Jinshanling Private Tour with Night View of Simatai and Gubei Water Town from Beijing
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
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!
Additional Info
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.
What To Expect
Jinshanling Great Wall
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
Gubei Water Town
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.
Options
Private Tour
Your English speaking guide will meet you in your hotel's lobby by holding your name sign Pickup included
What‘s 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
Cable car on the Jinshanling Great Wall
Gratuities
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
102 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Best place to see the Great Wall, and the Gubei water town was a special treat!
ripchou,Jun 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We had such a great experience! Our tour guide Allen was fantastic! He was so knowledgeable about so many things about China and the wall. Both parts of the wall were very special and visiting the Gubei water town was also amazing at night. It’s worth the longer drive to see these two parts of wall. It was not not crowded at all. In parts of it we were the only one in that section! The dinner was also so tasty! My thanks to Allen and the driver so such a special private tour!
Allen Zhuang - Great Tour Guide!
briantK9686EG,May 30, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Allen Zhuang was a fantastic tour guide. He had everything set up from the moment we arrived and created a magical day for.our large group while visiting The Great Wall of China. I would highly recommend him for any group tour in China!
Unforgettable experience for our family
467kristia,May 30, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We’ve been dreaming of visiting China as a family and seeing the Great Wall. This tour far exceeded our expectations. Allan was an amazing guide. He shared interesting facts about the history of China, as well as what it’s like living in Beijing. We loved visiting a nearly deserted section of the Great Wall and having a personal tour meant we were never rushed. The dinner was also amazing and we loved the water town. This was really an unforgettable day for our family and a highlight of our trip to China. Absolutely recommend!
Peaceful hike on the Great Wall
NDaniels123,May 27, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fantastic tour to a pretty much deserted part of the Great Wall. We maybe passed 10 people maximum in 2 hours on the Jinshanling section - made the experience so special and peaceful. Dinner after was super tasty and then was so nice to go back up to see sunset and the wall light up at night. Drive was smooth, car very comfortable and our guide Jimmy was excellent.
A beautiful day with John
clarisseforpresident,May 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a beautiful experience with our guide John. He and our driver picked us up from our hotel and drove us to the wall in a confortable car. We even stopped along the way for a tea ceremony. These sections of the wall are impressive and authentic. Worth the long trip ! John shared insights about the wall but also about life as a chinese person. He was helpful and happy to answer all our questions. I bought this tour as a part of my 30 years old birthday trip and I do not regret it at all. Thank you for a great day !
Amazing guide, witty conversation, wonderful history
tasieg2023,May 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.0010/10 ! Allen was punctual and very witty - our 8 hour long tour went by too quickly! We got to see two parts of the Great Wall - Jinshanling and Simatai and also walked through Gubei Watertown. Favourite highlights: - 2.5 hour drive from our hotel was really smooth and we learnt a lot about Beijing history (I get really motion sick but did not feel sick at all!) - the climb up to the Generals watchtower was impressive! Had original cannons from the Ming Dynasty and you can literally breathe and feel the history in the air. - Gubei Watertown is extremely pretty - has the ancient Jiangnan style Watertown view without the hustle and bustle. When we come to Beijing next we will definitely ask him to take us around again - we’re already planning our next trip back!
Great tour and guide (Jimmy)
Wayne W,May 23, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great tour. Well worth the extra travel to get away from the crowds. Tour guide Jimmy was very knowledgeable on all things China not just tour specific.
The path less travelled to the great wall. Less people and fantastic views of the unrestored portion of the wall.
875winstong,May 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide was Tony. Couldnt ask for more. Very knowledgeable and patient. Quite thorough in making us understand the history of the great wall. He also help us take fantastic photos and knew exactly the best spot. He had to climb up the wall with us which was not easy. We had a great time. Thank you also to our driver who got us back to the hotel safely. I would highly recommend you specifically ask for Tony!
Jinshaling wall
Ramprasad S,May 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We took the tour because we wanted to see the less crowded parts of the Great Wall of China. The Jinshaling wall of China was extremely well preserved. The Gubei water town is just an ancient looking modern Watertown similar to a water town in South China but nothing much there. There’s a lot of things to eat. We traveled with Miko Lee who was our guide for the tour. We are vegans and since this tour also included food in the form of dinner, Miko was kind enough to accommodate us into a restaurant that would suit our palette. We left the hotel at around 12:45 PM and return back at around 9:45 PM. We did not wait to see the lights coming on at the Simatai wall since the drive itself was approximately two hours back into the city. The lights come on at around 7:15 PM in May. Miko was knowledgeable and considerate. Involves a lot of walking, including climbing steps. The cable car at simatai wall was also very good. This tour gives you an experience of the less crowded more wall Jinshaling preserved wall section, and also gives you an idea of the crumbling nature of the wall in the Simatai section. You have to walk through the Gubei water town in order to reach the Simatai section. If you have plenty of time, you can do this on your own, but we are very pressed on time and so we took this tour. The tour is a little pricey and expensive I thought but well worth the money because our time crunch. The two of us very well Arganese on time and both the driver and the guide were extremely good and accommodating
Great trip with an amazing guide
Nikoleta A,May 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The trip exceeded our expectations and Jay was an amazing guide, and helped us a lot! We all enjoyed, including our 5-year old child! We liked to have seen the great wall both with day and night view, I think one complements the other. The Jingshaling was great, not crowded and you get a glimpse of the history and admire the view. The sinatai was really scenic with the lights, worth visiting! The water town was very beautiful with the houses and the water canals, better than what we expected! The food we ate was really good! In general, I highly recommend this experience!
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Operated by Discover Beijing Tours