Evening on the ridge
Stay after the day visitors leave and see the mountains change in the last light.
Choose a route
Stay after the day visitors leave. Our overnight routes combine a Great Wall walk, a country meal and time for the evening and morning light. Select a short family-friendly outing or a more demanding through-hike; we confirm the permitted camp and equipment for each departure.
Great Wall Camping: One of the nights of a lifetime
100 Nights of a Lifetime
Our Great Wall camping experience is featured in 100 Nights of a Lifetime: The World’s Ultimate Adventures After Dark, published by National Geographic and written by travel journalist and photographer Stephanie Vermillion.
The book celebrates extraordinary experiences after dark. A night on the Great Wall brings you closer to that sense of adventure: historic watchtowers, mountain silhouettes, a sky full of stars and the quiet anticipation of sunrise.
Stephanie covers outdoor adventure, food, northern lights, wildlife conservation and global culture for publications including National Geographic, Outside, Travel & Leisure and AFAR.
Read more, explore reviews and find the book →Suggested itinerary
This is a planning example. Your actual route and timing are confirmed in the proposal.
Day 1
Travel to the selected Wall section, hike and arrive at the permitted camp before dark.
Night
Eat, settle the equipment and enjoy the evening from a safe location.
Day 2
Rise for sunrise, eat, complete the second walk and return to Beijing.
Compare the sections below, then ask us for current availability and the best match for your group.
- 2AAGubeikou, Jinshanling and Jiankou Camp
A two-day itinerary links Gubeikou and Jinshanling with a Jiankou overnight, putting two very different wild-Wall landscapes into one trip.
- 2AKFour Great Wall Sections and Jiankou Camp
A more wide-ranging overnight links Gubeikou, Jinshanling, Jiankou and Mutianyu. The contrast runs from weathered ruins to a comfortable restored finale.
- 2ABGubeikou to West Simatai Overnight Trek
Follow the Gubeikou-to-Jinshanling corridor, spend a night by the Wall, then continue east toward West Simatai after sunrise.
- 2ACGubeikou, Jinshanling and Mutianyu Camp
Pair the older Gubeikou and Jinshanling landscapes with a night outdoors and a second-day visit to Mutianyu.
- 2ADGubeikou Hike and Lakeside Camp
Hike the historic Gubeikou and Jinshanling corridor, then change scenery for a lakeside camp at Huanghuacheng.
- 2AEJinshanling Hike and Huanghuacheng Camp
Start with the tower-lined Jinshanling–West Simatai hike and finish with a night and morning at the lakeside Huanghuacheng Wall.
- 2X1Imperial Beijing and Great Wall Camp
This two-day combination connects Beijing’s imperial core with a Great Wall night and a Jinshanling hike.
- 2BLakeside Camp and Jiankou to Mutianyu Hike
Begin beside the Huanghuacheng reservoir, camp near the Wall, then turn to Jiankou and Mutianyu for a very different second day.
- 2DCHuanghuacheng Lakeside Walk and Camp
An overnight centered on Huanghuacheng’s unusual meeting of Wall, ridge and lake.
- 2HBGubeikou and Jinshanling Beginner Camp
A gentler overnight that leaves more time for the views at Gubeikou and a measured Jinshanling walk the next morning.
- 2HB2Huanghuacheng Family Camp and Mutianyu
A family-oriented two-day plan links Huanghuacheng’s lake views and camping with a Mutianyu visit.
- 2HCGubeikou Sunset and Sunrise Camp
Focus on one location: an afternoon Gubeikou walk, a Wall-side camp and sunrise on the ridge.
- 2HC2Huanghuacheng Lakeside Sunrise Camp
A compact lakeside camp puts sunset and sunrise around Huanghuacheng at the center of the experience.
- 2JKJiankou Wild Wall Overnight Camp
For hikers drawn to Jiankou’s dramatic, broken mountain Wall, this overnight gives the area time beyond a rushed day visit.
- 2GC1Jinshanling Group Hike and Gubeikou Camp
Share a Jinshanling-to-West-Simatai walk, then continue to Gubeikou for a separate overnight arrangement.
- 2TGubeikou Camping by Train
Reach Gubeikou by train and keep the overnight focused on its historic, less-developed Wall.
- 2GC1Jinshanling Group Walk with Gubeikou Camping
This listing presents the Jinshanling group hike and Gubeikou overnight combination with a flexible camping arrangement.
- 3TXThree-Day Great Wall Journey by Train
Three days by train and local transport allow more time at Gubeikou, Jinshanling and the Simatai area, with a Wall-side overnight.
What makes this experience different
Prepared camp
We confirm the permitted overnight setting, tents, sleeping gear, meals and support for your departure.
Sunrise advantage
Wake on or near the Wall and begin the morning before ordinary day tours arrive.
Best forTravelers who value atmosphere as much as distance
Plan aroundSeason, weather and current overnight access
We confirmGear, meals, facilities, route and fallback plan
Designed around real travelers
Every departure is matched to the group’s dates, ages, interests, walking experience and preferred comfort level. Tell us what matters most—quiet trails, photography, history, a physical challenge, family time or a broader China itinerary—and we will explain the most practical options without hiding the tradeoffs.
Questions worth asking before booking
- How much time is spent walking, driving and stopping?
- Which parts of the route are restored, unrestored, steep or exposed?
- What is included, and what should we carry or arrange ourselves?
- What changes if weather, access rules or transport schedules affect the plan?