China8 days

Great Wall Trekking & Camping: Five Days Along Remote Sections — 8 Days

Eight-day expedition featuring five days of guided trekking and camping along Huangyaguan, Gubeikou, Jinshanling, Simatai, and Mutianyu, with Beijing's central monuments at the start.

This eight-day expedition is designed for hikers seeking extended time on the Great Wall itself rather than day trips from Beijing. The core is a five-day trek across five distinct sections — Huangyaguan, Gubeikou, Jinshanling, Simatai, and Mutianyu — with nights spent camping directly along the wall. These sections mix restored wall with wilder, less-trafficked terrain. The trip opens with two days in Beijing (Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Eastern Qing Tombs en route), then moves outward into the mountains. A support bus follows the route, and all trekking is guided. The physical demand is real — this is not a walking tour with frequent rest days — but the trade-off is solitude on sections where most visitors never venture.

Highlights

Five-day guided trek across five separate Great Wall sections: Huangyaguan, Gubeikou, Jinshanling, Simatai, and Mutianyu
Overnight camping at multiple points directly along the wall
Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in Beijing
Eastern Qing Tombs, an imperial burial complex en route to Huangyaguan
Overnight village stay during the multi-day trek sequence
Access to both restored wall sections and wilder, less-trafficked terrain

Day by day

1Arrival in BeijingBeijing

Arrive in Beijing and transfer from the airport. Evening group meeting and dinner.

2Beijing: Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden CityTiananmen Square · the Forbidden City

Morning sightseeing at Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.

3Eastern Qing Tombs and Huangyaguan Great WallEastern Qing Tombs · Huangyaguan Great Wall

Visit the Eastern Qing Tombs in the morning, then continue to Huangyaguan Great Wall.

4Gubeikou to Jinshanling: Opening the Multi-Day TrekGubeikou · Gubeikou to Jinshanling · Jinshanling

Begin trekking from Gubeikou along the wall, continuing across open ridges toward Jinshanling. This section transitions between restored masonry and wilder terrain.

5Jinshanling to Simatai Great Wall Trek with Village OvernightJinshanling to Simatai Great Wall · local village

Trek from Jinshanling across one of the wall's most dramatic sections to Simatai. Overnight in a local village.

6Mutianyu Great Wall: Full Day ExplorationMutianyu Great Wall

Continue to Mutianyu for a full day exploring this unbroken stretch of wall, with restored towers and forested ridgelines.

7Jiankou Great Wall and Return to BeijingJiankou Great Wall · Beijing

Morning trek around Jiankou before returning to Beijing, marking the end of the five-day trekking sequence.

8DepartureBeijing

Depart Beijing with airport transfer included.

Where you go

Map: Great Wall Trekking & Camping: Five Days Along Remote Sections — 8 Days route — Numbers follow the itinerary order. © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap

1Beijing
2Tiananmen Square
3Jiankou Great Wall
4Beijing