3AC: Jinshanling & Lakeside Great Wall Trek

Route 3AC: Gubeikou-Jinshanling-Jinshanling-West Simatai-Lakeside Huanghuacheng-Xishuiyu

Hike among breathtaking views at the Jinshanling-West Simatai Great Wall section. Take in a sunset and take photos. Then onto Huanghuacheng, the Wall here was very solid and reliable until the 1930s, where Japanese invaders tried to break the Wall to enter Beijing.

The Xishuiyu Great Wall is partially under the water. Therefore, both Huanghuacheng and Xishuiyu are unique in that the Great Wall is under a lake or reservoir. No other section of the Wall has this feature.

Spend a night beneath the stars in the Great Wall landscape, where historic watchtowers add a memorable setting to your camp.

All necessary camping gear such as tents, pads & bags is provided.

Imagine camping inside a watchtower!

Day 1: Gubeikou-Jinshanling

3AC: Gubeikou, Jinshanling, and the Lakeside Wall — mountain landscape and Great Wall towers

Begin at Gubeikou and follow about 10 km of steep, winding Great Wall. The varied towers and broad mountain views give the route its character, with time to watch the sunset as the day ends.

The Jinshanling Great Wall possesses an excellent opportunity to take in some fabulous views. Make sure to take your camera. You will not be disappointed! This part of the Great Wall has not been repaired since 1570. It is very remote, but it's what makes it so unique and a great chance to experience the nature and the wild parts of the Wall.

Then we'll take you to have some Chinese cuisine served by a local housewife. Before the sun sets, we will make our way back up the Wall to prepare camp where we will spend a night in a famous watchtower! Sleeping under the stars on the Great Wall itself an experience you won't forget!

Distance: 10 km

Time: 4.5 Hours

Accommodation: Hostel at Jinshanling

Meals: Lunch and dinner

Water: Unlimited

Day 2: Jinshanling-West Simatai

Wake up to a magnificent sunrise. Jinshanling Great Wall possesses an excellent opportunity to take in some fabulous views. This part of the Great Wall has not been repaired since 1570. It is very remote, but it's what makes it so unique and a great chance to experience the nature and the wild parts of the Wall. It is a great place to explore on foot, as there are very few tourists at the Jinshanling Great Wall. A perfect chance to take a selfie with nobody else to get in the way as Jinshanling is renowned as the "Paradise of Photographers."

You will also walk to Simatai. A famous Great Wall specialist said: "The Great Wall is the best of Chinese architecture, but Simatai is the best of the Great Wall." Built on a cliff, Simatai is exceptionally steep. This section of the Wall is known for its legends and historical relics.

Have a gourmet lunch on us locally before we camp on the Great Wall at Huanghuacheng, the most peaceful part of the Great Wall. Catch some shut eye while glancing every now and then at the stars above! The next morning, breakfast will be delivered to the Wall for you before we resume our adventure!

Hiking Distance: 8 km/5 miles

Hours to Take: 3.5

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Accommodation: Camp at Huanghaucheng Great Wall

Water: Unlimited bottles

Day 3: Huanghuacheng-Xishuiyu

A wake-up call at 7:30 AM with breakfast, we will then continue our trek, this time from Huanhuacheng to Xishuiyu.

Huanghuacheng sits near a lake and a reservoir. The crescent-shaped reservoir is called Huanghuacheng Reservoir, while the name of the lake is Jintang.

Explore restored Great Wall masonry at Huanghuacheng and consider a boat trip on Haoming Lake. Sightseeing cruises and rowing boats offer another perspective on the fortifications and surrounding mountain scenery.

We’ll end our adventure this afternoon.

Distance: 10 km. Time: 4.5 hours

Meals: Breakfast and lunch

Water: Unlimited

Testimonial

We made it!

My husband and I did route 3AC with tour guide Oliver Zhao. The hike is very challenging and I enjoyed the company of 2 local Mongolian vendors who hiked for 2 hours with us in the hope that I buy souvenirs from them. They guided me go through the difficult hike and encouraged me to keep going. In the end I just gave them money for their efforts. Camping at the tower is an experience never to be forgotten. It was (-13 Deg C) with slight wind factor. Our drinking water was frozen and had to keep it in our body to melt.

Woke up early to welcome the sunrise on top of the Gubeiko Great Wall and what a fantastic view it is. Huanghuacheng Great Wall was the most difficult and rugged but with the guidance of Oliver, I completed the hike without taking the short cut route. Oliver is a good tour guide, very knowledgeable on the history of the Great Walls. He is mindful of our safety at all times and very helpful. He carried most of my stuff so I can catch up with the hiking pace of him and my husband. His food choices are great and satisfy the dietary requirements of my husband who is vegetarian. He introduced us to the cuisine of the locals which we found to be tasty and delicious.

I strongly recommend Oliver as a tour guide and if there is another opportunity for us to see other attractions of China, I will certainly require his tour guide services again. Thank you very much Oliver. Our hike of the Great wall was a memorable adventure.

- ladygouldiandawson8, Sydney, Australia on TripAdvisor.

Date of experience: 29 Jan 2017

3AC: Gubeikou, Jinshanling, and the Lakeside Wall