Gubeikou

It took about 5 hours with plenty of breaks to hike from GǔBěiKǒu [ 古北口 ] ( ♦ map ) towards JīnShānLǐng [ 金山岭 ]. The ticket was 25 RMB and can be bought from a man wandering about with a pin. Other than some steps up initially, it was surprisingly not difficult to hike at all! (much easier than Badaling [ 八达岭 ] -looks very different too since it's not restored). We started at 4:30 am to catch the sunset at 5:15. The cool morning temperature in June was perfect and for the most part, there was no one in sight even though it was a national holiday. it was misty, and it was like walking in the clouds. An awesome experience!

We stayed at The Great Wall Box House ( ■ map | reviews ), an amazing little guesthouse just a 5-minute walk to Gubeikou. Although it was a bit of a hassle to get to, it was one of our best experiences in China! Highly recommended!