This was exactly what I was looking for. I definitely recommend the Jinshanling section of the great wall. It was beautiful and there not many people. You can take lots of photos without anyone in the background. This wall section goes through lots of peaks and valleys so it has some amazing views throughout the hike. It may take a little more time to get to this section, but I thought it was well worth it. The tour operator dropped us off at the west gate and we hiked 3-4 miles to the east gate. The first half of the walk was on a restored section of the wall and the second on an unrestored section. It was great to see both parts. Parts of the wall are very steep so you need to at least be in decent shape or you will struggle. My hotel was not in the pickup zone for the tour so I had to take the metro a few stops. But they communicated well and it was not an issue.

Starting our adventure to the Great Wall of China was a breeze, thanks to our awesome driver who picked us up from our hotel right on time. The ride there was smooth and peaceful, getting us all hyped up for the day ahead. Let me tell you, this isn't just a leisurely stroll—it's a serious climb. The tour covers about 6 kilometers of the Wall, and it’s mostly just steps, going up and down. They don’t kid around when they say it’s for fit folks. I work out pretty regularly, but I was definitely feeling the burn with all those steps. We were on our feet climbing for nearly three hours straight, with hardly any time to catch our breath. The Wall is well-equipped, though. There are trash bins and toilets every kilometer, which is super handy. Just make sure to bring your own toilet paper because you won't find any there. Also, there are small vendors selling drinks right on the Wall, but the prices are pretty steep. My advice? Pack at least two liters of water per person and some snacks to keep you going. Shoe-wise, ditch the trainers and go for some solid mountain shoes. The steps are all over the place in terms of size—some are tiny, but others are massive, up to 45 cm high. And let me tell you, some of those steps are seriously steep. If you're thinking there might be some flat parts to catch a break, think again. It's just endless steps up and down. By the end, my legs and calves were totally mush. One heads-up: there aren’t any handrails, and some spots are pretty tricky to maneuver through. Each tower along the Wall does have a shelter, which is great if you get caught in the rain. We lucked out with just cloudy skies, but I bet those steps get super slippery when wet. All in all, climbing the Great Wall is an epic experience, but it’s no walk in the park. It’s tough, but totally worth it for the views and the bragging rights. Just make sure you're ready for a workout and pack smart!

Zachary was an excellent tour guide. He was very patient as it took me a while to get up the mountain. It was great to see a less busy part of the wall before heading to the main tourist area so you could feel like you truly experienced it! Zachary gave great insights into the history of the area while we were walking and pointed out different sections of interest. I highly recommend this tour if you’re in Beijing, truly a once in a lifetime experience.

This was really a fantastic experience! I couldn't believe I could hike the Great Wall again soon after China is open. This time I took this private tour with my friend at Downtown Travel. Our guide Zak is perfect! He is very knowledgeable and patient, always ready to answer my question... And the tour was very well organized. We were rather flexible as there were only me and my friend in this private tour. Jinshanling is by far the most appealing section of the Great Wall I've ever been (I took this tour years ago). I think will come back again to hike other sections of the Great Wall. For sure I will do again with Downtown Travel and Zak. I felt very happy!!!

It's a beautiful section of the Great Wall, with little crowds. Our group was the only one on the wall section, and after the first 15 min we had all spread apart enough that it really felt like you were alone on the Great Wall. There were plenty of bathrooms along the wall (very clean actually). There are vendors setup in some towers with cold drinks to sell you. They never bothered us, and we actually really liked having an ice cold drink. This is a very hilly section of the wall, and was pretty challenging. But the nice part is that the starting point is actually really low to the ground, so you don't have to hike up this big hill to actually make it onto the wall. The hills definitely start after you're on the wall itself, but it was nice to have the access point be really easy.

It's the path less traveled so there is no crowd at all in winter, you also get to let less restored sections of the wall. The guide was also groundout and knowledgeable. The wall itself just blew me away!

We book the group tour. Meeting point easy to access in beijing. This day (8th august) we were a "big group" of more than 20 people. Even though, on site just a little more people. We had some good explanations from the guide and then 3 hours to walk on the wall (some parts renovated, some less and at the end not at all so a complete idea). We first eat and had some rest so after we were Alone along lots of part of the wall. Some part are quite difficult but it worth even if the weather was so hot. Enough time to enjoy the wall and do the walk. Way back on time un beijing. We highly recommend this tour. We booked it directly at the ghesthouse (even if we were not sleeping here)

We had booked a trip via our hotel Beijing 161 Courtyard for a hike. We were picked up by Joe and Iris our guide. She gave us lots of information about the wall and it was nice to walk in our own pace “the Wall” This hike was so nice with original pieces of the wall and more or less no tourists. The wall can be a challenge because it is quite steep sometimes but wort it a lot. Iris speaks English very well which is very handy. Also the trip from Beijing to the Wall takes about 1,5 hours and gives a nice view also. In wintertime it is quite cold so dress warmly🥶

I have been to badaling great wall long time ago. This time I accompany mu friends from Australia to tour Beijing. Mutianyu is a fairly new section of the great wall. I was surprised that the view is great. Tour guide gave us different ways to travel the wall and help us decide how we want to travel. Great tour!

Feeling slightly under weather,I am worried that I was unable to complete the hike according to the given time. But Iris,the guide has been extremely patience, kind and encouraging. Iris spoke English well and was ever ready to answer all of my questions about the wall and took pictures for us.Credit also went to Joe, the driver for ensuring our 2-way ride was a safe and comfortable one. Overall, the surrounding view at Jinshanling Wall was breathtaking and amazing. It seemed that we have the stretched of walls to ourselves as there was hardly other hikers on the day we hiked. Well done Beijing Downtown Travel for arranging such a memorable hike!😁

The tour guide Iris was very welcoming and tried her best to make us feel comfortable. We were also a quite small group with 6 westerners and 2 locals and the driver was kind and spoke English, it also was no issue to make him drop me off closer to my hostel after the tour. Once you reach the Great Wall, you are free to explore it on your own, so don't expect any additional commentary etc. but the tour guide gave as tips about how to best navigate around the Wall and the different options. The lunch was nothing extraordinary and more in the style of a Western Asia buffet, but still quite tasty. Soft drinks were about 15 RMB. Overall I can definitely recommend this tour, if you don't need an extensive commentary and want to avoid included trips to a jade factory and other scams.

Iris was our guide and she was excellent!! Chirpy and fluent in both English and Mandarin, she gave a concise yet complete summary of the history of the section of the wall we were to climb this morning. Once up on the wall, the hike was free and easy, 6 km over 3 hours, at your own pace. The views were amazing with the snow as the background. Iris was very thoughtful and made it her responsibility to watch over the group for certain parts of the hike which were more rugged or made slippery by the melted snow. Altogether a very doable hike. I highly recommend this tour and do ask for Iris if you can. You won't regret your choice.

Just came back from the tour from Jinshanling to Simatai West and I am still heavily impressed by this incredible monument of Chinese history. This tour avoids the highly frequented parts of the wall and so we could admire it calmly. Iris did a wonderful job guiding us and showing it to us. The tour was very instructive and above all Iris was very friendly and always had a smile on her face. Recommended to everybody who wants to experience the Great Wall off the beaten tracks.

Iris was such an awesome tour guide. She told us loads of information about the history of the Great Wall and she was a vital moral support to finish the route safe and sound. I highly recommend you to go with her and do this challenging hiking. One of the best things of doing it from Jinshanling was that we were on our own!! Most of the tourists go to other sections instead. Thanks for the amazing trip. Juan

I joined the tour due to recommendation from the hostel I stayed at. The tour was great and Iris was very informative and cheerful. She picked me up at the hostel in the morning, I was traveling alone and joined this group. Iris hiked with us all the way from the start to the end, so I didn't need to worry about getting lost. The driver was very friendly too. The great wall itself is majestic!! the hike is not hard because Iris make it slow so we had enough time to enjoy all the sceneries.