Simatai Great Wall Tourist Area — Attraction in Beijing

How to visit the Great Wall of China Simatai… I’m writing this review because there wasn’t much information online about visiting this part of the wall and it’s such a beautiful area to see it.

Getting there You can take the bus or hire a taxi/private car for the day. We went to our hotel and they organised a private car. 9 hours for ¥900. I personally think that’s reasonable as it’s about 1hr40mins away from Beijing city. We left at 10:30am and arrived around 12:10pm to the wall. They driver dropped us off at the Shuizhen Hotel right by the Water Town and we could walk to the ticketing area and the rest of the town. It’s about 2 min walk from the hotel to the ticketing area.

The Town/ Ticketing The Water town is a separate area and you need to book tickets to view it. I didn’t do that so I don’t know too much about it. The town where my driver dropped is off is right next to the water town. There are a lot of restaurants to eat at, there’s a Starbucks and also some convenient stores (named Lawsons) if you want to buy snacks etc. Once you’re in the town just walk straight across the bride and you will find a building called ‘The Great Wall Simatai Ticketing Information’. Inside you can buy your tickets for entrance, the cable car and also you wait there for a shuttle to take you to the wall. You can also prebook your tickets using WeChat. I just searched the Great Wall of China Simatai and then followed the steps to book my tickets. The entrance is ¥40 and then you can pay for a cable car as well. One way with entrance fee is ¥110 and return cable car with entrance is ¥180

Climbing the wall The shuttle only comes as certain times to take you to the base of the wall or the cable car. Keep in mind, if it is windy the cable car will be closed as it’s dangerous (this was the case for us) so you are forced to walk up and down. We got a refund for our cable car but I don’t know if that’s always the case. Once you book the tickets you wait in the ticketing building and then take a shuttle bus. Our shuttle came at 1pm. You will need to check online for the times of the shuttle, it’s usually every hour or so. The drive to the base of the wall is about 6 mins. From the base you will need to walk to the first tower. There are 10 towers you will pass along the wall. The walk to the first tower is about 30 mins and then you go up along the wall. My friends and I took 1 hours to walk from the 1st to the 10th tower. We’re in our 20’s and reasonably fit so keep that in mind, it may take a little longer for others. There are steep sections and if it’s windy it can be extra cold on the wall. Coming down the wall takes a little less time but make sure you are back at the very base by 4:30 for the last shuttle if you are planing on walking back down.

I had a really good time, it is such a beautiful area to view. If I could have taken the cable car I recommend taking the cable car up and then walking down. The shuttle back to town is free and the views are better walking down as you can see the whole wall...

We had a wonderful time visiting the Simatai Great Wall with our family, and the awe-inspiring grandeur of this ancient marvel is truly unforgettable.

One drawback we encountered is the inability to use cash within the tourist area. This poses a significant inconvenience, especially for foreign visitors who do not have access to WeChat Pay, as it prevents them from purchasing souvenirs or dining at local restaurants. However, thanks to the kindness of the Chinese locals, we were able to exchange cash and they graciously facilitated payments through WeChat Pay, allowing us to enjoy our evening meals.

Furthermore, we were disappointed by the lack of friendliness and English proficiency among the staff working there. Despite being a popular tourist destination, the fact that not a single staff member could speak a word of English left us feeling somewhat disappointed.

Looking ahead, we believe that enabling cash payments and deploying English-speaking staff would greatly enhance the experience for the countless foreign tourists who visit attractions like the Great Wall and the beautifully crafted Gubei Water Town. It would not only improve the perception of China but also make the visit more accessible and enjoyable for...

Was there mid of December, it was cold. In my opinion it was a great time to go. There was hardly anyone there and we had the place to ourselves.

Some mistakes I see people do is wear sports shoes. Don't do this, you will suffer. Wear leather hiking shoes/ boots. If it's waterproof it's good because of water cannot get thru, cold wind won't.

Sport shoes are breathable, if air can escape, cold air can go into too. I saw many putting heat packs into their shoes. Some ladies were stuck at the foot of the wall not being able to climb it co's they were in heels.

Think hiking when going here, on the other hand don't over insulate .. the wall is steep and it will take effort to climb. Your body will heat up as...