Overnight Camping at Lakeside Great Wall with Hiking

Route 2DC: Our newest low-price overnight camping program that bring you the stunning views of the Great Wall by hiking and camping at the lakeside Huanghuacheng

The outdoorsman: Stay overnight on the Great Wall of China

"When people come to the Great Wall of China, they want to explore the history and see why it was built. A day trip to the tourist sites won’t achieve that, but a sleepover on one of the world’s most storied ruins certainly will. The Great Wall Adventure Club organizes trips to sleep in a watchtower where soldiers were formerly garrisoned. When night falls, the only thing above is the stars, while the incredible land of the surrounding hills is absolutely silent ... (June 11, 2021)"

Guaranteed camping in an ancient watch tower by the lake!

See this thrilling route on the map .

Highlights:

Once-in-a-life experience of sleeping on the Great Wall, which only ancient warriors could do in history. You'll camp on a watchtower surrounded by the Wall on the mountain and by the lake!

On this hike you will get the best of the wild and dramatic unrestored “Wild Wall,” making the hike much more interesting by enjoying the silence and peace on the mountains.  

Weather permitting, meet the sunset and sunrise at the Great Wall from your hiking and camping, catching the unique views that only can be done by hiking and camping in this world heritage site.

Family-friendly for those who have seniors and kids in a group.

Perfect for those who have tight schedules in Beijing. If you have a flight or train to catch the next day, we will be happy to drop you off directly from the Great Wall with a modest fee.

Perfect for those who wish to experience more from camping for one night in the watchtower.

One of the most affordable camping programs in our 2-day overnight adventure category.

Day 1: Hike the Great Wall from Huanghuacheng to Xishuiyu along the lake for 4 hours. Meet the sunset and camp in a watchtower.

In the morning your guide will pick you up from your hotel, and will be driven directly to Hunaghuacheng (or Huanghua Great Wall). After a short walk around the dam on the Huanghuacheng Reservoir, we will start our hike westward to Xishuiyu.

Going to Huanghuacheng Great Wall, you have four things to do at least. First, you should take photos. Since the lake breaks this section of the Great Wall into three segments naturally, its uniqueness might surprise you. And the Huanghuacheng Reservoir lies here, shaped like a curved moon. Second, go to visit the chestnut garden under the Great Wall, dating back to the Ming Dynasty. The ancient chestnut trees still grow very well. Third, climb up the steepest section of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall, Shibadeng. It is like a dragon, ready to fly into the blue sky. Fourth, look at Yaoziyu Castle. It was built in the Ming Dynasty, still well preserved. In the castle, there is an ancient Chinese scholar tree. It is said that touching it could bring you a blessing.

The highest point of the wall is a broken watchtower, and from there you will have a wide panoramic view of the whole valley. From this summit the Wall dives steeply downwards into the valley. The Gate is located at the bottom, an opening in the wall, which connects the Zhuangdaokou village on the inside, with the still-well-preserved Yaoziyu Castle, built in the Ming Dynasty, on the outside. Over the top of the passageway is another watchtower where we will rest a short while before continuing on. On the inside of the gate you will notice three large characters carved in the stone, indicating the name of the village – ZhuangDaoKou. On the outside is written the name of the passageway - “ZhenNu Pass” - meaning “Defeat to Invaders”, a warning to potential attackers in ancient times.

From here we will continue to trek westward, climbing towards the broken wall to our destination, a peak overlooking Xishuiyu Lake. From our vantage point, we will see a real treat, the broken wall running underwater! From this point, the wall is in too bad a condition to walk, so we will follow a delightful mountain trail to Xishuiyu village, where we will have a gourmet country-style Chinese dinner. A very friendly Chinese housewife will cook her best dishes for you and treat you with some fruits she plant in the orchard of her backyard which lead to the Great Wall.

Upon sunset arrives, you may walk for just 10 minutes back to the Wall to catch the magnificent views from a watchtower. When it is dark, you will walk for just 10 minutes back to the tower where you will spend the night by camping.