At approx. 11:30 am, we will meet you at your hotel. It will take over 2 hours to reach the Gubeikou section of the Great Wall to start your hike. Gubeikou is unique in its way as it varies in size and design. It is a long windy wall which is very steep. This view is terrific and you will get to take it all in for about 2 hours. You will also have the opportunity to watch the sunset fall over the Great Wall, a unique experience you won't want to miss! We will take a shorter route, which is easier to hike and no visitors. If you want more of a challenge, you can upgrade your hike today to walk a 4.5-hour hike from Gubeikou to Jinshanling for an extra $49/person.
A place that links the southern and northern areas of the Yanshan Range is a place known as Gubeikou. It's roughly 125 kilometers away from Beijing. Gubeikou has served as a route of strategic importance back in ancient times. It was known as the passage way to the city.
Today, Gubeikou Wall is more than 20 km and consists of four parts: Wohushan, Panlongshan, Jinshanling, and Simatai. Our tour guide will go into detail of its history when you are there in person re-living as the soldiers once did who protected the boundaries of the wall. Gubeikou was one of the most important passes used to repel the Japanese back in the early 1930's. Gubeikou is a perfect section of the Great Wall for hiking and camping. This section of the Great wall has 143 beacon towers which all vary in size so much so, some can fit less than 10 and some can fill up with as many as 100 soldiers!
A famous Great Wall specialist said: "The Great Wall is the best of Chinese architecture, but Simatai is the best of the Great Wall." Built on a cliff, Simatai is extremely steep. This section of the wall is known for its legends and historical relics.
Simply put, the Gubeikou sections are very unique and possess many characteristics and beautiful landscapes. Learning about its history is breath taking, wait until you hear the legendary stories while personally been there living in the past!
After viewing the sunset Around 6 pm, we will have dinner at a local farmer's house at the base of the Great Wall. This will be a delicious local Chinese cuisine served just for you. We will then climb back on the Great Wall and set up camp for the night in one of the Great Walls towers! All camping equipment will be provided, so all you have to do is have a comfortable sleep!
