Don't have anything to compare it to, but this was a great 3/4 day trip from Beijing. We spent about two hours on the Wall itself. The views were so magnificent that I could have spent more time, but the variety of the Wall itself probably wouldn't have been much different than what I was able to see. The bucket... more

Loaded a couple more pics of the Wall at Simatai. more

Have been to Beijing several times and the Great Wall never fails to fascinate me. Badaling and Mutianyu are restored sections of the wall and very touristy and crowded although the scenery is still lovely. The most untouched and beautiful portion,in my opinion, is the Simatai part in Miyun County. Hire a private car if you want to do a... more

I just completed my fifth visit to the Wall at Simatai last week (during the space of 10 years), and once again I came away astounded with all I saw and learned. I've made the four hour trek between Simatai and Jinshanling during my past four visits, and I would still recommend starting at Simatai and finishing at Jinshanling. Of... more

I took part in a charity trek for Scope in August 2008. Part of our 5 day trek was from Jinshanling to Simatai. It was amazing the views are fantasic and when you reach Simatai there is a zipline to get down weeeeeeee!! As others have suggested, if you can, stay in one of the hotels/lodges at the bottom of... more

After reading all the reviews I planned my trip with my daughter, her friend and two Chinese friends. We rented a small bus and headed there on a light-rainy morning. The driver got lost several times taking us much longer to arrive but also making the Great Wall adventure so much more. Less than 20 people were there and they... more

I won't repeat what many others have said. The Great Wall at Simatai is a truly amazing experience. My recommendation for people who have the time is to take a room at one of the hotels or guest houses INSIDE the entrance gate. This gives you the wonderful experience of being on the wall at sunrise and sunset before the... more

We did the 10km walk between Jinshanling and Simatai - awesome (in the old-fashioned sense of the word). It was, without doubt, the best experience i had in Beijing. I agree with other reviews that the best direction is Jinshanling to Simatai - if for no other reason than I think it is easier! The wall has not been restored... more

Last weekend I travelled to the Simatai section of the Great Wall. It is amazing part of the great wall, especially because ti hasn't been restored (yet). There are two walks you can do in this section: walk 12 watch towers in the Simatai section (one way and return) or walk 10km to Jinshanling. I did both, but was very... more