Hike from Jiankou Great Wall to Mutianyu Great Wall

Plan your scenic hike from Jiankou Great Wall to Mutianyu Great Wall? There are tons of online trip reports on the incredible steepness of the Upward Flying Eagle Tower to Tianti (Sky Ladder) and Beijing Knot along Jiankou Great Wall.

We are not advising anyone to scramble that section if you don't have any rock climbing experience armed with special equipment though maybe you are an experienced travelers.

Travel Tips

The weather on On Nov 26

A Brief Introduction to Xizhazi Village

Xizhazi Village  is often chosen as the starting point for scaling up Jiankou Great Wall.  38km northwest of Huairou and and 120km north of downtown Beijing.

Xizhazi Village  is nestled in a valley north of Jiankou Great Wall and south of Heitou Mountain ( 1534 m sea-level ), the highest mountain in the northern Beijing within the Heituo Scenic Area. So entering Xizhazi Village, you have to pay entrance fee RMB 20 for Heitio Scenic Area ( But the ticket doesn’t mention Jiankou Great Wall.).

“Xizhazi” literally means “west wooden palisades”. The village is such named because in the past it used “wooden palisades” as a village wall. Xizhazi Village was formed around Mid-Qing Dynasty (1368 – 1644) with a sea-level of 615m.

Xizhazi Village has 6 natural sub-villages:

Scaling the moutain up to the Zhengbeilou Tower, you start from Nanjili Village ( Team 2 0f Xizhazi Village ); scaling the mountain up to the Upward Flying Eagle Tower and Tianti (Sky Ladder), you start from Jiushuikeng Village (Team 5 of Xizhazi Village).

2 Hours Drive from Downtown Beijing to Xizhazi Village

It is a 2.5-hour drive from downtown Beijing to Xizhazi Village.  First drive along Jingxcheng Expressway and get off at the Exit 14. Then drive along Fanqi Road (范崎路) for about 27km, passing by Mountain Bar (山吧), and several hills till turning left at the head of Badaohe Bridge (八道河桥).

Then continue to drive about 4km along the mountain road before getting to the entrance gate at Xizhazi Village for Heituo Scenic Area ( 黑坨山景区), entrance fee: RMB 20.

A tourist toilet by the entrance gate. We are going to start from Nanjili Village ( Team 2 of Xizhazi Village),  so we continue to drive till seeing a signboard at the fork road and turn left, soon we get to Nanjili Village.

Nanjili is a small village at the foot of Jiankou Great Wall with 6-7 families. Some of them offer homestays: 13436827632 Huzi Family. A trodden dirt road behind the village leads up to the mountain.

First drive along Jingxcheng Expressway and get off at the Exit 14. Then drive along Fanqi Road (范崎路) for about 27km.

Getting to the entrance gate at Xizhazi Village for Heituo Scenic Area ( no mentioning of Jiankou Great Wall).

Standing on the top of Zhengbeilou Tower, you able to have a panoramic view of the Upward Flying Eagle Tower, Sky Ladder and Beijing Knot in the west.

Have a close look at the Upward Flying Eagle Tower, Sky Ladder

On the northeast,  you will clearly see the Upturn "U" Wall -  the Ox Horn Edge Wall.  Taking a photo with the Ox Horn Edge as a backdrop.

2 Hours hike from Zhengbeilou Tower (Sharp North Tower) to the restored Mutianyu Great Wall.

It is a scenic hike from Zhengbeilou to the 23th tower of Mutianyu Great Wall.  Along the way, we suggest you avoid hiking the Ox Horn Edge Wall ( an upturn "U" form of the Great Wall) which is crumbling and treacherous.

The plants, grasses and large bushes grow here along  the "U" section of the Wall, leaving only small paths to walk through. If you insist in scrambling the Ox Horn Edge Wall, it will take another one hour hiking.

Steep slopes with loose bricks and stones also add the difficulty of your climbing the Ox Horn Edge Wall up and down. So just skip the Ox Horn Edge Wall by walking a short cut along a dirt path below the wall instead of hiking uphill along the crumbling steep brickwork.

The rest of the hike is relatively manageable though you still have to walk through the crumbling brickwork with  many soil-grown obstacles, the totally unrestored section of the Wall. Walking up and down, twists and turns. In 2 hours, you will reach the 23rd watch tower,  the final restored tower on Mutianyu Great Wall in the west starting from the first watch tower in the east.

The impressive scene viewed from the gate of Zhengbeilou Tower

Zhengbeilou seen from the east side

Walking along the rugged brickwork to the east direction

We decide to give up the hike along the Ox Horn Edge Wall for safety and time reasons.

We walk off the wall and take a short cut by walking a dirt path linking the other side of the Wall ( just 5 minutes walk).

The wall was built of  massive stone and slabs

This tower is ruined with broken walls.

We are walking through the dense bushes and many soil-grown obstacles,which force us to follow a narrow crumbling path on the totally unrestored wall.

A drainage ditch used to drain rain from the wall

The masonry and mortar clearly seen on the unrestored wall.

The slabs paved steps and floor on the wall

We are walking towards Mutianyu Great Wall

1.5 Hours on Mutianyu Great Wall and downhill

If you feel tired after walking directly from Zhengbeilou Tower,  you may take a cable car down to the hill from the cable car station below the 14th Watch Tower.

If you have strong legs, you may walk downhill from the 10 or 8th watch tower, or you may walk to the 6th tower where you are able either to take a cable car or toboggan downhill.  Cable car: RMB60. At the time of my writing, no need to buy the entrance ticket for Mutianyu Great Wall if you walk from Jiankou Great Wall.

In 2 hours, we reach the 23rd watch tower, the western tip of Mutianyu Great Wall.

Walking down the wall

Continue to walk down

Walk down from the 20th tower to the 19th tower

We are moving to the 14th tower and 10th tower.  You can take a cable car downhill at the cable station below the 14th tower. Or walk downhill from the 10th tower or 8th tower. Or you may walk to the 6th tower to take a chairlift or toboggan downhill.

Below the 14th tower is a large platform with a special accessible lane from the cable station.

The 13th Tower on Mutianyu Great Wall

We are getting off the 10th tower and walking down the hill, finishing our fam trip from Jiankou to Mutianyu.

Add-on

Travel Tip:  Hassle-free Jiankou Great Wall Guided Tours

Don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route? No worries, We at Tour Beijing have some options for guided tours to Great wall Tours:

Further Readings