How to buy entrance tickets to Simatai Great Wall
1. If you are going to buy a through ticket both for Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall, you don’t need to book your tickets in advance. You just go directly to the Gubei Water Town Tourist Center to buy your tickets.
2. If you are not interested in the artificial water town and prefer to buy the ticket for Simatai Great Wall separately, then you have to book your tickets one day in advance. You may book your tickets valid for next 10 days. You also go to the Gubei Water Town Tourist Center to collect your Simatai tickets, then start for your hike escorted by a tour guide from Gubei Water Town tourist center on foot or take a golf cart to the starting point for Simatai Great Wall hike.
For Simaitai Great Wall only tourists, they are arranged to visit Simatai Great Wall in four departures per day – 09:00, 10:00, 13:00,14:00.
Booking hotline: 010 – 81009999 ( 09:00 – 17:00 ).
Simatai Great Wall Entrance Fee: RMB 40 from Jan 01 t0 Sept; Gubei Water Town Entrance fee: RMB 80 from Jan 01 to Sept 30. Opening Hours: 8:00- 17:00 ( ticket selling till 16:30).
How to get to Simatai Great Wall
Self-driving: Driving along Jingcheng Expressway and get off at the 24th Exit of Simatai. Then drive according to the roadside direction signboard for 2-5 minute.
Public Transportation: Take public bus No.980 from Dongzhimen Transportation Hub and get off the stop of Gulou (Drum Tower) at Miyun County, then connect local bus No.51 or 38 to Simatai Village. Then walk to Gubei Water Town (1.5km).
How to Hike Simatai Great Wall
1. At the time of my writing, people are only allowed to hike the East Section from Tower 1 to 10. The West Section is still unopened.
2. The cross hike from Jinshanling to Simatai Great Wall is still not allowed ( mainly due to the closure of Simatai West Section ).
3. If you have strong legs, you may first walk about 30 minutes from the tourist center to the first tower of the Wall, then hike all the way up to the 10th tower. You may hike down or take the cable car down the hill ( RMB 80 single way ).
4. If you don’t have strong legs, but still want to experience the length of Simatai Great Wall, you may first take the cable car up ( RMB 80 ) to the 8th tower, then walk down the wall. You still need to take great care when you hike down since some parts are very steep!
5. If you just want to have a look at the Wall and don’t want to climb the Wall, you may take the cable car up and down ( RMB 160). The cable station above is located on the hillside leading either to the 5th Tower and 8th Tower.
Where to dine and stay in Simatai area?
After your hike at Simatai, you may dine at Gubei Water Town ( suggest you go to the public area in Minguo Street – a not paid area inside the town). Or you may go to the Simatai Village for home lunch or dinner, 1.5km west of the Gubei Water Town.
If you want to stay overnight in the Simatai area, you may stay inside the Gubei Water Town or Simatai Village. Gubei Water Town have 2 5-star hotels, 6 boutique hotels, and more guesthouses and B$B. For budget accommodation, you may choose to stay in a household in Simatai Village.
Travel Tips on what dress for seasonal hike
April, October, and earlier November: long shorts, overcoat; May, June, July and August: Summer dress – many T-shirts shorts; December, January and early February: winter hat with ear flap, ear warmers, gloves, scarf, warm jackets and the winter accessories.
Travel Tips for the attractions near Simatai Great Wall
Simatai Great Wall is located in Miyun County, 140km northeast of Beijing’s city center. In Miyun County, you may also visit Changyu Chateau Beijing, Yumenshan Great Wall , Gubeikou Great Wall as well as Jinshanling Great Wall.
About the Hike from Jinshanling to Simatai Great Wall
The scenic hike from Jinshanling to the west section of Simatai Great Wall is favored by many Great Wall hikers. Unfortunately, now the stretch from Jinshanling to Simatai is still unopened mainly due to the closure of the west section of Simatai Great Wall. You have three options to substitute the missing hike.
1. You may hike the 18 towers of the east section Jinshanling Great Wall to the beginning tower of the west section of Simatai. You can arrange your driver to wait for you by the roadside of the short-cut to the last tower of the east section of Jinshanling.
2. You may hike from Gubeikou Great Wall to Jinshanling Great Wall, the most challenging and photogenic hike attracting many Great Wall hiking lovers.
3. You can walk from Jiankou Great Wall to Mutianyu Great Wall, the most impressive and photogenic hike around Beijing.
Some Simatai Great Wall Photos
There are 16 towers on the east section and 12 towers on the west section. The west sections is still unopened while for the east section, people are only allowed to climb up to the 10th tower.
The West Section of Simatai Great Wall viewed from a high point on the East Section of Simatai Great Wall
Trudge up to the 6th and 7th tower on the East Section of Simatai Great Wall
Walking up to the 8th, 9th and 10th tower on the east section. The 8th Tower is also known as White Cloud Tower. You may find a big hole on the tower. It is said the hole was blasted by the Japanese invaders during the second world war when they bombed the Great Wall.
I was standing by the 12th Tower with the backdrop of the forbidden section of Simatai Great Wall.
Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Beijing:
Mutianyu Great Wall Group Day Tour
Mutianyu Great Wall Half Day Private Tour
Hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall Tour
Hike from Gubeikou to Jinshanling Great Wall Tour
Hike from Jinshanling to Simatai Great Wall West Tour
Badaling Great Wall + Mutianyu Great Wall Day Tour
Badaling Great Wall and Underground Palace Day Tour
Badaling Great Wall + Forbidden City + Tiananmen Square Day Tour
Visit Badaling Great Wall by Train
Visit Mutianyu Great Wall by Bus
Hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall Tour
Hike from Gubeikou to Jinshanling Great Wall Tour
Hike from Jinshanling to Simatai Great Wall West Tour
Badaling Great Wall + Mutianyu Great Wall Day Tour
Badaling Great Wall and Underground Palace Day Tour
Badaling Great Wall + Forbidden City + Tiananmen Square Day Tour
Further Readings
How to visit Mutianyu Great Wall by bus.
Tips for Visiting Great Wall around Beijing
How to Visit Beijing in Winter
Visiting Great Wall by Train
Go to Badaling Great Wall by Bus
Great Wall Tour
Top 10 Markets in Beijing
Any questions, just drop a line.
Hello, thank you for this website, it has a lot of information and I really appreciate it. However I have few more questions:
– Is the famous Wangjing tower accessible or at least visible at this moment? You mention in this article that only towers 1 to 10 are now open, but you stand by the tower number 12 on the last picture, so I wander if it is still possible to go further than the 10th tower at my own risk?
Thank you.
Ghislain.
Hello Ghislain,
Wangjing tower is not accessible and hardly visible at this moment. As far as I know, at the present, people are not allow to pass over Tower 10. My picture by Tower 12 was taken in 2009.
Thank you!
Hello,
Thank you for this website. I am going to Beijing soon and would like to plain a trip to the Great Wall. I was wandering if the zip line is still open and from where to get it.
Thank you
Julie
Hi Julie,
Last time I didn’t find any zip line in service. Maybe they have done away with the zip line. Personally I feel today’s Simatai Great Wall has been a bit gentrified with its market targeted at the high-end holiday-makers or business meetings.