This is a great hiking trip that is fun for the whole family!
It includes both unrestored and rugged “Wild Wall” along with tastefully restored wall, making it a perfect hike for comparison and understanding more about the true Great Wall.
This tour is an amateur photographer’s dream. Maybe you can sell the pictures from your trip to National Geographic!
The entire hiking duration for 5 hours!
While this hike will be a bit long, it will easily be the highlight of your time in China. For those of you who feel the need to stretch their legs after being cooped up in an office in Beijing (or wherever you may be from), this is the perfect opportunity to get some exercise and adventure, while also having loads of fun!
Jiankou Great wall, built in 1368, is located 73 kilometers north ofBeijing. This section was built entirely of white stone, which makes it easily distinguishable from all the other sections of the vast, long wall. It’s other immediately distinguishable feature is it’s steepness; this section is one of the steepest and the climb is not for the faint of heart.
The Sky Stairs and the Cloud Stairs are two sections of Jiankou famous for their steepness. So steep they’re almost vertical, and narrow besides, these stairs can be a rather treacherous climb. The most famous part of Jiankou is the observation tower built at the top of the sections highest peak, called ‘eagle flies facing upward’ because it was built on such a steep mountainside. The view from the tower is nothing short of amazing.
First, you have to climb a small village called Xizaizhi at the bottom of Jiankou Great Wall. Then, you find the mountain ridges upon which the wall is built are steep in all directions. It will take you 4 to 5 hours hike all the way from Jiankou section to the Mutianyu section. Along the wall, you can enjoy a breath-taking view without the interruption by other tourists. In order to hike on Jiankou, first we have to climb up a path for about 60 minutes to reach it. Our hike today will take about 4 hours and will cover10km/ 6 miles. The Jiankou section is known for its ruggedness and wild beauty, and you will be in awe of the marvelous views it affords. As soon as we reach Jiankou we will see a deserted watchtower that gives you a panoramic view of the entire valley. In the early morning the view is priceless with its morning fog. This section of the wall is not well known by tourists, although if you see a picture of the Great Wall from exotic traveling magazines, chances are it is from Jiankou. This is the pinnacle of exotic Great Wall scenery.
We'll start from Zhengbeilou (see photo above) where is the best place to take photos. This part of the wall is often empty, so you will have some peace and serenity on your hike today. Another highlight of Jiankou is the enemy observation tower known as, "Ying Fei Dao Yang", so named because this watchtower was erected on the highest peak in the area, and eagles and hawks often perch on it. Although the majestic wall is slowly being conquered by small trees and brambles, but the view from the top is still stunning! However, it is pretty far from Zhengbeilou to see "Ying Fei Dao Yang" clearly.
From Jiankou we will cross over onto Mutianyu, a section of the wall that has been largely restored. Although it has gotten a face-lift, it avoids the army of tourists that plague Badaling. You can choose to take the toboggan down the wall highly recommended, lots of fun!