guide Jason
![]() Our tour guide Jason was great, my kids absolutely loved him. He was knowledgeable, responsive, friendly and i personally enjoyed chatting with him. He was always on time and made the entire trip smooth. Thank you for your attentive and excellent service while in Beijing! more
Jun 2024, Lourdes K
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Shanghai - Beijing trip
![]() Tom, our tour guide in Beijing was a delight to work with. He is very personable, excellent communicator and a pleasure to be with. Tom’s knowledge of the history and culture was a great background for us during our visit. We also benefited from Tom’s insider knowledge of local eating spots and sampled different cuisines. more
Jun 2024, Ravi Krovi
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Memorable trip
![]() We were able to cover all the historical sites in Beijing. Special thanks to our tour guide Tom who went out of his way to organize and show us all the sights. He speaks fluent English and made sure we understood the history, culture and background. Tom took us to local restaurants - we were able to eat delicious Chinese cuisines such as Xian noodles and Beijing trout. more
Jun 2024, Ravi K
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