Great Wall - Simatai? Zip Wire?Mutianyu? Please advise!

Replies: 9 - Last Post: 25-Jun-2007 21:56 Last Post By: ellyse

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Irina11

22-Jun-2007 14:18
Posts: 22

Great Wall - Simatai? Zip Wire?Mutianyu? Please advise!

We are going to be in Beijing in the end of July and would like to spend a full long day on Great Wall.

Questions:
1.I am thinking of skipping Ming Tombs and better enjoy Great Wall as much a possible? Am I right to do so?
2. Simatai or Mutianyu? Which one offers the best views/experience? We are fairly fit so hiking should not be a problem, but I understand in July will be very hot and humid so I am not sure 3/4 hours hike from Jinshangling to Simatai is the best in this time of the year.

I can not find detailed information to plan a day in Simatai or Mutianyu section.

3. Simatai:
East or West? East is more difficult but is it more beatuful as well? How can a combination of cable car and hike work? Does cable car go to the summit or it goes part of the way and then you have to hike? For how long? Where can we get on Zip Wire? At the same place as cable car? What is the best way to plan a combination of cable car/hiking and zip wire? Does Simatai section have restored part of the Wall as well?

4.Mutianyu:
Are there areas to hike as well? Is hike instead of cable car or after we take a cable car? What is the best way to plan a day? Cable car/hiking/toboggan?
Can you get to unrestored parts in Mutianyu or it is not allowed?
What other section of the Wall can we combine with a trip to Mutianyu?

Is it any way possible to go to Simatai and Mutianyu in one day?

Any advice is really very much appreciated.

rich45

23-Jun-2007 02:25
Posts: 119

Hi,

I recently went to Mutianyu on a trip organised by my hostel (red lantern). It took about 2 hours to get there, and we had 4.5 hours on the wall, and I walked from one end to the other and back again in about 3 hours with a few stops for photos etc.

You can get the cable car up to the wall itself, or walk up to it in 30 minutes (although this would reduce your time on the wall of course), and either get the cable car or toboggan back down. You can't get to the unrestored parts but can see them from the ends of the restored route that you'll be walking on.

After the initial 30 minutes or so, in and around the cable car station, I encountered few tourists and by about 3pm, the wall was pretty much deserted.

Have fun!

Rich

www.travelpod.com/members/rich

Hefner

23-Jun-2007 04:08
Posts: 295

1) there isnt a hell of a lot to see at the ming tombs but the area is quite pleasant (off season). theres the "spirit way" with carved marble animals and two tombs to visit, chang ling and ding ling (IIRC). at chang ling there's a memorial hall and a spirit tower, the tomb itself hasnt been excavated. I havent been to ding ling.

2) Simatai. Mutianyu is OK but Simatai is more awe-inspiring.

3 & 4) Consider making the simatai-jinshanling trek rather than going to both simatai and mutianyu. its a fairly popular trek but for the most part you'll have the wall to yourself. arrange for the driver to drop you off at simatai and to pick you up at jinshanling. the trek takes 4-5 hours.

krolmalp80

23-Jun-2007 05:24
Posts: 6

many guesthouses in Beijing are doing the Jinshanling > Simatai hiking trips for 150Y per person- it's great and there are hardely any Chinese tourists! (they don't like the real thing but prefare 'fakes' such as Badaling where you can get a hamburger)

-- yi lu ping an --

LynJ

23-Jun-2007 14:22
Posts: 2

But would the Jinshangling-Simatai trip in July would be unbearably hot? You might need to start really early and try to end by noon, or something like that. Which would mean either spending the night out there, or getting up very early in Beijing to drive out that morning.

Irina11

25-Jun-2007 12:39
Posts: 22

Thanks everybody for advice. We are really considering Jinshanling > Simatai hike but are worried about July weather. Is there any way to cut this hike or it is 4 hours or nothing?

gyangiri

25-Jun-2007 21:09
Posts: 1

one new option is you can take an afternoon train to Gubeikou
and stay at Mountainyoga's Great Wall Camp
in native Indian style Tipis in a valley by a section of untouched original Great Wall
enjoy drumming, dinner, meditation, ear candling, and accommodation in Tipi with camp fire
then hire a local guide for the Jingshanlin-Simatai treck early morning the next day
back to Beijing in the afternoon or stay with the yoga camp for more days

woolf135

25-Jun-2007 21:31
Posts: 1,610

how long does the simiatai - jinshanling trek take, incl. transport (the one organized by downtown backpackers)? specifically wondering what time you get back to beijing, as we want to catch a flight in the afternoon.... and can we hope off the bus when we get to northern beijing and flag down a taxi to the airport on teh way back? and bring our luggage and leave it on the bus?

ellyse

25-Jun-2007 21:55
Posts: 8,932

#7, we got back around 7 pm IIRC. Yes, you can leave luggage on the bus.
If you want the flexibility, why not organise your own taxi to the Wall and then have the same driver drive you to the airport after that? Might be better and I don't think it'd cost much more than going with the tour.
Cheers!

ellyse

25-Jun-2007 21:56
Posts: 8,932

#5, if you want to do a shorter hike, stay on the bus when everyone gets off at Jinshanling. The bus will then drive to Simatai. Get off there and just do the Simatai section, you'll have to walk back to the same point so you'll have a better idea when to turn around.
Cheers!

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