Simatai Great Wall Tour Review 2026: Gubei Water Town Night Views

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Great Wall of China Tour

Gubei Water Town & Simatai Great Wall

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❣️Book the Gubei Water Town & Simatai Great Wall Tour❣️

~$5 Discount Coupon for Purchases Over ~$77

3HOURS26067K

(I'll leave this in the comments so it's easy to copy!)

Hello, fellow travelers!

I'm back with another adventure from my recent trip to Beijing.

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Today, I want to share a highly detailed review of my Great Wall of China tour,

which honestly exceeded all my expectations.

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The Gubei Water Town & Simatai Great Wall experience was so incredible

that I immediately thought, "I have to bring my parents here next time!"

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Let's dive into everything you need to know before booking your own trip. ❣️

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Which Great Wall Tour is Right for You?

The Great Wall is, well, great. And incredibly long.

This means there are actually multiple sections you can visit from Beijing.

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The three most popular and accessible sections are:

1) Badaling Great Wall

2) Mutianyu Great Wall

3) Simatai Great Wall

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Here is a quick breakdown of their distinct vibes:

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📌 Badaling Great Wall

✔️ Closest to downtown Beijing

✔️ Accessible by subway

✔️ The most crowded (extremely popular with domestic tourists)

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📌 Mutianyu Great Wall

✔️ A bit further out than Badaling

✔️ Very popular with international tourists

✔️ Features a super fun toboggan slide on the way down

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📌 Simatai Great Wall

✔️ The furthest from the city center

✔️ The most peaceful, uncrowded, and authentic-feeling

✔️ The ONLY section of the Great Wall open for night tours

Why I Chose the Gubei & Simatai Tour

I debated for a long time between Mutianyu and Simatai.

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I had actually visited Badaling over a decade ago.

While it's the "classic" Great Wall experience,

the crowds of both domestic and international tourists are overwhelming.

I've heard it's even busier now!

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Mutianyu is usually bundled with a Summer Palace tour,

but I was planning to visit the Summer Palace on my own, so I ruled that out.

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And then there's Simatai... a section open at night?

I absolutely couldn't pass up that kind of unique experience!

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That's how I ultimately settled on the Gubei Water Town & Simatai Great Wall Tour.

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Prices across different platforms were almost identical for the package that includes the boat ride,

with maybe a ~$1 to ~$2 difference.

But then I found a great discount coupon!

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❣️Book the Gubei Water Town & Simatai Great Wall Tour❣️

This is a ~$5 discount coupon for purchases over ~$77,

only valid when you book through the link above!

3HOURS26067K

(I'll leave it in the comments to easily copy and paste)

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Honest Simatai Great Wall Tour Review

Because the highlight of Simatai is the night view,

this tour actually starts in the afternoon.

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The meeting point is Wangjing Station, Exit C.

Just be careful because there is both a Wangjing Subway Station and a Railway Station.

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The guide will create a group chat before the tour

and send detailed maps and directions,

so I'll skip the boring logistical details here, but...

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⚠️ Keep this one crucial tip in mind! ⚠️

The exits at Wangjing Subway Station are not all connected underground!!!

If you enter through Exit A, you can't always just walk through to Exit C.

You might end up paying a 3 RMB (~$0.50) "stupidity tax" just to cross over.

Trust me, I didn't want to learn this the hard way either...

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The tour bus seats were quite comfortable,

and you are allowed to bring coffee, water, and snacks on board.

Just note there are no cup holders.

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Even on a weekday, the tour was completely full (Groups 1 through 10!).

If you plan to go on a weekend, I highly recommend booking early.

After about a 1 hour and 45-minute drive, we arrived at Gubei Water Town.

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They handed out earpieces before we got off the bus.

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📌 Quick Itinerary Overview

Enter and explore Gubei Water Town.

Hike up the Simatai Great Wall.

Come back down to enjoy the Water Town's night views.

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Simple enough, right?

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Gubei Water Town

Gubei Water Town is actually a man-made replica of traditional water towns.

Authentic water towns are typically found down south near Shanghai.

However, because the Simatai Great Wall is so isolated,

developers created this town to boost local tourism and give visitors more to do.

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Honestly, they did a fantastic job.

Because it's relatively new, everything is incredibly clean and well-maintained.

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Make sure you hold onto the tickets the guide hands out!

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Some people might think a replica town isn't a big deal,

but I genuinely loved it.

It's so peaceful, and the contrast from the bustling city

just immediately puts your mind at ease.

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I had just visited Zhujiajiao Water Town in Shanghai less than a month ago,

so I wondered if I'd be underwhelmed.

Surprisingly, Gubei had its own distinct charm that I adored! ❣️

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We checked out the giant liquor vats,

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And stood mesmerized watching the traditional fabric dyeing process.

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The guide warned us to be careful on the cobblestone streets

so we wouldn't trip and fall.

Naturally, I immediately dropped my phone on a rock and cracked it.

(Thank goodness it was just the screen protector!)

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📌 Dinner in Gubei Water Town

There isn't a dedicated sit-down meal scheduled into the tour,

so you grab food during your free time in the water town.

The guide recommends a few spots,

and funny enough, almost everyone ended up at the very last place they mentioned. Haha!

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My friend and I kept it "light" by polishing off about three rounds of dim sum and wontons. Oops!

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Simatai Great Wall

Finally, it was time to ascend the Simatai Great Wall.

We regrouped after dinner and free time,

and headed straight up.

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The cable car ride takes about 5 minutes,

and it wasn't scary at all.

After getting off, there's a 10 to 15-minute uphill hike

along a mountain trail to actually reach the wall.

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The specific towers open to the public change daily,

so you only find out which ones you can hike on the day of the tour.

When I went, towers 5, 6, 7, and 8 were all open.

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We were told that 5 and 6 have a relatively gentle incline,

while 7 and 8 are so steep that you literally have to use

both your hands and feet to crawl up...

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I politely declined the cardio and stuck to 5 and 6!

Even just visiting those two towers rewards you with views like this...!

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Take a moment to appreciate this Great Wall scenery.

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They give you plenty of time on the wall.

We took tons of photos and just zoned out watching the sunset.

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When you head back down at the time designated by the guide,

Gubei Water Town has begun to light up the night.

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They even put on a surprisingly decent water and fire show! Haha.

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I opted for the package that included the water town boat ride.

My friend and I both love boat rides, so we booked it,

and it seemed like almost everyone else on the tour did too.

Feeling like an ancient traveler drifting through time.

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The boat is manually rowed, so it moves at a very leisurely pace.

I couldn't help but marvel at how one person

was able to steer a boat carrying six passengers so smoothly.

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Whether in Shanghai or here,

if you visit a water town, the boat ride is an absolute MUST! Promise me you'll do it!!!

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And with that, the tour came to an end.

We departed around 9:00 PM and arrived back in Wangjing

by 10:30 or 10:40 PM.

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Most restaurants in Beijing close around 10:00 PM,

but the guide shared a list of late-night spots,

so many people headed straight to dinner.

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My friend and I, however, opted for a foot massage.

Oh, it was heaven.

Seriously, skip the late-night snack and get a foot massage instead. You can thank me later.

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The massage therapists were incredibly friendly, too.

When we told them we just got back from Simatai, they asked,

"Did you have to crawl up on all fours?" which had us cracking up.

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Bonus Tip!

Still can't decide which Great Wall tour to book?

Here is my final breakdown to help you choose:

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1) Summer Palace & Mutianyu Great Wall

If this is your first time in Beijing,

the Summer Palace & Mutianyu combo is fantastic.

Having a guide explain the history of the Summer Palace

makes the experience so much more memorable.

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Mutianyu is less crowded than Badaling,

and riding the toboggan slide down is a blast.

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If you don't care about night views,

want a deep dive into Beijing's history,

and prefer a more dynamic daytime activity:

= Choose the Summer Palace & Mutianyu Tour!

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❣️Book the Summer Palace & Mutianyu Great Wall Tour❣️

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2) Simatai Great Wall

Your choice might also depend on the season.

I highly recommend Simatai for Spring, Fall, or Winter.

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My one tiny regret is that because I went in the summer,

the sun set so late that the "night wall" illumination

wasn't as starkly visible against the sky.

(Though the sunset itself was absolutely magical!)

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It made me think that visiting during the cooler months,

when it gets dark earlier, would be even more spectacular.

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That being said, the night views of Gubei Water Town were stunning,

so weigh your priorities and pick what sounds best for you.

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❣️Book the Gubei Water Town & Simatai Great Wall Tour❣️

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The coupon code below works for both tour links!

~$5 discount coupon for purchases over ~$77:

3HOURS26067K

(I'll leave this in the comments so it's easy to copy!)

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