How to choose which hike to do in Beijing

Read the Beijing Hikers guide to choosing the perfect hike to do in Beijing.

Beijing is surprisingly good for hiking, with mountains that run from the west around to the northeast, and a lot of hiking trails and scenic areas that are a fairly quick 1.5-2 hour drive from the city.

If you’re ready to see more of Beijing’s hills, mountains, rivers, and villages, we’ve picked out a few trails that are well worth a look.

How to choose one? We've grouped them into the main categories that people ask us about—our personal favourite hikes, then tough hikes, long hikes, hikes with cultural and historical elements, and easy hikes. We hope this information helps give you some ideas!

Click any of the hikes listed to read a full description. If it says that the hike is not currently available for booking, please contact us to find out when we’ll be making our next visit.

(p.s. If you’re looking specifically for a Great Wall hike, read our guide to choosing the perfect Great Wall hike.)

Our favourites

These hikes are the type our guides love—great scenery and sights, and a good workout. Hikes like this often show up in our tough hikes section (Level 4 and up).

Tough hikes for experienced hikers

On these hikes you’ll get a full day of exercise and a lot of climbing up and down hills and mountains. See more in our tough hikes section (Level 4 and up).

If you like long hikes that are not extremely difficult

These are all good long hikes without too much steep climbing. See more like this in the hillwalking section (Level 3 and up, no Great Wall).

Cultural and historical

Pilgrim trails, temples and tombs in the hills, and ancient villages.

  1. The Silver Pagodas stand on the site of a temple first built during the Tang Dynasty

    Silver Pagoda Loop

    Follow a trail through the Changping countryside, passing villages, quarries, and a local shrine on the way to the Silver Pagodas, a set of five well-preserved 600-year-old pagodas that are all that remains of a big Buddhist temple. Read more about Silver Pagoda Loop

Easier walks

See more in our easy hikes schedule (Level 1 and Level 2).

Need help to pick your perfect hike? Get in contact with us