Private Tour

Private Sunset&Night Tour: Simatai Great Wall & Gubei Water Town

Overview

Available languages

English

9 hours

Mobile ticket

Stay away Beijing crowed tourists Great Wall Pass and bad air pollution, find your own private world of Great Wall in Simatai with seasonal romantic scenery: blooming mountain flowers are dancing with spring breeze; summer sunset sinks in Cloud Sea, autumn maples dressed the mountain as oil painting; winter snow brings Great Wall a kind of quiet gentleness.

Simatai section Great Wall is one of the few sections to retain the original appearance of the Great Wall, known as the "dangerous, extraordinary and special”. If we take it as a boy, Gubei water town is like a girl, gentle and soft，used to be a historic military border village. Accompanied by your private guide, you will start the tour at noon; take the return cable car to see the impressive parapets and defensive watch towers with the beautiful sunset.

Guide service, entrance fees, return cable car, round-trip transportation are all included.

Additional Info

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Dress code is smart casual

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Infant (1-3 years old) are free providing they do not occupy a seat

Extra fee is requested after 9 hours tour

Sun block is necessary in Summer

Cancellation Policy

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

What‘s Included

Hotel pick up & drop off

Round Trip cable car fees

Air-conditioned vehicle with a private Chinese speaking driver with translator App

Entrance Tickets to the Sights

Gas, toll & parking lot fees

English-speaking tour guide service fee (with All Inclusive option only)

Accommodations

Meals (Lunch & Dinner)

Gratuity to the guide and driver

Private English Speaking Tour Guide (With Transportation option )

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

What To Expect

Gubei Water Town

Be picked up by the English speaking tour guide with private vehicle at the hotel lobby at 12:30pm and drive to the Gubei water town which is situated in the north of Beijing, about 2-hour drive from the center, which surrounds the beautiful Mandarin Duck Lake Reservoir and leans against the Simatai Great Wall, the most dangerous and majestic section of the entire Great Wall. It was a historic military border village and now changes to a replica of Wuzhen Water Town in the Southern China, composed of picturesque canals, bridges, courtyard houses, has developed into a large-scale sightseeing and holiday destination. At the beginning of the experience, you will be picked up at your hotel, and head to the Gubei Water Town by a comfortable private vehicle. On the way, the tour guide will share with you the history about the Great Wall, and also you will have the chance to see the beautiful mountain view through the window. Once get into the water town, you will totally forget about the city life and immerse in the unique scenery. You will wander on the main street of flagstones, there are many food spots and stores alongside, such as: Kite workshop, Lantern shop，cloisonne crafts shop, etc., also, we are going to visit old safeguard agency, temple, academy, and eight banners guild hall. Walking in the water town, you can pass several bridges where you can take very beautiful pictures. Once go back to the town, there is an amazing “Kongming lantern”show waiting for us，you will see hundreds of lantern flying to the night sky. When the night falls, the water town transforms into a special atmosphere. You will see a part of the Great Wall from the village and it lights up at night. You can end the tour in the town with delicious street food there and bring you back to the hotel by car.

2 hours • Admission Included

Simatai Great Wall

After the water village you will reach the Simatai, the one of the few section to retain the original appearance of the Great Wall in Beijing, which was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), know as the “dangerous, extraordinary and special” section. Simatai is the only part of the UNESCO-listed structure open to visitors at night, and beautifully illuminated from dusk onward. Towards the sunset time, you are heading to the Great Wall: Simatai Section, from where you can see the sunset and take overlook at the whole Gubei water town. To make the experience more relax and comfortable, you will take the cable car up and down the wall when it’s illuminated, and also give you a special view to see the whole wall section under night sky.

2 hours • Admission Included

Options

All Inclusive Private Tour

Including entrance tickets to water town and Great Wall , round trip cable car fees, private transfer and private guide.
Pickup included

All Tickets+Transfer NO Guide

All tickets+Transfer NO Guide: Including entrance tickets to water town and Great Wall , round trip cable car fees, private transfer WITHOUT guide service.
Pickup included

Reviews

4.88

43 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Great experience at town and great wall
Willy T,
Nov 6, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
the experience was great! guide was friendly and planned the itinerary well to give us ample time to explore the town. we enjoyed the sunset at the great wall! recommended!
Exceptional, amazing and magical!
Victor A,
Oct 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
The wall and the village are amazing. The place is magical and our guide, Justin, was Excellent and very attentive to our needs. He's also a great photographer.
Excellent guide, night view somewhat disappointing
Sarah G,
Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
Peter was an excellent guide. He is knowledgeable and made the experience enjoyable. The town is interesting to visit, but the night view of the wall is somewhat disappointing. I expected more to be lit.
Great visit to Gubei and the Great Wall
blu16716,
Sep 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I had a great time with Lu Xiaolong as my driver. He was prompt during pickup and communicated well during the drive so I knew what the schedule and process would be like. He bought the ticket for me and helped me enter the Gubei watertown. The Watertown was beautiful and there was even a festival happening that night. The Great Wall was also great but it was a bit cloudy which blocked the sunset. Next time I come back to Beijing I’ll do this tour again and hope the weather is a bit better.
Absolutely amazing!!!
Michaelangelo C,
Sep 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
What an absolutely amazing experience! The atmosphere within the town in the evening is gorgeously illuminated. Additionally, the spectacular from the wall and light shows within the town, make this tour a very special experience which I highly recommend! A special thanks to my driver Lu Xiaolong who provided me with the perfect guidance for this beautiful town. This self-guided tour was incredible and made my entire day!
Great time in Gubei W Town and Simatai Great Wall
Huong T,
Jul 13, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Such a wonderful trip to Gubei Water Town, and Simatai Great Wall. Mr. Liu Guochang showed up in time, and patiently waited for us. The car is spacious and his drive was so smooth. He took care of everything for us to make this trip memorable! Highly recommend for family traveling.
Spectacular view over Simatai
Ronald d,
Jun 23, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
A late afternoon-evening period is a must to have the best experience on the Simatai Wall and in Gubei watertown. Because of the beautiful light, and also because (in summer) it is more pleasant, less warm. Put on sturdy shoes with good profile soles, the stairs of the Wall can be slippery. Afraid of heights is better left at home;-) but the view is worth everything. Gubei watertown is fun to watch. Not authentic though, but a nice copy (of Whuzen). It is best to go from Mon to Fri because the weekends are very busy.
Memorable sunset Great Wall tour
A5010UJjennifera,
Jun 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The guide was super friendly and made the experience great! We made it to the Great Wall during sunset and took amazing pictures
Great experience
HKChin,
Jun 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had an amazing time visiting Gu Bei water town and witnessing the beautiful sunset light of the Great Wall. Lots to see, do, eat and shop at Gu Bei water town so make sure you plan your visit with plenty of time. The driver we had is very pleasant and got us there efficiently.
Highlight of our trip to china
Z5852LXchrism,
Jun 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
For us, this was the highlight of the trip. Our guide, Justin, was awesome as was our driver Liu. The experience was incredible. The town was absolutely charming and the sunset on the wall was awesome. There is also a fountain show with lights and fire that was fun, but would have been particularly good with kids.