HIKE 7

The Schoolhouse - Great Wall

Time:1&1/2-2 hours
Difficulty level: medium


DISCLAIMER This Guide is provided by The Schoolhouse as a public service for armchair travelers to get a sense of the area around Mutianyu Great Wall. Actual conditions on the ground change constantly so we do not promise accuracy.

We strongly urge all readers to follow current government and park regulations regarding access to the Great Wall. We warn all readers that walking the Wild Wall is generally prohibited and that tourists are supposed to access the restored Great Wall only through officially designated places such as Mutianyu Great Wall Park. Consequences incurred for ignoring posted warnings are your own responsibility.

We urge anyone who goes exploring around the Great Wall to purchase park access tickets and keep with them while walking. The tickets are reasonably priced, pay for upkeep of the Great Wall, and allow employment of local people in the Park, keeping our area clean and safe.

We warn everyone that parts of the Great Wall and the surrounding mountains are very dangerous for walking or climbing, particularly in bad weather when the ground is wet or icy/snowy. Lightning strikes are common and every year people are seriously injured or killed around Mutianyu. If you are caught on the Wall in a storm, get off of it immediately and hug the ground. If you get stuck up on a mountain you or your family may be required to pay for rescue or body retrieval.

We remind you that the local agricultural roads and trails pass through orchards, farms, and communal lands. The local people depend on the produce of their land for their livelihoods. Taking anything, even a fallen chestnut, without permission is stealing. If you do steal you may be caught, fined, or otherwise punished.

The Schoolhouse accepts no responsibility or liability for any guest or other reader of this Guide who tries the route. By using/reading this Guide you explicitly indemnify and hold harmless The Schoolhouse for any injuries, damages or liability resulting from you walking the route and/or violating any official Chinese rules and regulations, trespassing on private or communal lands, or taking any property that does not belong to you.


Tips: remember to wear sunscreen and a hat if you have sensitive skin. The first section of this hike offers very little shade. Do not attempt this hike if it is raining or looks like it is about to rain. Remember to bring water, which can be purchased at the village store in Mutianyu village. .

1. Take a left when you leave The Schoolhouse and walk down this road

2.Pretty soon you’ll come across a house with beautiful gate. Go up the small path on the left side of the house

3.On the top of this little hill you’ll see a wooden house on your left side. Walk straight past the wooden house

4. In less than a minute you’ll see this paved road. Take a left and follow the paved road up the mountain. The paved section of this hike should take about half an hour- forty minutes.

5. You’ll see a little dirt path that veers off to the left just before the end of the paved road. Follow this trail for the next hour and enjoy the breathtaking views

6. In general this trail is very easy to follow but you might come across a tree or two blocking the path; just go around them. Keep your eyes out for spray painted ‘x’ marks on rocks, this means that you’re heading in the wrong direction.

7. When you get to the wall you’ll need to jump through the little window to the right of the one that’s blocked. Walk left along the wild wall to connect to the renovated section at Mutianyu where you can safely come back down.

Enjoy + watch out for loose stones!