The 15 Best Hikes in China

1.Small Group Hike at Jinshanling Great Wall

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 667 reviews · 9 hours · from $52Our pick

Leave Beijing at 8am for a three-hour hike from Jinshanling East to the main gate. You’ll cross restored and original wall sections, climb steep steps, and pass more than 15 watchtowers. Choose an English-speaking guide or hike independently with maps and support from drivers such as Zhang Feng, Charlie, John, and Li Jinbo.

“Need to have baseline decent fitness but if you do its fun. Very few people in this section of the wall which was great”

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2.Jingshanling Great Wall Trekking Tours with Options

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 411 reviews · 8 - 10 hours · from $60

Spend 8 to 10 hours hiking the partly restored Jinshanling Great Wall, where repaired stonework meets crumbling watchtowers and open countryside. Choose group transport, a private guide and driver, or add the Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Gubei Water Town, Simatai sunset, or a hutong food tour. Guides speak English and several European languages.

“It s thw second time i booked this tour... This time to show the great wall to my father... Thw guide is top”

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3.Small Group 6km hiking Jinshanling Great Wall EN speaking driver

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 347 reviews · from $75Top rated

Travel from central Beijing to Jinshanling in a small group of no more than 15, then walk 6km of Ming-era wall at your own pace. Jackie, Iris, Zachary, and other English-speaking drivers have received warm praise, but this is not a guided hike. Expect steep stairs, grand views, about three hours on the wall, and a long drive each way.

“The tour included return trip from Beijing to the Great Wall. The drive itself was OK, also did one stop each way (approx 3h drives). We only missed a bit more general information about the Great Wall while driving and not while hiking as we were dedicated to photos there (and thus quickly lost the guide).”

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4.Full-Day Small-Group Great Wall Hiking at Jinshanling

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 347 reviews · from $138

Spend about nine hours hiking from Simatai West toward Jinshanling with an English-speaking guide such as Dewit, Cheney, Jason, or Luis. Expect steep steps, restored and original wall sections, wide mountain views, bottled water, trekking poles on request, and a filling local lunch after the hike.

“I joined a trek on the Great Wall at Jinshanling with Dewit and it was an unforgettable experience. Dewit was an excellent guide who made the hike both enjoyable and informative. He knew the best spots for views and photos, shared history aRead more”

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5.Mini Group: Beijing Forbidden City Tour with Great Wall Hiking at Mutianyu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 344 reviews · from $159

Spend a full day seeing Beijing’s three headline sights with an English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, and air-conditioned transport. Walk through Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, then explore Mutianyu at your own pace. Guides such as Lily, Jerry, Sunny, and Olivia have been praised for clear explanations and personal help. Bring your passport details, lunch money, and about $19 extra for the cable car or toboggan.

“A wonderful way to spend the day. Our guide was informative and we were able to see a lot in a short period of time. Our guide was nice but a very fast walker which made it hard to stop and take pictures other then the basic tourist images.”

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6.Private Trekking Day Tour to Jinshanling Great Wall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 127 reviews · from $122

You’ll leave Beijing by private vehicle for Jinshanling, then hike 5 to 6 kilometers from the East Five Eye Tower toward the east side. Expect about three hours on foot, ruined and restored watchtowers, views toward Simatai, and lunch at a local Chinese restaurant if you choose the all-inclusive option. Driver Zhang Baowen has earned special praise for punctual, flexible pickups.

“We signed up for just the transportation service due to the time constraint and it worked perfectly. The driver was on time to pick us up, the ride was comfortable and we left our luggage in his car. We finished the hike earlier than the agreRead more”

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7.Water-Great Wall Odyssey: Hike & Cruise One Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 94 reviews · 9 hours · from $52

Spend five hours at Huanghuacheng, the Great Wall section that meets a mountain lake. Your English-speaking guide, often Cici, Shannon, or another team member, handles the route and timing while you hike, take the included boat ride, and enjoy free time. Optional rafting costs 140 RMB.

“Amazing Experience at the Great Wall with an Exceptional Guide! We had an unforgettable tour to the Great Wall, and our guide CiCi truly made the day special. She went above and beyond to make sure everyone was comfortable and informed. CiCi is not only incredibly knowledgeable, sharing important details and fascinating historical facts, but she’s also genuinely warm, sweet, and attentive. What really stood out was how she paid attention to everyone’s individual needs — she made sure that each person felt seen and supported throughout the tour. Communication with her was smooth and friendly the entire time. The section of the Wall we visited was stunning — less…”

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8.Private Hiking Tour From Jiankou To Mutianyu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 77 reviews · from $209

Join a private, full-day hike from Jiankou’s unrestored Great Wall to the restored Mutianyu section. Guides such as Peter and James provide history, navigation, water, snacks, and steady support. Expect a strenuous trail, quiet wall sections, about two hours of driving each way, and a Chinese lunch near Mutianyu.

“Amazing experience. This is best way to see the Great Wall if you are staying in Beijing. Jiankou is not crowded at all and the views are stunning. It’s not until a few hours in that you start to see other tourists as you get closer to Mutianyu. Peter Read more”

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9.Private Great Wall Hiking from Jiankou to Mutianyu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 77 reviews · from $228

Leave Beijing at 7:30 a.m. for a private hike from unrestored Jiankou to restored Mutianyu. Expect steep climbs, broken wall sections, quiet mountain views, and about six hours on foot. Guides such as Peter, Lucy, Miko, Jack, and Jenny have led this route. Lunch, transport, entrance fees, and hotel pickup are included.

“Excellent, excellent experience. The Great Wall hike with Miko was the highlight from my 4 days in Beijing. Its about a 1.5 hour drive to the starting point, followed by a 45min to hour long hike to the wall. You'll start at a section not open to the broader public, and then wind your way down to the touristy area. The first 2/3rds of the hike are exceptional well worth it alone. Miko did an excellent job providing me with background history and guiding the overall experience. In the future, I would very much enjoy hiking with him again.”

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10.All Inclusive Private Hiking Tour from Huanghuacheng Water Great Wall to Xishuiyu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 63 reviews · from $209

Spend about eight hours hiking from Huanghuacheng to Xishuiyu, where part of the Great Wall disappears beneath a reservoir. A private guide such as James, Danny, or Miko may lead your group, adjusting the pace when needed. Hotel pickup, private transport, lunch, snacks, water, entry tickets, and a completion certificate are included.

“James gave a great tour. This was a lovely section, mostly wild and very few people. James adjusted his pace to suit us easily and was always courteous. He nearly got in a fight with one peddler trying to sell us trinkets, but he told us to go oRead more”

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11.The Dragon’s Back Hiking Tour, Hong Kong

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · from $120

Join a guide such as Rory, Tristan, or Henry for a five-hour Dragon’s Back hike from Shau Kei Wan. Expect forest paths, rocky steps, ridge views over Hong Kong and the South China Sea, then time at Big Wave Bay for swimming, surfing, or a beach café stop. The hike is moderate, especially in hot weather.

“Amazing views, friendly and very knowledgeable tour guide. I would recommend doing this hike on a sunny day with clear skies for the best experience.”

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12.Self-guided challenging hiking from Jinshanling to Gubeikou

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 14 reviews · 1 day

You’ll leave your Beijing hotel at 7am with a private driver and hike from Jinshanling East to Gubeikou, crossing restored brickwork, jungle trails, and wild Wall. The route is self-guided, not accompanied on foot. You receive a map, instructions, bottled water, and WeChat support. Expect steep steps, 8 kilometers of walking, and roughly 6 to 7 hours with breaks.

“A once in a lifetime opportunity! It might seem pricey but so worth the overall experience. We basically had the wall to ourselves for most of the day, and were able to take our time and enjoy. The first hour of the hike is steep, but there are lots of rest areas and benches. Once you’re on the wall it’s a lot of up and down but manageable for most mobile people. The walk took us 5 hours to the half way mark, at which point the company gives you the option to continue or to stop the trek if you’re tired or running out of daylight. The company was…”

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13.Great Wall Hiking Tour from Jiankou to Mutianyu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 9 hours · from $264

Leave Beijing for a private, guided hike across Jiankou’s unrestored wall and Mutianyu’s restored towers. Your English-speaking guide, such as Roy or Michael, explains the wall’s past and helps with photo stops. The day includes hotel transfers, water, admission, and a local lunch. Expect steep, uneven sections and about six hours on foot.

“Roy was a great guide, full of lots of local knowledge and practice at photo opportunities.”

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14.scooter and hiking trip in the rainforest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $105

Spend about six hours exploring Sanya’s countryside by scooter and on foot. You’ll ride for an hour each way, hike for two hours in Liuluo Mountain rainforest, and travel with a guide such as Tom, who may take photos and drone footage. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, but confirm the lunch arrangement before booking.

“This is a fantastic experience. Tom went above and beyond to make this tour as memorable as possible. He took photos and videos of the walk as well as flying a drone over me as I rode the scooter through the rain forest to get some special Read more”

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15.Full-Day Private Countryside Hiking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 8 - 9 hours · from $105

Join Andy’s private full-day Yangshuo tour from Guilin or Yangshuo, with a private car and English or Chinese guide. Choose a 13-kilometer Li River hike from Yangdi to Xingping, a shorter Yulong River walk, or a combined route. Expect limestone peaks, village paths, water buffalo, bamboo groves, Moon Hill and flexible pacing.

“Activity was very good! Basically a personalized tour - picked up from hotel and driven to Yangshuo where you can choose what you want to do, where you want to go and how much walking you want to do.”

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