Day 2: West Simatai to Jinshanling (B+L+D, 3 hours of hiking) 

Much of the hiking that we will do on Jinshanling today is relatively easy, as the wall here is partially restored and the surface is smoother. Jinshanling has five main passes and 67 watchtowers. Every 100 meters (328 feet), there is an enemy tower each of which is about ten meters (33 feet) high. Featuring various structures and having various functions, those watchtowers are either one tiered or two-tiered. Among them, the most celebrated are the Big and Small Jinshan Watchtowers. The Wangjinglou Tower, the General Tower, the Black Tower and the Taochun Tower are also must-sees on the Jinshanling Great Wall.

Following lunch, we’ll cross over into west Simatai. While the eastern portion of Simatai is closed due to government maintenance and repairs, the western section of the Simatai Great Wall is still open to hikers. The Simatai Great Wall is separated into eastern and western halves by a valley, with a rainbow-like chain bridge over the valley. The hills in the west are sloping gently, with 20 watchtowers remaining in good shape. The Simatai section of the Great Wall is one of the few sections to retain the original appearance of the Great Wall. Incorporating a variety of characteristics of other sections of the Great Wall, Simatai also displays some unique features of its own. It is often described with the following five words: perilous, dense, diverse, artful, and peculiar.

Tonight you’re in for a real treat, as we’ll be camping overnight on the Jinshanling Great Wall itself! Our campsite will be located in one of Jinshanling’s watchtowers, and you’ll have the perfect view from which to watch the sunset over the Great Wall!

Day 3: Gubeikou-Jinshanling (B+L+D, 5 hours of hiking)

After we watch the sunrise over the Great Wall, we’ll climb down the wall and drive to Gubeikou, which connects to Jinshanling in the east. The Gubeikou Great Wall occupies a strategically important location, which is difficult to access. Situated between Shanhaiguan Pass and Juyongguan Pass, and about 62 miles to Beijing, it is the bastion protecting the northern gateway to the capital. There are 14 beacon towers, 143 watchtowers, 16 strategic pass, three citadels and many other military constructions.

Gubeikou is completely unrestored, covered with over 140 watchtowers, all differing in size and design. From the wall here you will be able to witness how the wall twists and winds along the steep mountain ranges. This is as dramatic a view on the Great Wall as you’ll find. If the weather is clear, you will be able to see the shimmering blue lake of the Miyun Reservoir. There is a section on the wall that is part of a military base, so you will be able to walk and explore a quaint nearby local village while taking a detour and re-enter the wall.

After a few hours on Gubeikou we’ll pass into Jinshanling, where we will explore parts of the wall here that we didn’t get to see yesterday. Following our time on Jinshanling we’ll drive to an inn near the Huangyaguan Great Wall, which will be the starting point for our final hike tomorrow.

Day 4: Taipingzhai-Huangyaguan-Beijing (B+L, 3 hours of hiking)

Our hike today will begin at Taipingzhai, which is actually considered a part of the Huangyaguan Great Wall. It is also called Taipinganzhai, meaning "a village of peace and prosperity". Starting from the Banlagang Mountain in the east and arriving at Guafu Tower (Widow Tower) in the west, it winds through the precipitous mountains for about 955 yards.  The Taipingzhai Great Wall is an important component of the Huangya(guan) Pass of Great Wall. There are six watch towers, one battlement, and one shortcut leading to the wall. The architectural styles of the military towers vary considerably. There are square, round, solid and hollow towers, with some inside and others outside the wall. Beside the shortcut, there is a small citadel where an 8.5-meter statue of Qi Jiguang, the chief commanding officer of Ji Garrison (one of the eleven garrisons in the Ming Dynasty) is located. The local people built this statue in order to commemorate his great contribution to frontier peace and stability in that period. To the west of the citadel, a section of the wall extends 33 yards out to where a sentry post was situated.

At the western end of the Taipingzhai Great Wall is a square stone tower called Guafu Tower, "Widow Tower" in English, built by twelve wives whose husbands died during the construction of the wall in the Ming Dynasty. The widows erected this tower to commemorate their husbands' notable exploits. The tower has two levels and measures 13-meters (14-yards) high. Arched arrow windows are on the four sides of the tower. Besides these cultural points of interest, Taipingzhai Great Wall is also famous for its amazingly impressive scenery. Zigzagging along the mountain ridge for over 984 yards, the wall looks very much like a giant dragon flying through clouds.

In the late morning we will eventually make our way to Huangyaguan proper. The Huangyaguan Great Wall is designed as a miniature of the entire Great Wall of China, thereby allowing you get an understanding of the entire wall in a fraction of the time. The entire section is built on an abrupt mountain ridge. After about an hour’s walk we will reach a peak overlooking the valley below. Form the peak we can also see the Huangyaguan Fortress, which was restored in 1984. From this vantage point, we will be able to see its Baguan pattern, a specially designed labyrinth designed to confuse and entrap the enemy.

At about 2pm we will have completed our trek on Huangyaguan, and we will begin the two-hour drive back to Beijing. You will be dropped off at your hotel in the later afternoon, thereby ending your tour with us.