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Chin. Wall
The organized, sports guide
Jinshanling Private Tour with Night View of Simatai and Gubei Water Town from Beijing
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At a glance
- Duration
- 8–10 hours
- Price from
- $278 / person
- Rating
- 5.0 / 5 · 113 reviews
- Languages
- ZH-TW, CMN, EN
- Group
- Private
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation
- Hotel pickup
- Available
- Confirmation
- Instant
Prices checked on Sep 11, 2026Things to do in Beijing
Description
First trip to Beijing? This private tour is a must for Great Wall exploration—and it’s a rare crowd-free gem! Spend your daytime wandering Jinshanling Great Wall, known for its well-preserved ancient watchtowers and unobstructed mountain vistas—no pushing through crowds, just peaceful immersion in history and scenery. As night falls, head to Simatai Great Wall (one of the few sections open after dark) and nearby Gubei Water Town: watch the town’s lantern-lit lanes glow, then take a cable car to marvel at Simatai’s twinkling night views—romantic, quiet, and utterly breathtaking. Pick your preferred departure time for a worry-free experience: exclusive tour guide, entrance tickets, Simatai cable car ride, local-style lunch, private vehicle, plus hotel pickup and drop-off—we’ve got your perfect day fully covered!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your friendly tour guide will meet you right in your hotel lobby at your prearranged time, then whisk you directly to Jinshanling Great Wall—no hassle, just a smooth start. The roughly 2-hour drive flies by: your guide will share fascinating Great Wall history and stories along the way, while you soak in the idyllic countryside views outside the window. Once you arrive, you’ll step into Jinshanling Great Wall—a crowd-free treasure&one of the best-preserved Great Wall sections, always captivating hikers. Stretching east to Simatai and west to Gubeikou, this section dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1389) and was later rebuilt under General Qi Jiguang—a living piece of history. With over 100 ancient enemy towers dotting its length, every step tells a story: your guide will hike with you, share these tales, help snap photos, or even keep an eye on the kids. You’ll have 2-3 hours to savor this peaceful, scenic spot—no pushing through crowds, just you and the Great Wall’s timeless charm
After a satisfying dinner, you’ll head straight to Gubei Water Town—just a 30-minute drive away, so the relaxation keeps flowing. Accompanied by your guide, you’ll start a leisurely walking tour to uncover the town’s unique charms: modeled after the iconic Wuzhen Water Town of southern China, Gubei Water Town is divided into 6 distinct areas, including the Old Barracks Area, Minguo Street Area, and Water Street Area. As you wander, you’ll stumble upon charming boutiques, mouthwatering local eateries, and distinctive hotels—each corner holding a little surprise to make your evening unforgettable.
Afterwards, you’ll take a cable car up to the top of Simatai Great Wall—an effortless ride to one of the most magical night views. If you’d love to catch the sunset over Simatai, your guide will thoughtfully adjust the itinerary timing to ensure you don’t miss this stunning moment. Here, few well-preserved watchtowers are open to visitors after dark: you’ll get free time to wander as warm lanterns light up the Great Wall’s path, casting a soft glow over the ancient stones. From the top, you can also overlook the entire Gubei Water Town below, its lights twinkling like stars—truly a view you’ll remember forever. When the night’s magic comes to an end, we’ll drive you back to your centrally located Beijing hotel, wrapping up this fantastic day of history, scenery, and unforgettable moments.
Highlights
Bottled water
Chinese lunch or dinner you can choose one of them
Cable car round trip at Simatai Great Wall
English Speaking tour guide
Private air conditioned vehicle
Transport by private vehicle
Entrance Fee
What's included
Included
Bottled water
Chinese lunch or dinner you can choose one of them
Cable car round trip at Simatai Great Wall
English Speaking tour guide
Private air conditioned vehicle
Transport by private vehicle
Entrance Fee
Not included
Cable car on the Jinshanling Great Wall
Gratuities
Pickup Locations & Times
Free pick up including hotels within the 4th ring road of Beijing City, if your hotel is out of our free pick zone, you can either travel to the city on your own to meet the tour guide or pay additional cost
Traveller Ratings
5.0
113 reviews
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Please wear comfortable walking shoes
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- The whole-day tour will take approximately 10 to 12 hours. Please ensure you are in good physical condition, or have a good rest in advance to keep up with the schedule.
- This tour departs in the afternoon/early noon, specially arranged for you to enjoy the stunning night view of Gubei Water Town and the breathtaking sunset at Simatai Great Wall. We provide either a lunch or a dinner for the tour, and you can choose one of the two meal options as you like.
- Jinshanling Great Wall features two classic hiking trails for exploration. A certain level of physical stamina is required for the hiking part.
Frequently asked questions
How long does this tour take?
Jinshanling Private Tour with Night View of Simatai and Gubei Water Town from Beijing lasts about 8–10 hours. The itinerary has 3 stops.
How much does this tour cost?
Prices start at $278 per person for this Beijing experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Can I cancel this tour for free?
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes, pickup is offered. Free pick up including hotels within the 4th ring road of Beijing City, if your hotel is out of our free pick zone, you can either travel to the city on your own to meet the tour guide or pay additional cost Pickup points include CONTACT_SUPPLIER_LATER, LOC-6eKJ+or5y8o99Qw0C8xWyH5BTPAFndK66IB/YW3NlJc=, LOC-6eKJ+or5y8o99Qw0C8xWyPcI3mXA3OHt4VhXzsI+tR0=.
What languages is this tour offered in?
The experience is available in ZH-TW, CMN, EN.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 15 travellers can book together.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap Children must be accompanied by an adult
Will my booking be confirmed immediately?
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Reviews(113)
F
Jinshanling, Simatai, and Gubei Water
Amazing Tour—Excellent English, Great Food, and Tony is the Best! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Our private day tour to Jinshanling, Simatai, and Gubei Water Town was incredible, entirely thanks to our tour guide Tony and driver they picked us up seamlessly from our hotel in East Beijing (next to Indigo Mall). Tony speaks excellent English, making communication effortless, and he is a phenomenal driver who made us feel completely safe on the mountain roads. The itinerary was stunning, and the included meal was absolutely amazing. Tony handled all our tickets and timings perfectly. Highly recommend booking this tour and asking for Tony!
N
Jinshanling Private Tour with Night View of Simatai and Gubei Water...
Jinshanling Private Tour with Night View of Simatai and Gubei Water was an incredible experience with Tony. Wang our driver was great also . Got us there safe. My husband and I had a wonderful day strolling the Jinshaling Great Wall and hiking the Simatai Great Wall! Our driver, Wang, provided seamless hotel round-trips and kept us hydrated with refreshments & bananas. Our guide, Tony was amazing, he prepared us perfectly for the hike and took tons of fantastic photos of us on the wall. They made our trip completely stress-free. Highly recommend this team!
J
Jimmy, best guide on this trip
Jimmy was great during this private tour. A guide I recommend, who speaks English very well Patient and passionate, he will also always lighten the mood with a little joke.
M
Day at the Great Wall of China
Very nice day in the company of Tony our guide Great discovery of the wall (a bit athletic) but widely appreciated by all Very warm welcome and very good dinner A day that is really worth it even if the drive is a bit long, it is an experience to have. Prefer the afternoon excursion, it is less hot and the wall at night is a beautiful sight. A must-do
3
A wonderful visit
Extraordinary experience, this area of the wall is not very crowded, which allows you to enjoy its majesty in peace; there are moments when there is no one around, which makes the moment even more special; in addition to the above, the views are spectacular. The town of Gubei is very pretty, although a bit commercial; even so, the visit is worth it. We were fortunate that our guide was John, as his explanations were very complete and interesting, besides the fact that he gave us very good recommendations and looked after us the whole time. Finally, the place where we ate was delicious; I highly recommend the tour.
N
An unforgettable Experience!
Truly an unforgettable experience. We were picked up by our guide Tony and our driver Dong in a clean and comfortable car. The drive took approximately 2hr 15min to Jinshanling. We took the cable car up, walked the Great Wall of China with almost no other tourists around. The perfect spot for beautiful scenary, perfect photos and excellent stories. We later enjoyed a delicious dinner, drove another 30 min to Gubei Water Town and walked through the city towards the cable car up to the second part of of the wall to enjoy the sunset. Can highly recommend! Remember to bring some good hiking shoes as some parts are quite steep.
M
Great day with Tony the tour guide and Dong Dong.
Tony the Tourguide and Dong Dong the driver were wonderful. We loved the Great Wall and Watertown. Tony gave us great history lessons on the wall and China. He accommodated all our needs and has a great personality. Dinner was delicious and filling. Dong Dong got us there safely and in comfort. Wear some good sneakers as there is plenty of walking. Great time!
P
A magical Great Wall day — Jinshanling serenity and Simatai sunset drama
WOW — what an amazing day with Guide Tony and Driver Liu. This tour not only lived up to my expectations, it exceeded them. Our first Great Wall stop was Jinshanling, and it was truly spectacular. It felt incredibly private and peaceful — at one point we simply sat for 20 minutes taking it all in, and only one other couple passed by. Perfect. From there, we went on to Gubei Water Town for a quick walk through before heading up to the Simatai section of the Great Wall to watch the sunset and see the lights come on. Standing up there really felt like being on top of the world, and the huge storm rolling in only added to the drama and majesty of the experience. We made it back down just before the rain arrived, then strolled through a beautifully quiet, almost deserted town. The roads were wet on the journey home, but Driver Liu’s careful driving meant I always felt completely safe. All up, it was 10.5 hours of greatness — including 12 km of walking and 57 flights of stairs climbed. Thanks to Tony and Liu you both created an unforgettable day and I highly recommended!
J
Great Wall - great adventure
Tony guided us to two sections of the Great Wall. He explained the history and construction and guided us to places for good photos. He did a great job of taking photos of us. We would definitely recommend Tony as a great guide!
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