GW17: 2-Day Great Wall Hiking from Laolongtou to Shanhaiguan & Jiaoshan

This hiking tour at Great Wall is composed of three highlights. The first is the eastern starting point of the Great Wall - Old Dragon's Head (Laolongtou); the second is the “first pass under heaven” - Shanghaiguan and the last is the “first mountain of the Great Wall” - Jiaoshan Mountain. 

One third of the route is located within the city; one third is scenic countryside and the remaining third comprises steep mountains. It is a tour combining both sightseeing and hiking, needing 2 days.

Today, our professional guide will escort you from Beijing to Shanhaiguan city. On arrival, visit Laolongtou Great Wall and hike along the Great Wall ruins to Shanhaiguan Pass.

High speed train is the best and most reliable travel way. After picking you up from your own booked hotel in downtown Beijing today, our guide will lead you to take one of them. They depart from Beijing Railway Station and the closest railway station to Laolongtou is Shanhaiguan Railway Station. 

→ Subway line 2 will be the first choice to reach Beijing Railway Station. If it is more convenient to take city bus from your hotel, then the guide will accompany you to take one of them. The buses running to Beijing Railway Station include 52, 63, 103, 104, 122, 140, 403, 637, 638, 639, 957 and Zhuan 2. 
→ Take a train to Shanhaiguan Railway Station. D825 leaving at 07:08 and arriving at 10:09 and D831 departing at 10:02 and arriving at 13:23 are prior choices. 
→ On arrival, take bus no. 25 to Laolongtou Great Wall, taking around 30-40 minutes.

 This is a guided tour by eco-friendly public transport. If you need a private car, feel free to contact our travel consultants to arrange it for you.

Laolongtou Great Wall is the eastern starting point of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), and is also the only section on the sea. When the whole Great Wall is compared to a huge dragon winding through China, the Laolongtou is just like the head of the dragon stretching into the Bohai Sea. That's where its name comes out.

The Great Wall from Laolongtou to Shanhaiguan has a length of 5 kilometers (3.1 miles). As many sections are in ruins or blocked, the guide will actually lead you to walk along its foot instead of on it. On the way, you could have a good view of the sea and rural scenery. 

Notes:
1. Before this energy-consuming hiking, the guide will leave you some time to have lunch. For your convenience, you may just have lunch at one of the restaurants around Laolongtou scenic area. 
2. If you are not interested in finishing the distance by walk, the guide could also escort you to take bus no.25 from Laolongtou to Shanhaiguan Pass directly, taking about 30 minutes. 

It will be late in the afternoon when reaching Shanhaiguan Pass. So we will stop here and continue the hiking tomorrow. You are advised to choose a hotel nearby for overnight stay. The guide will be glad to give you some advice and help you with the check-in. There are also restaurants surrounding where you can have dinner. 

After breakfast, the guide will accompany you to visit Shanhaiguan Pass at first, and then hike to the Jiaoshan Great Wall. After a stroll on the well-renovated Great Wall, get down and return back to Beijing.

Shanhaiguan Pass is reputed as the first pass of the Great Wall. Ever since it was built in the year of 1381, the Pass has become an important military stronghold in China.

The pass has a perimeter of about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles). The Wall around it is 14 meters (45.9 feet) high and 7 meters (7.7 yards) thick. With its majestic watchtower as the mainstay, you can also see the surrounding architecture such as Jingbian Tower, Linlu Tower, Weiyuan Hall and Great Wall Museum. The most popular sightseeing area is its eastern gate and surroundings.

The hiking will start from the northern gate of Shanhaiguan Pass. The distance to Jiaoshan Great Wall measures about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) long. Many parts have collapsed and only some bricks are left, where the guide will lead you to get off to make a detour. You will also see some ruined towers along the way. The hike will take about 90 minutes. 

Notes:
1. The guide could also escort you to cover the distance between by special tourism bus in peak season or taxi in other time. 
2. Have lunch at first nearby before continuing the hiking thereafter. 

Starting from the Hanmen 10th Tower, the Jiaoshan Great Wall leaps and meanders along the ridge of the Jiaoshan Mountain for about 1.5 km (about 1 mile). After renovation, it is in good conditions. 

This is all about this hiking tour. After, the guide will hail a taxi or a car on the apps to Shanhaiguan Railway Station, and then reverse the way back your hotel in downtown Beijing. 

Train D832 leaving from Shanhaiguan Railway Station at 17:23 and arriving at Beijing Railway Station at 20:42 will be the first choice. If you prefer others, please tell our travel consultants in advance. 

 Photos of Shanhaiguan    Laolongtou Photos    Jiaoshan Photos