Private Tour

Beijing Evening Tour: Illuminated Great Wall and Gubei Water Town

Overview

Available languages

Chinese

English

8 hours 30 minutes

Mobile ticket

This tour is a rare opportunity to experience two of Beijing’s most enchanting nighttime attractions in one evening. Witness the golden-lit Simatai Great Wall under starlight and immerse yourself in the vibrant nighttime energy of Gubei Water Town, complete with high-tech drone imagery and captivating water performances. Perfect for photographers, couples, or those seeking an intimate and unforgettable Chinese cultural adventure.

Book now to secure your spot on this private, illuminated Great Wall & Gubei Water Town evening tour!

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible

Specialized infant seats are available

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

Gubei Water Town

Often dubbed the "Venice of the East," Gubei Water Town is a picturesque water village nestled at the foot of the Simatai Great Wall. As night falls, the town transforms into a luminous wonderland. Highlights include: * Traditional Architecture & Scenic Canals: Wander through cobblestone streets lined with ancient-style buildings, cross charming stone bridges, and enjoy boat rides along tranquil canals, capturing the essence of traditional northern Chinese towns. * Cultural Attractions: Visit the Yongshun Dye House to try your hand at traditional dyeing techniques and explore the Sima Liquor Distillery to learn about and sample China's famous baijiu liquor. * Evening Entertainment: Experience the vibrant night scene with performances such as Peking Opera or acrobatics at the Grand Theater, and enjoy the stunning light and drone shows over Sun Moon Square.

2 hours • Admission Not Included

Simatai Great Wall

Ascend to the Simatai Great Wall, situated approximately 1,200 meters above sea level, and renowned for its steep, rugged Ming Dynasty architecture. * Experience the wall like few do—with evening illumination from 5:30 PM in winter or 7:30 PM in summer, lasting until 9:30 PM. * Scenic Cable Car Ride: Skip the steep ascent with a cable car to Tower 5, unlocking panoramic views of Gubei Water Town lit up below. * Exclusive Night Access: Explore the atmospheric section between Towers 5 and 6—open only during evening hours—for a more authentic and intimate Great Wall experience. * Illuminated Mountain Views: Walk along the golden-lit Wall snaking over rugged peaks, reflecting off Gubei’s nightscape—and on clear nights, even the distant glow of Beijing city lights at Tower 16. * Photographer’s Dream & Romantic Escape: With fewer crowds, mystical lighting, and cool evening breezes, this nighttime tour is perfect for long-exposure shots and romantic strolls.

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Not Included

What‘s Included

Private Driver Service

Private English Guide Service

Modern Air-conditioned Vehicle

Local Tax, Toll and Parking Fee

Entrance Tickets

Meal, Drink and Personal Cost

Gratuities for Good Service

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Options

Private Guide and Driver

Pickup included

Reviews

5.00

4 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Above ALL expectations
Tisidan,,Jan 29, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We choose Judy because of her ability to respond quickly and accurately and that impressed us. Also, and that might be a well kept secret, Judy calmed my wife because she could say few words in French! But above all, never ever have we enjoyed a private tour like this one. You want good reasons: Knowledgeable, she engages well, she's smiling (always!), she pays attention to details, the choice of visits and the care she takes of her customer is above any expectations. Not to mention that we had two different drivers (one at the beginning and one when we returned from our cruise) and both were big 10's! Their cars (both were driving Buick's) were new, clean, and their driving was safe and smooth. We also spent sometime to socialize and that was an instructive experience as well. And for those French Canadians that are scared because of the language barrier I would say: There was no barrier at all! Judy was just above any of all our expectations!
Different way to explore the Great Wall
Jochmichale,,Dec 29, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Judy was recommended by a colleague and we contacted her for organizing a trip to see the Great Wall and water town at night. Judy replies us fast and she was always ready to help. The next day she arranged a spacious comfortable SUV for 4 of us. The driver Mr Zang was patient and friendly enough during the whole way while Judy as our guide was just amazing, kind, patient and absolutely outstanding. She was very insightful and well-organized and glad to satisfy any queries we had. She went out of her ways to make us as comfortable as possible. I definitely will be using her services in the future. Great person and great trip!
A great day out escaping busy Beijing
500kathv,,Oct 28, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was a wonderful day out to a beautiful restored water town and the wall at night. Autumn is a lovely time of year to go. A highlight was the light show in the evening. Judy was a wonderful guide, excellent English and we learned so much from her. We really enjoyed the day and wished that we had more tours with Judy.
A wonderful experience!
JillDerry,,Jan 11, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Excellent guide in Judy, very charming and knowledgeable. Went to Gubei water town and the Great Wall at Simatai. The water town is very picturesque, lots of photo opportunities. If so inclined, also lots of activities in the village eg paper modelling, making kites, lanterns, etc. However we elected to climb up to the wall (25mins) and were not disappointed. The history here is amazing. The wall is steep here, hold on tight! But this adds to the magnificence of the views. Returning to the village by gondola, we found our guide had tracked down a western restaurant as one of us had become allergic to Chinese food (msg probably). Very thoughtful of her and appreciated. She also allowed us to deviate off to have a Starbucks! After dark we took the gondola up to the wall. All lit up. Fantastic to view from the village and from the wall. As it was my birthday the guide bought me a good luck wooden rectangle to hand on the wall, a Chinese custom like the padlocks on bridges, we think. This tour gave us abiding memories of the vastness of the wall and the length of Chinese history. Pluses: excellent knowledgeable and charming guide in Judy. Flexible tour in that we chose to visit the wall in daylight also as opposed to remaining in the village (highly recommend if adult). Magnificent views of lit up wall. Private car meant travel very comfortable. Negatives: very few, cigarette smell in car on return trip (common) as driver waits all trip for you and smokes like many of his compatriots. Probably smokes outside the car but brings smell in on clothes etc. Minor issue. We highly recommend this tour and this guide. The best of all the 5 days tripping we did.