The Great Wall at Jiankou is 80km/50miles northeast of Beijing. The Jiankou section is known for its ruggedness and wild beauty, and you will be in awe of the marvelous views it affords. Our hike will today take about 4 hours and will cover 10km/ 6 miles. We will see a deserted watchtower that gives you a panoramic view of the entire valley. We will start from a village called Xizaizhi at the bottom of Jiankou Great Wall, from where we will climb up a path for about 40 minutes to reach a peak watchtower. This section of the wall is not well known by tourists, although if you see a picture of the Great Wall from exotic traveling magazines, chances are from Jiankou. Here is the pinnacle of exotic Great Wall scenery. This part of the wall is often empty so that you will have some peace and serenity on your hike today.

From Jiankou, we will cross over onto Mutianyu, a section of the wall that has been largely restored. Although it has gotten a face-lift, it avoids the army of tourists that plague Badaling. Mutianyu offers some breathtaking views of the valley and wall below, and if you look to your right, you’ll see a large sign engraved in the side of the mountain, encouraging you to “Cherish the teachings of Chairman Mao.” Mutianyu has also become famous for visiting foreign leaders and celebrities. You can hike down to the parking lot, take a cable car, or take a toboggan ride (highly recommended, and lots of fun!)