Simatai Great Wall-Explore the Great Wall at Night

The Simatai Great Wall with a length of 5.7 kilometers is divided into the east and west sections. The east section has 16 watchtowers and the west section has 19 watchtowers. It is the only Great Wall in China that retains its original appearance.

Quick Facts About Simatai Great Wall

• Name in Chinese: Sī mǎ tái 司马台
• Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00 on day; 18: 00-21: 40 at night
• Ticket Price: CNY 40 for an adult, CNY 20 for a student and an elder
• Location: Gubeikou Town, Miyun District, Beijing

Tour Route of Simatai Great Wall

Simatai Great Wall is located inside the Gubei Water Town. You can take the shuttle bus from the town to the ticket entrance of the Simatai. The shuttle bus costs CNY 10, with half price for children. Or you can walk to the ticket entrance, which takes about 40 minutes.

You should book the tickets for the Simatai in advance to avoid a wasted trip, as the entrance will be closed once the maximum number of visitors is reached.

After checking in at the ticket office, you can take the shuttle bus to the entrance of the Great Wall free of charge. The shuttle bus departs at 10: 00, 11: 00, 12: 00, 13: 00, 14: 00, 15:00 and the return times are 12: 30, 13: 30, 14: 30, 15: 30, 16: 30.

After reaching the entrance of the Great Wall, there are 2 ways to ascend:

Route 1: walking, which requires a lot of physical strength.

You can start your journey from the walking path of the Great Wall, then walk through the wooden plank road and the road for about 1 kilometer to arrive at the second watchtower. After that, walking eastward, you will pass through the 3 to 10 watchtowers in turn. This route allows you to visit all the open watchtowers.

After you reach the 10 watchtower, you can return to the 8 watchtower to take the cable car down the mountain. There are passages to the cable car between the watchtowers 5 and 6. Or you can return the way you came and walk down the mountain.

Route 2: take the cable car suitable for the elderly and children.

Ride the cable car from the foot of the Great Wall. It's worth noting that the cable car does not arrive at the top of the towers. After getting off the cable car, you need to walk for 20 minutes to reach the Great Wall. The path to Watchtower 8 is steeper, while the gentler route is to walk to Watchtower 5.

Note:

• There are no restrooms on the Great Wall, but there are some at the cable car stations.
• Only the eastern watchtower of Simatai Great Wall, namely watchtowers 1 to 10, is open to visitors.
• Please present the QR code you received after purchasing your ticket for both entry and exit. If you have a paper ticket, please keep it properly.
• It's best to bring enough drinking water as the prices inside the scenic area are expensive.

Simatai Great Wall Night Tour

5 and 6 watchtowers are open for night tours on the Simatai Great Wall from 18: 00 to 21: 40. The stairs between these 2 watchtowers are relatively flat. In addition, there are scenic area staff on patrol, and there are lighting lamps on both sides of the Great Wall, so safety is relatively high.

It is recommended to go up the mountain between 6:30 and 7:00. During this period, you can see the sunset. If it's not rainy, you can not only see the panoramic view of Gubei Water Town but also enjoy the drone show.

The night pedestrian path is closed, so no matter whether you go up or down the mountain, you must take the cableway in the scenic spot.

Where to Stay After the Simatai Night Tour

After concluding your night tour of Simatai Great Wall, I advise against taking a bus back to Beijing city center at that hour as the bus fares are often expensive and there's no guarantee about the legitimacy of these buses.

I recommend booking a hotel or inn within Gubei Water Town and returning to the city by bus the next morning. One option you might consider is the Beijing Wtown Hotspring Resort, or you can browse other accommodations at https://www.wtown.com/pc/hotel/index.html (the English version is unavailable).

Beijing Wtown Hotspring Resort

Location: Located 570 meters from the Simatai Great Wall ticket entrance, a 10-minute walk away.

Facilities: swimming pool, hot springs, cafe, and SPA.

How to get to Simatai Great Wall from Beijing

Route 1: Dongzhimen-Gubei Water Town

Departure Times from Dongzhimen: 9: 00, 13: 00

Departure Times from Gubei Water Town: 12: 00, 17: 00

Boarding Location at Dongzhimen: Dongzhimen Bus Station

Boarding Location at Gubei Water Town: Parking Lot No. 2

Route 2: Zhongqinglvdasha-Gubei Water Town

Departure time from Zhongqinglvdasha: 10: 00

Departure time from Gubei Water Town: 14: 00

Boarding location at Zhongqinglvdasha: south side of the west gate

Boarding location at Gubei Water Town: Parking Lot No. 2

Note:

1. The bus operating city center and scenic spot costs CNY 48.

2. How to get to Zhongqinglvdasha: take Beijing Subway Line 2 (exit from Exit D at Dongzhimen Station). It is 7 kilometers from Tiananmen Square to Dongzhimen Station, taking 30 minutes and costing CNY 4.

3. How to Get to Dongzhimen Bus Station: take Beijing Subway Line 2, Line 13, or Capital Airport Express (exit from exit E at Dongzhimen Station). 

4. How to Get to Simatai Great Wall from Gubei Water Town: take the shuttle bus from Gubei Water Town, with a fare of CNY 10.

Subway ticket prices and maps are useful for you as you tour in Beijing.

The Best Time to Visit the Simatai Great Wall

The best time to visit Simatai Great Wall is in March, which is spring, and the temperature in Beijing is gradually warming up. It is better to set your departure date on a weekday, as there will be far fewer tourists in the scenic area at this time than on weekends and holidays.

Don't expect to see the sunrise at Simatai, because its opening time is 9: 00. But if you leave early, you might catch the sunrise on the way there.

How High is the Simatai Great Wall

The highest watchtower of Simatai Great Wall is Wangjing Tower, which is 968 meters above sea level. In the evening, you can see light in Beijing from Wangjing Tower. The foundation of Wangjing Tower is made up of 12 layers of stone, and each stone weighs more than 500 kilograms.

Here is more about how tall is the Great Wall.

What is the Simatai Great Wall Characterized by

A comment related to  Simatai is that "the Great Wall of China is the best in the world, while the Simatai Great Wall is the best in China". Compared with other sections of the Great Wall, the characteristics of the Simatai Great Wall can be summarized as dangerous, dense, unique, and ingenious.

• Dense: The distance between the watchtowers of Simatai Great Wall is shorter than that of other Great Walls, with the nearest less than 100 meters and the farthest no more than 300 meters, averaging only 140 meters.
• Dangerous: Simatai Great Wall was built along steep ridges, with a total of 35 watchtowers. The section between the 14th and 15th watchtowers has a gradient close to 90 degrees, and there are no handrails. This section is about 100 meters long.
• Unique: There is a lake at the foot of the Simatai Great Wall. On the west side of the lake, grass grows around the spring even in the cold winter, while the spring on the east side is very cold.
• Ingenious: The design of the Simatai Great Wall makes it extremely flexible for both offensive and defensive purposes during battles.

Plan a Tour of the Simatai Great Wall

3-day tour on unsorted wild Great Wall- you are staying in Beijing for 3 days and 2 nights, and will visit Gubei Water Town and the Simatai Great Wall on the second and third days, as well as a night tour of the Simatai Great Wall.

Simatai to Jinshanling Great Wall hiking tour enables you to discover the amazing scenery along the Great Wall, and it is advisable to hike with your friends. Or you can contact China Travel to customize your journey on the Simatai Great Wall.

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• Beijing Travel Guide
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