GW18: 2-Day Simatai Great Wall Tour with Gubei Water Town from Beijing

This tour leads you to hike on Simatai Great Wall both in daytime and at night and explore Gubei Water Town at its foot. Simatai Great Wall, located 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Beijing downtown, is a section preserving its original appearance even after renovation. Also, among all the touristy sections, it is the only section open at night. At its foot, the Gubei Water Town is a good place to trace the antique beauty of ancient China towns, where you can also taste various delicacies and stay overnight.

Today, our guide will wait for you at your hotel lobby on time. After gathering, set off for Gubei Water Town by eco-friendly public transport. If you need a private car, feel free to contact our travel consultants to arrange it for you. On arrival, check into a local hotel and stroll around the antique town. When night falls, climb Simatai to appreciate its amazing night views.

→ Take subway line 2 or line 13, or buses no. 3, 106, 107, 132, 401, 404, 413 416, 418 or others to Dongzhimen.  
→ Take the tourist bus from Dongzhimen Outer bus stop at the junction of Xiejie Street and South Xiangheyuan Street to Gubei Water Town directly. The bus departs at 09:00 in the morning and it takes about 2 hours on the way. 

Note: The tourist bus may be unavailable in low travel seasons. In that case, the guide will lead you there by city bus, which needs a transfer and longer travel time. 

Other Travel Option to Gubei Water Town: City Bus 980 Express

→ On arrival at Dongzhimen from your hotel, take bus no.980 Express from Dongzhimen Transit Hub to Miyun Coach Station. Duration is about 2 hours. The bus departs about every 10 minutes from 08:00 to 20:00. 
→ Change to bus no. Mi51 to Gubei Water Town. The bus departs at an interval of about 20-40 minutes. This ride needs about 1 hour and 50 minutes. 

Upon arrival, our guide will help you to check into the hotel booked at your own cost. Inside the water town, there are many hotels and hostels at different standards. You may reserve one according to your preference in advance from its official website. 

Surrounding the water town, there are also some farmyards providing accommodation service. They are cheaper, but the facilities are not very good and it is not very convenient to visit the water town if living there.

After settling down, follow the guide to visit the water town on foot. You will see many folk houses in traditional Chinese style. In addition to hotels, some are used as restaurants where you can taste various snacks and dishes; some are stores selling delicate souvenirs; and some are theaters for performing Peking Opera, acrobatics and shadow puppets show. 

After having dinner and a short break, go on to visit Simatai Great Wall after sunset. From April to October, the Simatai Great Wall opens from 18:00 to 22:00 for night tours; while from November to next March, it opens from 17:30 to 21:00 on weekdays and from 17:00 to 21:30 at weekends for the night visit. For safety reasons, only the section between No.5 – No.6 East Tower opens. Lit up by lights, the Great Wall under the starry sky is grand and mysterious. 

The guide will lead you to climb up and down by cable car, which is included in our price. There are electrical cars from Gubei Water Town to the cable car lower station, departing based on passenger flow. If it does not depart on time, the guide could also lead you there by foot and then ascend the Great Wall by cable car. After the tour, get down also by cable car and the guide will send you back to your hotel for a good rest. 

Today, climb up to admire the Simatai in daytime, which gives different feelings. Then, you will have a free afternoon to explore the Gubei Water Town on your own. At the end of the day, return to Beijing. 

Today, the guide will lead you to ascend the Simatai Great Wall again. Compared with the night tour, you will be rewarded with more magnificent views and be allowed to hike a much longer distance, which is No.1 to No.10 East Tower. 

From the mountain foot, there is a gentle walking trail leading you all the way to No.2 watchtower. The following route from No.2 to No.10 watchtower goes up and down along the mountain ridges. Some parts are very steep and you may need to use both the hands and feet; some are flat but with only ramparts on one side. So always be careful. It takes about 2-2.5 hours to trek from the mountain foot to No.10 watchtower. It is not allowed to go further as the wild section is not safe. 

Coming down from the Great Wall, the guide will leave the afternoon for your own arrangement. You may watch some performances like Peking opera and shadow puppets show, or learn paper cutting or kites making with local craftsmen. It is also advisable to enjoy a cruise along the river flowing through the town, which offers a different angle to appreciate the beauty of the ancient town. If you need guide’s companion, please contact our travel consultants in advance. 

The guide will escort you to take direct tourist bus from No.2 Parking Lots of Gubei Water Town to return to Dongzhimen directly. The bus departs at 17:00. Then, reverse the way back to your hotel. 

If the tourist bus is out of service, the guide will lead you to take bus no.Mi51 from the water town to Miyun Coach Station; then change to bus no. 980 Express back to Beijing.