The 14 Best Hikes & Treks in Beijing

1.Small Group Hike at Jinshanling Great Wall

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 667 reviews · 9 hours · from $52Our pick

Leave Beijing at 8am for Jinshanling, then hike roughly 3 hours past more than 15 watchtowers, from wild eastern ruins to restored sections. You get transport, water, snacks, poles, and an optional English speaking guide. Expect steep steps, open views, and a local farmer’s lunch if selected.

“Unreal from start to finish!! Denit (sorry if spelt wrong) was amazing with his knowledge and just an all round lovely person. The good/restaurant after was some of the best food I’ve had in Beijing!! Couldn’t recommend enough! Thanks so much!”

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2.Jingshanling Great Wall Trekking Tours with Options

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 411 reviews · 8 - 10 hours · from $60

Travel from Beijing to Jinshanling for a three-hour hike across restored battlements, rough original stonework, and broken watchtowers. Choose a group outing, private guide, transport-only plan, sunset visit, or add the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Gubei Water Town, or a hutong food tour.

“Amazing Great Wall tour! Edward was a fantastic guide, super friendly, knowledgeable, and made the experience really enjoyable. Everything was easy and well organized. Greetings from Mexico, highly recommend!”

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3.Small Group 6km hiking Jinshanling Great Wall EN speaking driver

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 347 reviews · from $75Top rated

Travel from central Beijing to Jinshanling in a small group, then hike 6km independently across steep stairs, watchtowers, and Ming-era stonework. Jackie, Iris, or another English-speaking driver handles the transport and meeting instructions. Expect about three hours on the wall, one bottled water, and no lunch or hiking guide.

“This is the perfect day trip if you are looking at hiking a section of the wall far from the massive crowds of tourists. It’s 2 hour drive from the city (with no traffic) but very worth it. Pick up was smooth and Jacky was the best and the minivan comfortable. I really loved the unguided aspect of it so you can really go at your own rhythm. Just one piece of advice if it’s your first time hiking the wall: you really need to be fit as there are a LOT of VERY steep climbing and stairs as you walk 22 stations. On the way down there are also…”

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4.Full-Day Small-Group Great Wall Hiking at Jinshanling

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 347 reviews · from $138

Join an English-speaking guide such as Jason, Dewit, Cheney, or Luis for a 3-hour hike from Simatai West to Jinshanling. Expect restored and original wall sections, steep steps, few people, bottled water, trekking poles on request, and a farmer-run lunch before returning to Beijing.

“Excellent experience. Easy to find the pickup location, the driver was great and the car was comfortable and safe, the hike was fun and the guide added interesting commentary. And the meal afterwards was excellent.”

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5.Mini Group: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 344 reviews · from $159

Start with Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, then ride by air-conditioned vehicle to Mutianyu for about two hours on the wall. English-speaking guides such as Lily, Jerry, Sunny, and Olivia lead small groups, with hotel pickup inside Beijing’s 4th Ring Zone. Cable cars and toboggan rides cost extra.

“The trip was everything that the describtion said it would be. The day I went it was very windy so walking around the Forbidden City was awful due to the weather. Lunch was SO good! The Great was was nice, took the ski lift up and the toboggan down. Highly recommend doing both!!”

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6.Private Trekking Day Tour to Jinshanling Great Wall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 127 reviews · from $122

You’ll leave Beijing by private, air-conditioned vehicle for Jinshanling, then hike 5 to 6 km from west to east through restored and wild Wall sections. Expect steep stone paths, watchtowers, photo stops, and about three hours on foot. All-inclusive bookings add an English-speaking guide, tickets, and local lunch.

“We signed up for just the transportation service due to the time constraint and it worked perfectly. The driver was on time to pick us up, the ride was comfortable and we left our luggage in his car. We finished the hike earlier than the agreRead more”

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7.Water-Great Wall Odyssey: Hike & Cruise One Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 94 reviews · 9 hours · from $52

Travel from central Beijing to Huanghuacheng Great Wall for a boat ride, lake views, and a flexible hike along one of China’s most unusual wall sections. English-speaking guides such as Cici, Shannon, Joy, and Rachel help with history, directions, photos, and optional rafting, kayaking, and scenic rides.

“I had an amazing trip to the Great Wall with my guide, Cici. She explained the history in detail and made everything easy to understand, which helped me truly appreciate the experience. Cici was very friendly, ensured I felt comfortable, and even gave me helpful advice on how to spend the rest of my days in China. The scenery was breathtaking, with stunning views of both the Wall and the lake. I also appreciated the variety of activities suggested—Cici helped me choose ones I really enjoyed, like rafting and kayaking. I highly recommend her if you want a trip that’s both insightful and enjoyable!”

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8.Private Hiking Tour From Jiankou To Mutianyu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 77 reviews · from $209

Walk from quiet, unrestored Jiankou to the restored Mutianyu section with a private guide such as Peter or James. Expect steep trails, loose stone, long stairways, and several hours on the wall. Hotel pickup, transport, water, snacks, and a Chinese lunch are included.

“Book it! I booked a solo tour on my last day in Beijing. Not awkward at all - spending the day hiking with Peter is like spending the day with a dear friend. Peter knows the terrain extremely well and adjusts for your pace, level, and tolerancRead more”

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9.Private Great Wall Hiking from Jiankou to Mutianyu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 77 reviews · from $228

Start with an uphill forest walk to Jiankou’s unrestored Ming Wall, then follow the ridge toward restored Mutianyu. A private guide such as Peter, Lucy, Jack, or Miko sets the pace, explains the Wall, arranges lunch, and helps you choose between walking, a cable car, or a toboggan descent.

“My husband and I love hiking and avoiding crowds so this was a perfect fit for us. The drive to the Jiankou is about two hours and passes by a scenic water town. The hike starts with a grueling 1 hour crawl up the mountain to the top of a watch tower. You'll be rewarded with a view of endless mountain peaks and the great wall snaking over the ridges in each direction. The wild wall hasn't been touched since it was originally constructed 600 years ago. It's rugged, steep, and overgrown with trees. After about 2/3rds of your hike is underway, the wall dramatically shifts to a reconstructed wall…”

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10.All Inclusive Private Hiking Tour from Huanghuacheng Water Great Wall to Xishuiyu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 63 reviews · from $209

Spend about eight hours hiking the steep, scenic Huanghuacheng Great Wall and Xishuiyu reservoir area with a private guide such as James, Danny, or Miko. Expect quiet wall sections, mountain views, submerged towers, lunch, snacks, water, and private hotel transfers.

“Excellent tour! Driver and tour guide Danny were were waiting for me right at the time they said they'd come pick me up. Since this was my first trip to China, Danny gave me one massive history lesson on the country, and it was actually very iRead more”

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11.Private Jinshanling Great Wall Hiking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 44 reviews · from $99

Spend a full day hiking from Simatai West toward Jinshanling with a private English-speaking guide such as Linda, David, or Kevin. Expect about five hours at the wall, including at least three hours on foot, original ramparts, nine notable towers, hotel pickup, and a long ride from Beijing.

“The walk along the wall was a once in life time experience, China Travel Guide supplied an excellent service and our guide Linda was amazing. I would totally recommend this tour to my friends traveling to China”

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12.Private Great Wall Day Hiking from Jiankou to Mutianyu Section

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 40 reviews · from $160

Join a private guide, such as Justin, for a demanding Great Wall hike from wild Jiankou to restored Mutianyu. Expect about five hours on foot, a picnic lunch, private hotel transfers, an English-speaking guide if included in your selected option, and a cable car or toboggan ride down.

“We had a great day trip. The Jiankou section was absolutely amazing to see. Our guide Justin was kind and knowledgeable about the area and history. We also had some extra time in the afternoon because we walked fast and could join a tea ceremony which was a real cultural experience. Highly recommend this tour.”

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13.2-day Small Group Great Wall Hiking Gubeikou&Jinshanling

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 39 reviews · from $268

Spend two days hiking Jinshanling and Gubeikou with a small local group of up to 10 people. Your farmer guide, possibly Cheney or Yaxin, leads the route, while transport, meals, entrance fees, trekking poles, and a village guesthouse are included.

“We booked 2 days and one night to hike the great wall from Jinshanling to Gubeiko, and we do not regret it! Our guide, Cheney, shared all of his knowledge about the Great Wall and Chinese history. We even learned a few Chinese sentenceRead more”

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14.Private Trekking Tour from Gubeikou to Jinshanling Greatwall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · from $209

Walk from wild, unrestored Gubeikou to the restored Jinshanling Great Wall on an 8 to 9-hour private tour from Beijing. Your guide explains watchtowers, defenses, and building styles as you hike 6 to 7 hours at your own pace. Lunch at a farmer’s restaurant, transport, snacks, water, and admission are included.

“Barry was our tour guide for trekking the Great Wall. We were very tired and jet lagged and Barry was very accommodating! He gave us a lot of history about the wall and area which made it a truly great experience. Also the food at the farmhouse was some of our favorite food from our trip!”

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