Jinshanling to Simatai

The hike will begin at Jinshanling, a well-known part of the Great Wall that is in good condition after a lot of restoration work. It’s been the setting for movies, and a rather infamous 2,000-person all-night party that resulted in a few changes to the laws about what activities may take place on the Great Wall.

To get from Jinshanling to Simatai we’ll follow the Great Wall the whole way. It will take 3-4 hours, and the walk is steep in places with a lot of steps – in one place it’s 107 steps up, then 120 steps down. This means it can get a bit tough on the knees, but the views make up for any temporary pains. You’ll also get a chance to work on your bargaining skills (or practice your 1,000 yard stare) with the numerous vendors that haunt this busy stretch of the Great Wall. Pro tip: don’t pay more than 10RMB for the postcards!

You’ll know when you’ve reached the Simatai part of the Wall when you meet the ticket collectors. There’s still quite a way to go after that, following the wall down towards the lake at Simatai. The walk finishes soon after we cross the suspension bridge, after that it’s a short walk down the paved road to the restaurant and hotel area of the Simatai Great Wall park.

After we finish the hike we’ll have a full meal at a restaurant that overlooks the lake at Simatai – the cost of the food and drinks is included in the price of the hike.

What to bring on this hike?
Good hiking boots
A hat and sunblock
At least 2 liters of water
A snack to eat along the way