Simatai is one of the wildest restored sections of the Great Wall, about 120 kilometres northeast of central Beijing in Miyun district. It forms part of the stretch inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list and is unusual among accessible sections because much of its original Ming brickwork and stone facing has been left as it was found rather than rebuilt with new material.
The wall itself
Simatai runs for roughly 5.4 kilometres and climbs steeply across mountain ridges, with around 35 watchtowers in varying condition. Some of the slopes are so sharp that the path becomes a staircase cut into the rock - the section known as the Stairway to Heaven rises at close to 70 degrees and is not for anyone uneasy with heights. The eastern towers, most of them unrestored, are the most spectacular and the quietest. A cable car takes you up to the middle of the route if you would rather skip the climb.
Night tours
Simatai is the only section of the Great Wall licensed for evening visits, and walking the wall after dark with the towers lit up is the main reason many visitors choose it over Badaling or Mutianyu. Night tickets are separate from daytime tickets, run in fixed sessions and must be booked in advance. Numbers are capped, so reserve several days ahead in peak season - the same applies to daytime entry, which also uses a daily quota.
Gubei Water Town
At the foot of the wall, Gubei Water Town is a purpose-built village arranged along canals, with stone bridges, courtyard hotels, restaurants and hot spring pools fed by natural thermal water. It is a reconstruction rather than a historic town, but it is done well, and staying overnight inside it is the practical way to combine an evening on the wall with a morning visit. Most hotels here are courtyard-style and several have private hot spring baths.
Getting there and timing
There is no direct public transport that suits a day visit; most people go by car, private transfer or a booked shuttle, which takes two to two and a half hours each way. Because of the distance, an overnight stay is far more comfortable than a day trip. Bring a windproof layer at any time of year - the ridge is exposed and several degrees colder than the city.
