GW12: Trekking on Great Wall from Jiankou to Mutianyu

This hiking will start from the east section of Jiankou Great Wall to reach the west part of the Mutianyu Great Wall. It will take about 7-8 hours to finish the total walking length of 12 kilometers (7.5 miles). Some sections along the way are quite dangerous with almost vertical slopes or collapsed roads, hence more suitable to experienced hikers and not recommended to acrophobe.

Today at the agreed time, our guide will pick you up from your hotel in Beijing urban areas and head to the Jiankou Great Wall wasting no time. Considering the long distance between, it’s advised to set off early. 

→ Get to Dongzhimen Station by subway line 2 or line 13. Use Exit H to reach Dongzhimen Transport Hub.
→ Take bus no. 916 Express there and get off at Huairou Beidajie stop after about 1.5 hours. The bus serves from 05:50 to 20:00 with an interval of about 15 minutes.
→ Then take a taxi or hail a car on one of the car-hailing Apps to Wofo Villa, the starting point of this Jiankou to Mutianyu trekking. This transfer will take about half an hour. 

 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. 

 Wofo Villa - Jiankou Spot - Tiny Potala Palace - Zhengbei Tower - Ox Horn Edge - Mutianyu Great Wall – Yingbeigou Village

Starting Wofo Villa, hike uphill from for about 2 hours, you will reach the inflection point of a stretch of V-shaped Great Wall. That is the Jiankou Spot, the lowest point of Jiankou Great Wall.

After a short rest, go along the ramparts to the east and you will arrive at the Tiny Potala Palace via two watchtowers. This tower was so named because of the similar appearance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa. 

Looking eastwards, you will see a watchtower on a higher peak. It is your next destination, Zhengbei Tower. You will get there after one more hour's hike. Zhengbei Tower occupies the highest location of the whole Jiankou Great Wall. From there, you can have a full view of the whole section and take perfect shots of the Tiny Potala Palace.

Continue this Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall hike eastwards to the Ox Horn Edge. Ramparts take a 90-degree turn there according to the mountain ranges and looks like an ox horn at a distance, and hence the name. After hundreds of years of wind and rain, stairs of the Ox Horn Edge have already collapsed into gravels. Without obvious trace of steps, the whole section is like a giant downward slope. For safety reasons, the guide will lead you to take a shortcut through the woods at the first watchtower to make a detour and then get back to the ramparts in less than 10 minutes.

After another 10 minutes' hiking, you will arrive at the western end of the well-preserved Mutianyu Great Wall which reveals a totally different view from the wildness of Jiankou Great Wall. 

Most of the time, people are not allowed to climb over the wall to reach the touristy section, so follow the guide to go down from here to reach Yingbeigou Village at the foot.

From Yingbeigou Village, charter a car back to Huairou Beidajie and then change to bus no. 916 Express there back to downtown Beijing. The last bus leaves at 18:50.

1. Choose a sunny day and avoid rainy, snowy or windy days. 
2. Wear a pair of anti-slippery hiking shoes and comfortable clothes. Also, bring a pair of gloves. Sometimes you need to use both of your feet and hands to keep safe. 
3. Bring some bottled water and food for lunch, also some snacks which can quickly replenish energy, like chocolate and electrolyte drinks. 
4. Check if it is firm before setting your feet. 
5. Stand firmly at a safe place before taking photos. 
6. Do not lean against the walls casually in case of falling down.