![Beijing Hikers [click to return to homepage]](img/beijing-hikers-logo.png){kind=logo}
-
Sunday February 5th, 2012
The Hidden Village
On this moderately difficult hike we’ll take a long stroll up a gently sloping valley, followed by a bushwhacking climb up a ridge, ending up at a lookout point high on the mountain. Along the way we’ll pass through a village that’s been empty for a long time. Much of the area has been set aside for reforestation purposes, and we’ve seen more traces of wildlife here than on other trails we walk – perhaps because there are fewer people about.
The Hidden Village - Basic hike information
Cost: 300 RMB; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 2 hours travel each way; 3–4 hours of hiking; return approx. 5:30pm.
Read more about this hike | Make a reservation | What to bring | Back to top of page -
Wednesday February 8th, 2012
Intelligence Valley Midweek
A clear stream runs through Intelligence Valley, and the surrounding mountains form a microclimate that makes this a very nice walk. At this time of year all the streams and pools will have frozen over, and we’ll do a bit of walking on ice. It’s a flat hike, and one of the easiest that we do – perfect for kids and families. At the end of the hike we’ll stop by our farmer friend’s guesthouse for a big lunch of homestyle Chinese food – cost included in the price of the hike.
Intelligence Valley Midweek - Basic hike information
Cost: 350 RMB (200 RMB for children under 12); Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 9:00am; 2 hours travel each way; 2.5–3 hours of easy walking; return approx. 5:00pm.
Read more about this hike | Make a reservation | What to bring | Back to top of page -
Saturday February 11th, 2012
Changyucheng ‘Long Valley City’ day trip
On this trip we’ll explore the village of Changyucheng, looking at old shrines, defensive walls, and a temple with a big old tree, before taking a good long walk up a long valley to a tablet that marks the border of Beijing Municipality and Hebei Province. We usually make this village a start or finish point for several of our tough Great Wall hikes in the same area—this trip is a good chance to see some of the same great scenery without making your legs so tired! We follow mountain roads on the way to this hike. If the roads are closed, we’ll switch the trip to one that is closer to the city.
Changyucheng ‘Long Valley City’ day trip - Basic hike information
Cost: 350 RMB (200 RMB for children under the age of 12); Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 9:00am; 2–2.5 hours travel each way; 3–4 hours of hiking; return approx 5:30pm.
Read more about this hike | Make a reservation | What to bring | Back to top of page -
Saturday February 11th, 2012
Zhuangdaokou Great Wall and the Walled Village
On this slightly tougher version of one of our nicest countryside walks we’ll take a look at the ‘Dragon and Phoenix’ pines at Zhuangdaokou, hike up a valley to a nearby stretch of Great Wall and follow an unrestored section up and along a ridgeline. On our way down, we’ll pass the Walled Village, and then head to a restaurant near the Huanghuacheng Great Wall for a big lunch.
Zhuangdaokou Great Wall and the Walled Village - Basic hike information
Cost: 350 RMB; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 2 hours travel each way; 3–4 hours of hiking; return approx. 5:30pm.
Read more about this hike | Make a reservation | What to bring | Back to top of page
- Currently no photo gallery for this hike
- Full description of this hike
-
Sunday February 12th, 2012
Silver Pagoda Loop
For this hike we will follow a seldom-used trail to get to the Silver Pagodas, a set of five impressive 600 year-old pagodas still standing on the site of an old temple. On the way to the pagoda site we will take a long walk through the countryside, passing a village, quarries, and a local shrine, before a steep climb to the 730m peak of Holly Mountain. From the top we can look down on the pagodas and large swathes of the surrounding countryside, and as we follow the path down we will pass large bells, “North Beijing’s Number One Waterfall,” and plenty of other interesting local landmarks. After the hike we’ll get a late lunch at a local restaurant - the cost of the food and drinks is included in the price of the hike.
NOTE: This hike is mostly flat, but there’s one tough climb in the middle that will give your legs and lungs a good workout, particularly if you’re not used to climbing in the hills.
Silver Pagoda Loop - Basic hike information
Cost: 350 RMB per person; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 2 hours travel each way; approx. 3 hours of hiking; return approx. 5:30pm.
Read more about this hike | Make a reservation | What to bring | Back to top of page -
Wednesday February 15th, 2012
Silver Pagodas and Hot Springs hike
Start with a look about the Silver Pagodas, then stair-climb to the summit before walking through the countryside to the Hot Springs hotel for a tasty meal and a soak in the steaming water. Limited number of places available, quite a few stairs to climb and a descent that may be a little slippery. 9am departure.
Silver Pagodas and Hot Springs hike - Basic hike information
Cost: 550 RMB per person (400 RMB for kids under the age of 12); Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 9:00am; 1.5 hours each way; 3–3.5 hours of hiking; return approx. 6:00pm.
Read more about this hike | Make a reservation | What to bring | Back to top of page -
Saturday February 18th, 2012
The Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes
Take a Miyun countryside ramble with us on a long walk through peaceful and sparsely populated hills, valleys, and forests. This walk is quite long, but it’s not difficult - there is not a lot of climbing up and down. The countryside scenery is excellent and we’ll follow country trails and lanes through pine forests, cornfields, orchards, villages, and farmland.
The Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes - Basic hike information
Cost: 300 RMB per person; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 2 hours travel each way; 3–4 hours of hiking; return approx. 6:00pm.
Read more about this hike | Make a reservation | What to bring | Back to top of page -
Saturday February 18th, 2012
Gubeikou Great Wall Loop
On this hike we’ll head out to a beautiful section of the Great Wall that is further outside the city than the crowded main tourist sites, and much quieter. You’ll have a chance to hike along an unrestored section of the Great Wall that grants magnificent views of the Great Wall stretching beyond the horizon in the east and west. As we follow the wall, we’ll pass through restored and unrestored sections, as well as taking a nice detour through pines on a hillside tail. Warning – if you’re not good with heights, you might not enjoy sections of this hike.
Gubeikou Great Wall Loop - Basic hike information
Cost: 350 RMB per person (200 RMB for kids under the age of 12); Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 9:00am; 2 hours travel each way; approx. 3–4 hours of hiking; return approx 5:30pm.
Read more about this hike | Make a reservation | What to bring | Back to top of page -
Sunday February 19th, 2012
Cypress Wells Canyon
Visit Yanqing Country to find a short stretch of ‘Warring States’ era Great Wall and an old village amidst the mountainous landscapes. The hike begins with a nice long, flat walk along the floor of the canyon. Mid-way, we’ll stop for a break at a small and interesting mostly-abandoned village before following a trail up through a pine forest to take a look at the Great Wall. We’ll finish the hike by following a hill trail down and out to the nearest road.
NOTES: The last section of the hike involves a steep descent that is a little slippery. We follow mountain roads to get to this hike - if the roads close because of snow we’ll switch to a different but similar hike.
Cypress Wells Canyon - Basic hike information
Cost: 300 RMB; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 2–2.5 hours travel each way; 4 hours of hiking; return approx. 6:00pm.
Read more about this hike | Make a reservation | What to bring | Back to top of page -
Wednesday February 22nd, 2012
Countryside Stroll: The Rolling Hills
For this outing we’ll do an easier version of our Rolling Hills hike—a Miyun county countryside ramble through peaceful and sparsely populated hills and valleys. There’s a little climbing up and down on this hike, but not too much, and the countryside scenery is excellent.
Countryside Stroll: The Rolling Hills - Basic hike information
Cost: 350 RMB per person; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 9:00am; 2 hours travel each way; 2–3 hours of hiking; return approx. 5:30pm.
Read more about this hike | Make a reservation | What to bring | Back to top of page -
Saturday February 25th, 2012
Yanqing Great Wall and Long Valley City
Head far out into the mountains of Yanqing County for a tough five-hour walk that follows a section of wall reconstructed in the early Ming Dynasty. Along the way we’ll get views of the Guanting Reservoir, valleys and mountains, one of the highest Great Wall towers in Beijing, and a well-positioned radar station. We’ll finish up with a downhill stroll through a leafy valley, passing a reservoir before taking a look around a village with an ancient shrine, a restored temple, and a venerable old tree. 13km with some steep ascents and descents. We’ll have snacks and hot drinks at the village after we finish hiking. Recommended for experienced hikers, good boots required.
Yanqing Great Wall and Long Valley City - Basic hike information
Cost: 340 RMB per person; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:00am; 2.5 hours travel each way; 5–6 hours of hiking; return est. 6:00pm at earliest.
Read more about this hike | Make a reservation | What to bring | Back to top of page -
Saturday February 25th, 2012
Intelligence Valley
A clear stream runs through Intelligence Valley, and the surrounding mountains form a microclimate that makes this a very nice walk. At this time of year all the streams and pools will have frozen over, and we’ll do a bit of walking on ice. It’s a flat hike, and one of the easiest that we do – perfect for kids and families. At the end of the hike we’ll stop by a farmers’ guesthouse for a big lunch of homestyle Chinese food – cost included in the price of the hike.
Intelligence Valley - Basic hike information
Cost: 350 RMB (200 RMB for children under 12); Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 9:00am; 2 hours travel each way; 2.5–3 hours of easy walking; return approx. 5:00pm.
Read more about this hike | Make a reservation | What to bring | Back to top of page -
Sunday February 26th, 2012
Longquanyu Loop and Great Wall
On this hike you’ll visit small villages, walk through valleys, and follow a nice stretch of Great Wall in the area north of the Ming Tombs. We hike the valleys in this area quite regularly – the streams are good to cool down in during summer, and we can walk on the ice when they freeze in winter. At this time of year, we’re not sure if the ice will be thick enough to walk on, so to avoid wet and cold feet we’re going to stay up in the higher valleys and follow the Great Wall. The Great Wall is found in the middle section of this hike—about a quarter of the total distance.
Longquanyu Loop and Great Wall - Basic hike information
Cost: 300 RMB; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 2 hours travel each way; 3–4 hours of hiking; return approx 5:00pm.
Read more about this hike | Make a reservation | What to bring | Back to top of page -
Wednesday February 29th, 2012
Jinshanling Great Wall
The Great Wall at Jinshanling is the type often seen on postcards: large, intact towers, and impressive stretches of wall that climb steep ridgelines. Parts of the Jinshanling Great Wall have been reconstructed and see quite a few visitors, but with a bit of hiking it’s possible to explore sections that are unrestored and not quite so commonly visited by tour groups.
On this hike, we’ll walk all of the eastern section of Jinshanling; hike a few towers of Simatai and maybe get a little look at what they’re doing over there; and follow a paved park trail through the hills to finish.
Jinshanling Great Wall - Basic hike information
Cost: 400 RMB (360 RMB for members); Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 2 hours travel each way; 3–4 hours of hiking; return approx. 6:30pm.
Read more about this hike | Make a reservation | What to bring | Back to top of page
2012 Special Trips
View the 2012 Long Distance trip schedule.
2011 Long Distance trips: See the trips completed, and photos.
Hiking schedule
We hike every weekend, and plan our hikes a month at a time. The schedule is usually updated by the 10th of each month.
The current schedule is listed below - the 'Brief description link will take you to a short description of the hike (on this page); the 'Full info' link will take you to a new page with detailed information about the hike.
Sunday Feb 5 | |
Wednesday Feb 8 | Intelligence Valley Midweek |
Saturday Feb 11 | Changyucheng ‘Long Valley City’ day trip |
Saturday Feb 11 | Zhuangdaokou Great Wall and the Walled Village |
Sunday Feb 12 | |
Wednesday Feb 15 | Silver Pagodas and Hot Springs hike |
Saturday Feb 18 | The Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes |
Saturday Feb 18 | Gubeikou Great Wall Loop |
Sunday Feb 19 | |
Wednesday Feb 22 | Countryside Stroll: The Rolling Hills |
Saturday Feb 25 | Yanqing Great Wall and Long Valley City |
Saturday Feb 25 | |
Sunday Feb 26 | Longquanyu Loop and Great Wall |
Wednesday Feb 29 | Jinshanling Great Wall |
Online booking
Use our online booking form to send your details to us.
By Email
By Phone
Office +86 (10) 6432-2786
(9am-6pm Mon-Fri)
More contact information
Current Conditions
Fair, -5°C
Sunrise: 7:18 am
Sunset: 5:36 pm
Humidity: 47%
Forecast Conditions
Sun, 5 Feb 2012
Partly Cloudy, high of 6°C, low of -7°C
Mon, 6 Feb 2012
Sunny/Wind, high of -3°C, low of -10°C
View extended forecast at Yahoo! Weather
