2-Day Great Wall Hiking to Shanhaiguan & Jiaoshan

Today, our professional guide will escort you from Beijing to Shanhaiguan. At the appointed time this morning, the guide will pick you up from your self-booked hotel in downtown Beijing. According to the location of your hotel, the guide will lead you to take the Subway Line 2 or city bus to first reach the Beijing Railway Station. From here, with the tickets we have reserved in advance for you, let’s take the high speed train to Shanhaiguan, which is the best and most convenient way. Upon arrival, take bus No. 25 for 30 to 40 minutes from Shanhaiguan Railway Station to Laolongtou Stop, walk 8 to 10 minutes, and we'll eventually reach the Laolongtou Great Wall.

● This is a guided tour by eco-friendly public transport. We recommend an early departure today. If you agree, we can take the high speed train G487 with the best time, leaving at 7:06 and arriving at 9:14, giving you ample time for sightseeing. Of course, there are multiple train services available from Beijing to Shanhaiguan, and we can also customize the itinerary according to the time you desire. If you need a private car, feel free to contact our travel consultants to arrange it for you.Laolongtou to Shanhaiguan Great Wall Hiking
Follow the guide to first explore the Laolongtou Great Wall (Old Dragon’s Head), which is the eastern starting point of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), and is also the only section on the sea. When the whole Great Wall is compared to a huge dragon winding through China, the Laolongtou is just like the head of the dragon stretching into the Bohai Sea. That’s where its name comes from. First in sight will be the Ninghai City, the best-preserved and largest military cantonment complex remaining from the Ming Dynasty. Enter through the north gate, the main entrance to the scenic spot, and you’ll find some commanders’ offices and a training ground. There are also the Meritorious Service Shrine dedicated to the pioneering generals, as well as the Dragon King Temple and Guandi Temple, worth a visit. At the southeast corner, the famous Chenghai Tower sits. It is said that five emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) passed through this two-story brick and wood building 12 times on their way to Shenyang to worship their ancestors. Ascending to this highest point of the whole scenic area, you can appreciate the stunning view of the Laolongtou Great Wall plunging into the sea and swallowing the waves. Afterward, let’s hike along the Great Wall to Shanhaiguan Pass. This section of the Great Wall has a length of 5 kilometers (3.1 miles), and as many segments are in ruins or blocked, the guide will actually lead you to walk along its foot instead of on it. On the way, you could have a good view of the sea and rural scenery.Notes:
1. Before this energy-consuming hike, the guide will leave you some time to have lunch. For your convenience, you may just have lunch at one of the restaurants around Laolongtou scenic area.
2. If you are not interested in finishing the distance by walk, the guide could also escort you to take bus No.25 from Laolongtou to Shanhaiguan Pass directly, taking about 30 minutes.

It will be late in the afternoon when reaching Shanhaiguan Pass, so we’ll stop here for the night and continue the hike tomorrow. You are advised to choose a hotel nearby (at your own expense), and the guide will be glad to give you some advice and help you with the check-in.

After breakfast, the guide will accompany you to visit Shanhaiguan Pass first. It was originally built in 1381 to resist the invasion of the Mongols, and was an important ancient military stronghold in China that was easy to defend but difficult to attack. This square pass is surrounded by about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) of the Great Wall, which is 14 meters (45.9 feet) high and 7 meters (23 feet) thick. Beginning your sightseeing from its most popular eastern wall, on which the majestic 2-story Zhendong Tower stands, hanging with a big board engraved with five Chinese characters meaning “first pass under heaven”. Climbing up to it, you’ll get an amazing panorama of the Pass. It is interesting to know that it, together with the other four towers on the eastern wall as well, namely Weiyuan Hall (only ruins remain), Linlu Tower, Muying Tower, and Jingbian Tower, is considered to be the ‘Five Tigers’ guarding the frontier. After that, visit the Great Wall Museum, where the vast array of architectural materials, firearms, and other cultural relics will give you a good understanding of the Great Wall's history and military functions.Next, start your great wall hike from the northern gate of Shanhaiguan Pass to the Jiaoshan Great Wall, which measures about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) long and takes about 1.5 hours to finish. During your adventure, it is easy to find that many parts have collapsed and only some bricks are left, and at these sites, the guide will lead you to get off to make a detour. The guide could also escort you to cover this section by special tourism bus, available from July 5th to August 25th, or taxi if you want to be less strenuous.

After reaching the 600-plus-year-old Jiaoshan Great Wall, continue to explore from Haimen Pass to the No.3 Watchtower, which leaps and meanders along the ridge of the Jiaoshan Mountain for about 1.5 km (1 mile). This section is generally in good condition after being renovated. It is not so long, but the terrain is variable, sometimes flat and wide, while sometimes narrow and steep. Don’t worry, iron ladders have been equipped on some high watchtowers and iron stairs on those perilous paths to facilitate you and ensure your safety. Finally, get down the Great Wall and leave.

At the end of this 2 days hike from Laolongtou Great Wall to Shanhaiguan, the guide will escort you to take a taxi to Shanhaiguan Railway Station, where we’ll then reverse the way back to your hotel in downtown Beijing. Train G490, leaving at 17:13 and arriving at Beijing Railway Station at 19:26, will be the first choice. Visitors to Shanhaiguan usually include Qinhuangdao and Beidaihe in their itineraries as well, and even Chengde, known for the summer resort, if they have more time. If you are interested, welcome to contact us anytime to customize your exclusive trip.

● Public Transport to Beijing Railway Station
Subway Line 2 will be the first choice to reach Beijing Railway Station. However, if your hotel is not conveniently located near the subway station, you can also get there by taking Bus 20, 39, 52, 103, 104, 122, 142, 403, 622, 637, 638, 639, or 668.

● Train Schedule between Beijing and Shanhaiguan
There are more than 10 pairs of trains traveling between the two places. Here lists the most commonly used morning trains from Beijing Railway Station to Shanhaiguan Railway Station, as well as the afternoon returning trains, for your reference. Please note that the returning trains T184 and Z114 are bound for Beijing Fengtai Railway Station, which is a bit far from downtown Beijing, but choosing either of the two trains will allow you more time for sightseeing. Don't worry, there are subway lines 9 and 10 right inside the station to transfer you back to the urban area.

	Train No.	Departure - Arrival	Travel Time
Beijing → Shanhaiguan	G487	07:06 - 09:14	2h08min
	K429	11:35 - 15:32	3h57min
	D503	12:02 - 14:34	2h32min
	T297	12:25 - 15:47	3h22min
Shanhaiguan → Beijing	G490	17:13 - 19:26	2h13min
	T184	18:31 - 21:56	3h25min
	Z114	19:24 - 22:40	3h16min

● Ticket Prices & Opening Hours

	Ticket Price	Opening Hours
Laolongtou Great Wall	CNY 60	07:30 - 18:00
Shanhaiguan Pass	CNY 50	All day
Jiaoshan Great Wall	CNY 40	07:30- 17:30

● Dinner Suggestion in Shanhaiguan
It is recommended that you patronize Shanhaiguan Hun Pot (Toutiao Branch), which has long topped the local food list, and try the namesake specialty dish. The restaurant is located right in the middle of the Shanhaiguan Pass Scenic Area. Hun pot, which has a history of over 300 years and is a municipal intangible cultural heritage of Qinhuangdao, is actually a kind of stew pot. Place the copper pot on the burning charcoal, put the pickled cabbage at the bottom of the pot, and stew various seafood, meatballs, frozen tofu cubes and other fresh seasonal vegetables together for a while, then you can get this appetizing dish. Just give it a chance to tickle your taste buds!
Average cost per person: CNY 65 (USD 9)
Address: No.30-4, Gucheng South Street, Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao