Travel and Hiking

Add to your collection of Great Wall hikes with a visit to the Huangyaguan Great Wall, a repaired section that blocks a narrow pass in the mountains between Beijing and Tianjin. Post-hike meal and expensive tickets included in the cost.

We don’t often visit the Huangyaguan Great Wall because it’s so far away. But if you’ve already seen most of the Great Wall in Beijing, or would like to see a picturesque section that is not commonly visited as part of a trip to Beijing, it’s a good choice.

The Huangyaguan Great Wall is located in Tianjin, not too far over the Beijing-Tianjin border. It’s a repaired section that shows the Ming Dynasty style of Great Wall construction, with large towers connected by solid walls. You’ll also see some unique features – like an enormous round tower that isn’t connected to the main line of wall – as well as a fortress with a maze and a Great Wall museum.

We’ll first explore the fortress, taking a look at the museum and then finding our way through the maze and up on to the Great Wall.

On this visit we can go three towers up on the west side of the Great Wall here.

Hiking back down the wall from the west side, we’ll cross over the Water Gate – an arched bridge over the river – and then start the big climb to the top of the east side.

Steep steps on the wall take us up to the top section, where we’ll do a short out-and-back hike to the top tower on the north side before heading south along the Great Wall towards Taipingzhai, another fort attached to the wall here. On the way to Taipingzhai we’ll pass through a handful of large towers, and from up on the ridge here we’ll have long views all around.

Cost: ¥510 / ¥460 for members

See a full description, more photos, and book online at https://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/view/1728/huangyaguan-great-wall/

Beijing Hikers—fun and friendly hikes and trips around Beijing and greater China, since 2001.

For more updates on hikes and trips follow our WeChat account BeijingHikers北京爱山 and keep an eye on www.beijinghikers.com

https://www.beijinghikers.com / info@beijinghikers.com

Walk from Gubeikou to Jinshanling, following stretches of restored and unrestored Great Wall and taking a detour through the pretty farmland that surrounds Hemp Village, finishing all the way over at the eastern end of Jinshanling.

The hike begins at the Gubeikou section of the Great Wall in Miyun County, very close to the border of the Beijing and Hebei provinces. Even though it’s designated as a park, this section of the Great Wall is largely unrestored. It’s not often visited either, probably because it is so far away from central Beijing.

We’ll be following the Jinshanling Great Wall from west to east, starting off on the unrestored section before heading down into the main restored area. We’ll head straight through the restored area, and on towards the Simatai Great Wall.

Cost: ¥510 / ¥460 for members

See a full description, more photos, and book online at https://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/view/792/gubeikou-to-jinshanling-great-wall-east-2/

Beijing Hikers—fun and friendly hikes and trips around Beijing and greater China, since 2001.

For more updates on hikes and trips follow our WeChat account BeijingHikers北京爱山 and keep an eye on www.beijinghikers.com

https://www.beijinghikers.com / info@beijinghikers.com

The backwards version of our Chinese Knot hike—start by climbing up from Jiankou to ‘the Knot’, then down the back and over to the Great Wall Spur. Short but steep, with one tricky off-wall detour.

We start off in Xizhazi Village, a small settlement that is surrounded by a loop of wall.

We’ll hike hill trails up to the Great Wall on the southern side of the village. The trails start off reasonably mellow, but get steeper as we climb through forest.

When we hit the wall, up top on the ridge, we’ll turn right and head up to the ‘Chinese Knot’ area.

The Chinese Knot (also known as the Beijing Knot) is the point where Beijing's inner and outer lines of Great Wall join up—the inner wall coming from the Huanghuacheng direction and continuing past Mutianyu and out to the northeast, and the outer wall heading out towards Yanqing District and then farther into Hebei Province.

Just past the Knot, the wall gets really steep and really broken. We’ll hop off on to a side trail to go around that. The side trail is also tricky—a steep dirt path that’s interrupted by boulders and tree limbs, with some places that are just a little bit uncomfortable to stretch your legs over.

After a bit of scrambling down there, we’ll be back on to firmer footing, following the wall down to the Zhuanghu dip.

From the dip, we’ll follow the wall up and get on to our Great Wall Spur hiking trail, right at its highest point. We’ll follow a pretty stretch of unrestored wall through several towers, down a long line of wall that heads west.

Cost: ¥460 / ¥415 for members

See a full description, more photos, and book online at https://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/view/1813/chinese-knot-to-xiangshuihu/

Beijing Hikers—fun and friendly hikes and trips around Beijing and greater China, since 2001.

For more updates on hikes and trips follow our WeChat account BeijingHikers北京爱山 and keep an eye on www.beijinghikers.com

https://www.beijinghikers.com / info@beijinghikers.com

This hike gives great views of Pingu District’s picturesque Jinhai Lake—first an overlook from the paved ridgeline trails of the hills beside the lake, followed by close-up views on from dirt tracks and trails right by the water.

There are some steep parts in the first half of the hike, with the higher ridgeline trails nearly 200m above the water. In the second half of the hike the trail is mostly flat, with one extended climb near the end.

We’ll take breaks as we go along, and we’ll stop for a lunch break at an open area right by the water.

Cost: ¥450 / ¥405 members / ¥240 for kids

See a full description, more photos, and book online at https://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/view/1958/jinhai-lake-hike/

Beijing Hikers—fun and friendly hikes and trips around Beijing and greater China, since 2001.

For more updates on hikes and trips follow our WeChat account BeijingHikers北京爱山 and keep an eye on www.beijinghikers.com

https://www.beijinghikers.com / info@beijinghikers.com

UPDATE: dates changed, and we’ll be starting at Jinshanling, finishing at Gubeikou.

On this two day Great Wall adventure you’ll hike picturesque stretches of the wild Great Wall and camp in a Great Wall tower at Gubeikou.

We'll supply a tent, sleeping bag, and ground pad for you, as well as a farmhouse dinner and a basic breakfast. All you’ll need is a day pack to carry your essentials while hiking, leaving you free to enjoy the scenery, sunset, stars, and sunrise as we hike along the Gubeikou and Jinshanling sections of the Great Wall.

Maximum group size of 12-14 hikers; book early to make sure you get a spot!

Cost: ¥1,700 / ¥1,530 for members

See a full description, more photos, and book online at https://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/view/654/camping-gubeikou-great-wall-and-jinshanling-great-wall-4/

Beijing Hikers—fun and friendly hikes and trips around Beijing and greater China, since 2001.

For more updates on hikes and trips follow our WeChat account BeijingHikers北京爱山 and keep an eye on www.beijinghikers.com

https://www.beijinghikers.com / info@beijinghikers.com

On this easy camping trip you’ll arrive at Gubeikou mid-afternoon for an easy hike along the Great Wall, followed by an early dinner at a local guesthouse. After the early dinner, there’s another short hike up to the campsite in a Great Wall tower.

We’ll have free time to explore the wall near the campsite as the sun drops down behind mountains, and after the sun sets we’ll settle in for the evening with snacks, marshmallows, and (hopefully) some stargazing.

The next day, we’ll wake up early with coffee and then hike down from the Great Wall, finishing the trip with breakfast at village guesthouse.

We'll supply a tent, sleeping bag, and ground pad for you, as well as water, snacks, and a basic breakfast at the campsite. You’ll carry your own clothes and gear, and any extra snacks and drinks you might want to enjoy up on the wall.

Cost: ¥1,690 / ¥1,520 for members / ¥1,200 for kids 7–18yo

See a full description, more photos, and book online at https://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/view/2132/camping-gubeikou-great-wall-easy/

Beijing Hikers—fun and friendly hikes and trips around Beijing and greater China, since 2001.

For more updates on hikes and trips follow our WeChat account BeijingHikers北京爱山 and keep an eye on www.beijinghikers.com

https://www.beijinghikers.com / info@beijinghikers.com

An easy bike ride along forested country lanes and roads, passing by rivers and woods on the way to the ‘Sea of Flowers’. Includes a mid-ride meal.

Itinerary outline

07:30—Depart from Liangmaqiao pickup and drive to Lido Metropark Hotel Starbucks
08:00—Driving to the start point
10:30—Arrive at the cycling club and get set up with your bike
10:45—Safety briefing and ride introduction from the cycling guide
11:00—Ride your bike to the river, and then on to the farmhouse for lunch
12:00—Lunch at the countryside restaurant
13:00—Ride your bike to the Sea of Flowers
13:30—Ride through the Sea of Flowers, stopping for photos
13:45—Ride on through woods and cornfields to the stream
15:30—Take a break by the stream, and then ride on to the end
16:30—Finish back at the cycling club, return the bikes
16:45—Warm down and stretching before boarding the bus
19:30—Back at the Lido Hotel, then on to Liangmaqiao (est.)

Cost: ¥518 for adults / ¥478 for 5-12 year olds / 10% discount for Beijing Hikers members

See a full description, more photos, and book online at https://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/view/1712/countryside-cycling-to-the-sea-of-flowers/

Beijing Hikers—fun and friendly hikes and trips around Beijing and greater China, since 2001.

For more updates on hikes and trips follow our WeChat account BeijingHikers北京爱山 and keep an eye on www.beijinghikers.com

https://www.beijinghikers.com / info@beijinghikers.com

Hike up Immortal Valley, passing cliffs, waterfalls, boulders, and pools of water on the way to the 'Big Buddha' carved into the cliffside.

There's a lot to see on our Immortal Valley hike – pools filled with clear water, waterfalls, big trees, wild flowers, some distant Great Wall, the Miyun Reservoir, and long views of valleys and mountains.

We’ll walk up the valley, passing those cliffs, waterfalls, boulders, and pools of water on the way to the ‘Big Buddha’ carved into the cliffside. It’s an up-and-back trail, and you can make it into a more relaxed walk by not going all the way up. (Make a note with your booking if you’d like to try the longer hike.)

Cost: ¥380 / ¥340 members / ¥220 for kids

See a full description, more photos, and book online at https://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/view/1548/kids-club-immortal-valley-and-the-big-buddha/

Beijing Hikers—fun and friendly hikes and trips around Beijing and greater China, since 2001.

For more updates on hikes and trips follow our WeChat account BeijingHikers北京爱山 and keep an eye on www.beijinghikers.com

https://www.beijinghikers.com / info@beijinghikers.com

Visit Fangshan District for a short hike up to a hillside lookout, a big lunch at a country restaurant, and a 1.5 hour tour underground at Stone Flowers Cave.

Stone Flowers Cave (AKA Shihua Dong) is a karst cave in Fangshan District, in Beijing’s southwest.

It’s a scenic area, which means colourful lighting and good paths for walking on.

The main cave system has seven levels, and goes deep underground. The top four levels are open, and we’ll visit them all on the full 2.5km underground loop walk, bottoming out on Level 4 at 150m underground.

The top level of the cave is dry; the lower levels have drips and trickles of water, and they say there’s an underground river all the way down on the seventh level. The temperature inside the caves is a constant 13–16°C.

Down in the caves we’ll see a whole lot of speleothems: stalactites, stalagmites, columns, flowstone, ‘stone flowers’, ‘crystal flowers’, shields, rimstone pools, and cave popcorn.

Cost: ¥480 / ¥430 for members / ¥240 for under 18s

See a full description, more photos, and book online at https://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/view/1823/stone-flowers-cave-visit/

Beijing Hikers—fun and friendly hikes and trips around Beijing and greater China, since 2001.

For more updates on hikes and trips follow our WeChat account BeijingHikers北京爱山 and keep an eye on www.beijinghikers.com

https://www.beijinghikers.com / info@beijinghikers.com

Hike down to the White River and head downstream on trails, gravel tracks, and dirt roads by the riverside, passing below tall cliffs.

This is almost exactly the same White River hike that we do in summer and winter, but on this visit you don't need to get your feet wet unless you really want to. If it's a hot day, there's a good chance you will want to!

You'll see the running river, leafy green trees by the riverside, impressive tall and steep cliffs made from massive slabs of rock and boulders, and hopefully the local family of herons that nest high up in the cliffs.

Cost: ¥420 / ¥380 for members / ¥220 for kids

See a full description, more photos, and book online at https://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/view/1907/along-the-white-river-7/

Beijing Hikers—fun and friendly hikes and trips around Beijing and greater China, since 2001.

For more updates on hikes and trips follow our WeChat account BeijingHikers北京爱山 and keep an eye on www.beijinghikers.com

https://www.beijinghikers.com / info@beijinghikers.com