Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall Hiking & Camping

At the pre-agreed time this afternoon, around 14:00, your private guide and driver will punctually show up at your self-booked hotel in downtown Beijing. Once you meet, hop in our private car and enjoy a 2-hour comfortable drive to the Jiankou Great Wall, one of the most dangerous Great Wall sections in Beijing. Along the way, your guide will introduce you to the basic information about this wild section. It is built on steep mountain ridges and has cracked and collapsed over the years due to disrepair and exposure to wind and sunlight, allowing you to enjoy the original and authentic ancient walls. The mountains on which it lies are overall like an arrow, thus it is named ‘Jiankou’, literally meaning ‘arrow nock’. Built of large pieces of local dolomite, it looks like a jade dragon rolling on an endless ocean from a distance. Note that it is only recommended for those adventurers with rich climbing experience and good physical strength.

● The public transportation from downtown Beijing to the Jiankou Great Wall is very inconvenient, taking 2.5 to 4 hours for a single trip and involving annoying transfers. Therefore, for our 2 days Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall hiking and camping tour, we’ll thoughtfully provide you with hassle-free private car transfer service, allowing you to save more time and energy to enjoy the Great Wall itself.

► Preparations Before You Go
1. It is necessary to prepare ropes, safety buckles, gloves, and an alpenstock, as you’ll encounter many abrupt slopes composed of soil and rubble, and even some almost vertical precipices without any supporting points.
2. Overgrown with shrubs and weeds, some parts of it have only one narrow path along dilapidated walls allowing one person to walk on, so it’s better to wear hard-wearing coats, pants, and anti-slip hiking shoes. Sports sunglasses and UV-resistant goggles are also suggested.
3. Packing a first-aid package that includes medical supplies such as Band-Aids, painkillers, hemostats, and bandages for unexpected emergencies is essential.
4. Plan a light pack with enough water and high-calorie snacks to replenish energy during the hike.

Upon arrival at Wofo Mountain Villa, right beneath the Jiankou Great Wall, let’s hike uphill for about an hour to reach the Wall itself. As we climb onto it, the sun begins to sink, offering you a ‘front-row seat’ to a spectacular sunset. Its slanting rays bathe the broken walls in a warm gold, as if breathing life back into the crumbling bricks and collapsed battlements. Turning towards the backlight, the Great Wall becomes a black silhouette, like an ancient seal stamped onto the sky. Looking into the distance, the watchtowers gradually dim one after another, the mountain shadows grow thicker, and the sky gradually changed from crimson in the west to deep blue in the east. 

★ Sleeping on History: Camping at the Foot of the Great Wall

To make your trip even more unforgettable and give you an irreplaceable sense of historical authenticity, we’ve specially included a camping on the Great Wall tonight for you. While you are captivated by the sunset, the staff will prepare your dinner and pitch the tent for you. Due to limited conditions, we’ll serve you a simple meal, including sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, various snacks, and instant hot coffee freshly made on the spot. Usually, two people share one tent, and each guest is provided with a sleeping bag. Besides, note that there are no restrooms on the Great Wall, but rest assured that we'll set up a separate small tent for your convenience. We'll also bring some basic lighting, though the starlight overhead will be the night’s most romantic illumination. Finally, lay your head on the ancient bricks of the Great Wall, drape the whole starry sky over you, and quietly drift off to sleep.

Accommodation: Camp
Meals: Dinner

Get up as early as 5:00, and accompanied by your guide, take in a fantastic sunrise. Out of the tent, first you’ll see a thin silver line appear along the mountain ridge, then slowly spread to both sides, outlining the Great Wall stroke by stroke – watchtowers, shattered walls, collapsed steps – emerging from the night in varying shades of gray. Then the first ray of light pours over the weathered bricks like molten golden lacquer, bringing the Great Wall to life. Every 600-year-old brick, mortar joint, and moss is vividly clear in the light.After a simple breakfast, your guide will accompany you as we officially begin today’s Great Wall hiking adventure. The specifics are as follows:
Hiking Route: Jiankou Spot - Tiny Potala Palace - Zhengbei Tower - Ox Horn Edge - Mutianyu Great Wall
Hiking Distance: 12 km (7.5 mi)
Hiking Duration: 7 to 8 hours
Difficulty: ★★★★☆

Hiking Map of Jiankou (click for full map)

Our first stop will be the Jiankou Spot, the lowest point of the Jiankou Great Wall and also the inflection point of the first stretch of the V-shaped Wall. Proceeding to walk eastward and passing by two watchtowers, you’ll be welcomed by the Tiny Potala Palace. It is a solid watchtower standing majestically on the white limestone, somewhat resembling the Potala Palace, the famous Buddhist mecca in Tibet, when viewed from a distance, hence the name. Note that on both sides of it are bottomless precipices, and to reach its top, you have to use all four limbs and check if it is firm before each set. 

After one more hour’s hike, we’ll reach the Zhengbei Tower on a higher peak. Not only does it occupy the highest point, but it is also the largest and most intact watchtower of the entire Jiankou Great Wall. When it was built in ancient times, its roof was designed with exquisite ridge beasts, whose function was to enhance the structural stability. It is said that they have also been endowed with superstitious meanings, that is, to ensure the safety of the soldiers defending the Great Wall and bring them good luck as well. Standing on it, which itself is a perfect 360-degree viewing platform, picture the stunning panorama of the Great Wall. It is said that when the sun is shining directly at noon, the light seems to have been precisely calculated, simultaneously illuminating both the east and west walls of the Tower. The phenomenon, with its rich geometric aesthetics, is also a favorite for photo enthusiasts.

Continue forward, and we’ll get to the Ox Horn Edge. It is like a giant dragon suddenly raising its head at a 90-degree angle on the mountain ranges and soaring straight to the clouds, and then turning and sliding elegantly down the mountainside, outlining a breathtaking “ox horn” picture, hence the name. It is not hard to find that the stairs here have already collapsed into gravel after hundreds of years of wind and rain, and the downward road here has almost no obvious trace of steps. For safety reasons, let’s take a shortcut through the woods at the first watchtower we meet to make a detour. Then, in less than 10 minutes, we’ll get back on the Great Wall again. 

After another 10-minute hike, the western end of the picturesque Mutianyu Great Wall, which reveals a totally different view from the wildness of the Jiankou Great Wall, will appear in front of you. As visitors are not allowed to climb over the wall to reach the tourist zone of Mutianyu, we need to go down the mountain here and finish the hike. After reaching the foot of the Mutianyu Great Wall, enjoy a local flavor lunch to replenish your energy. 

This is the end of your private 2-day Great Wall tour from Jiankou to Mutianyu, and your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel in downtown Beijing. Hope you enjoyed the experience with us! If you have further travel plans, such as exploring other popular sections of the Great Wall like Mutianyu and Badaling, or admiring city highlights like the UNESCO-listed Forbidden City and Summer Palace, feel free to contact us to customize an itinerary that suits your preferences.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch