Great Wall — Jinshanling

Best Great Wall section for hikers — 10 km of partially restored, partially wild ridge with 67 watchtowers. The Jinshanling-to-Simatai hike is the classic.

Jinshanling is 130 km northeast of Beijing on the Hebei-Beijing border. It is the favourite Wall section for serious hikers. The ridge runs 10.5 km with 67 watchtowers — many partially restored, several wild. The classic hike runs from Jinshanling east to Simatai, taking 3.5–4 hours and passing through dramatic and increasingly unrestored terrain. Photographers favour Jinshanling for the watchtower density and the lack of restored polish.