Simatai Great Wall climbs knife-edge ridges in Beijing’s Miyun District, rising behind Gubei Water Town, the resort town you pass through to reach it. By day you can walk East Towers 1 to 10; in the evening a cable car takes you up to walk the wall after dark. The drive from central Beijing takes about two to two and a half hours.
- Wall ticket: CNY 40 (about US$6); free for 60+ and under-18s with valid ID, and we confirm passport eligibility (as of November 2026)
- Gubei Water Town: CNY 120 (about US$18); free from age 70
- Day hours on the wall: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., last entry mid-afternoon
- Night visits, November to April: entry from 5:30 p.m.
- Cable car: CNY 200 return, CNY 130 one way
- Getting there: about 2 to 2.5 hours by car via the Jingcheng Expressway
Knife-edge ridges and closely spaced towers
Simatai runs along ridges so sharp that the resort describes them as cut by knife and axe, and the watchtowers stand unusually close together: in places only a few dozen meters apart, never more than about 300 m, and about 140 m apart on average. Tower designs change from one to the next, and you pass barrier walls built across the walkway for defenders to shelter behind. Below the wall lies Yuanyang Lake, where a cold spring and a warm spring meet.
The resort describes Simatai as the only Great Wall site in China that keeps its original Ming appearance. The wall was hit by shelling during the 1933 battle of Gubeikou. The resort also quotes the heritage expert Luo Zhewen, who ranked Simatai as the finest part of China’s Great Wall, and notes that The Times placed it first on a 2012 list of 25 sights worth seeing.
Where Simatai is
Simatai and Gubei Water Town are in Miyun District, inside Beijing Municipality, near the border with Hebei. Just across that border, in Hebei’s Luanping County, is the Jinshanling Great Wall. Simatai and Gubei are two scenic areas within one resort, both run by Beijing Gubei Water Town Tourism Co., and you reach the wall by way of the water town.
Jinshanling and Simatai are separate scenic areas in different provinces, each with its own tickets and gates, so we plan them as two visits rather than one walk. Our Jinshanling Great Wall guide covers the Hebei side.
Walking Simatai by day
The day area runs from East Tower 1 to East Tower 10. The wall is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and staff start asking visitors to head down at 4:30 p.m. Last entry is mid-afternoon; the exact time differs between ticket types, so we time your arrival to the ticket you hold.
Simatai is rated high for difficulty, a step up from moderate Jinshanling, so even keen walkers may want the cable car for the climb. As of November 2026 it costs CNY 200 (about US$30) return or CNY 130 (about US$19) one way. Children 1.2 to 1.5 m tall pay CNY 110 return or CNY 70 one way, and children under 1.2 m ride free. Uphill rides board from 9:00 a.m. to 4:10 p.m., and the last ride down is at 5:00 p.m.
If you buy a stand-alone Simatai ticket, it is checked outside the water town, opposite the electric-cart station. Some combined tickets are checked inside the water town instead, and your guide will know which entrance yours uses.
For a quick way down, a zipline runs 358 m from East Tower 2. It costs CNY 80 (about US$12), or CNY 60 for children 1.2 to 1.5 m tall, and operates 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (to 6:00 p.m. from 1 May). Riders must be aged 10 to 60, between 1.2 and 1.9 m tall and between 35 and 95 kg. It is not open to pregnant women or people with heart disease or high blood pressure.
Simatai at night
Simatai sells night-wall tickets all year, on a shorter schedule in the colder months. You ride the night cable car up and walk the stretch between East Tower 5 and East Tower 6, with the dark ridges around you and the lights of the water town below.
| Season | Entry | Leave by |
|---|---|---|
| May to October, daily | 6:00 to 9:40 p.m. | 10:40 p.m. |
| November to April, Sunday to Thursday | 5:30 to 8:10 p.m. | 8:40 p.m. |
| November to April, Friday and Saturday | 5:30 to 8:40 p.m. | 9:10 p.m. |
Night visits are sold as a package with the water town and the return night cable car: CNY 260 (about US$39) for adults; CNY 200 for concessions, including seniors aged 60 to 69 and students; and CNY 150 for children 1.2 to 1.5 m tall. These prices are listed as valid to 31 December 2026, so a night visit is available this November and December.
Tell us your dates, group size and what you would like to see. We reply with a day-by-day plan and a written quote.
Gubei Water Town
Gubei Water Town is the resort town at the foot of the wall, laid out along lanes and waterways, and it fills the hours before a night walk on the wall. Boats run along its waterways: a shared boat costs CNY 60 for the full route or CNY 40 for half, and a private boat for up to six people costs CNY 600 or CNY 400. Boat rides need a water-town ticket.
The town is open Sunday to Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Last ticket check is at 10:00 p.m., and the landscape lights go off at 11:00 p.m.
Tickets at a glance (as of November 2026)
| Ticket | Adult | Concession |
|---|---|---|
| Simatai wall, day | CNY 40 | CNY 20 |
| Wall + return cable car | CNY 220 | Ask us |
| Wall + one-way cable car | CNY 150 | Ask us |
| Gubei Water Town | CNY 120 | CNY 70 |
| Water town + day wall | CNY 150 | Ask us |
| Water town + day wall + return cable car | CNY 300 | Ask us |
| Water town + night wall + night cable car | CNY 260 | CNY 200 |
Who enters free or pays less
- Simatai wall: free for visitors aged 60 and over and for under-18s with valid ID. The CNY 20 concession is for full-time students 18 and over and a few other groups.
- Gubei Water Town: free only from age 70, with valid ID. Visitors aged 60 to 69 pay the CNY 70 concession price, as do students, under-16s and children 1.2 to 1.5 m tall. Children 1.2 m and under are free.
- ID: online tickets need an ID number, and anyone on a free or concession ticket must carry ID. The rules say “valid ID” without naming foreign passports, so we confirm eligibility for passport holders when we book.
In practice, with eligible ID, a 65-year-old pays nothing for the wall but the concession price for the water town, while a 72-year-old enters both free.
Getting there from Beijing
By car, take the Jingcheng Expressway to exit 24 for Simatai. From central Beijing that is about two to two and a half hours in normal traffic, longer at weekends and on holidays. The resort also runs a coach from the Wangjing West transport hub, about 134 km and roughly two hours, for CNY 48.
Planning a Simatai and Gubei day
Simatai and Gubei work best as a long day that runs into the evening. Leave Beijing late morning, spend the afternoon in the water town, have an early dinner, and ride the night cable car when evening entry opens. From November to April that is 5:30 p.m., so expect to be back in the city late in the evening. If you would rather walk the day stretch, start earlier and finish on the wall by mid-afternoon.
The day walk suits confident walkers who are happy on steep steps. For grandparents and young children, the night visit is the easier way in: the cable car does the climbing, and the walk between East Towers 5 and 6 is short. For seasonal weather, see the best time to visit Beijing.
Our 5-day Beijing private tour includes Simatai and Gubei Water Town, with a private car and an English-speaking guide. If you would rather not make the late drive back, we can book a hotel for you on request. Travelers who stay at a hotel or inn inside the water town report that some properties include free rides on the resort’s shuttle carts and a hot-spring ticket. To weigh Simatai against the other sections, read which part of the Great Wall to visit, or browse all our Beijing private tours.
Tell us your dates, group size and what you would like to see. We reply with a day-by-day plan and a written quote.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Simatai Great Wall cost?
As of November 2026 the day ticket is CNY 40 (about US$6) for adults and CNY 20 for eligible students. Visitors 60 and over and under-18s enter free with valid ID; the rules do not name foreign passports, so we confirm eligibility when booking. The cable car is CNY 200 return or CNY 130 one way.
Can you visit Simatai at night?
Yes, all year. From November to April, evening entry is 5:30 to 8:10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 8:40 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; from May to October it is 6:00 to 9:40 p.m. You ride the night cable car up and walk between East Towers 5 and 6.
Is Gubei Water Town free for seniors?
Only from age 70, with valid ID. Visitors aged 60 to 69 pay the concession price of CNY 70 instead of the CNY 120 adult price. The Simatai wall itself is free from age 60 with valid ID; we confirm passport eligibility when booking.
Is Simatai in Beijing or Hebei?
Simatai and Gubei Water Town are in Miyun District, inside Beijing Municipality, close to the Hebei border. The neighboring Jinshanling Great Wall is across that border in Luanping County, Hebei.
How do I get to Simatai from Beijing?
By car it is about two to two and a half hours from central Beijing via the Jingcheng Expressway, exit 24. The resort also runs a coach from the Wangjing West transport hub, about 134 km and roughly two hours, for CNY 48.
How hard is the Simatai Great Wall?
The day stretch, East Towers 1 to 10, is steep and rated high for difficulty, a step up from Jinshanling. The cable car takes out most of the climb, and the night walk between East Towers 5 and 6 is short and much easier.
Can I walk from Simatai to Jinshanling?
Simatai and Jinshanling are separate scenic areas in different provinces, with their own tickets and gates. We plan them as two visits: Simatai's own open stretch of East Towers 1 to 10, and a loop walk at Jinshanling on another day.
Facts checked: 5 November 2026. Ticket prices, opening hours and entry rules can change; we re-check before every booking.