Simatai Great Wall Guide: Access, Views, Night Tour (2026)

Simatai is the only section of the Great Wall that stays open at night. It also sits directly above Gubei Water Town, a restored Ming-style village with hot springs and restaurants, which makes it the most practical overnight option near any section of the Wall. The direct bus from Dongzhimen Transport Hub takes about 2 hours and costs ¥48 one way. Entry is ¥40, the cable car is ¥120 round trip, and the famous night tour is a separate ~¥180 ticket.

I have visited Simatai twice in the past year - once as a day trip, once as an overnight with the night tour. The day trip works, but the overnight is what people remember for years.

What this guide covers

• The Dongzhimen to Gubei Water Town direct bus and how to book it

• 2026 entry fees, cable car options, and what is and is not included

• Day visit vs. overnight with night tour - which suits you

• Accessibility: how to reach Tower 8 without hiking stairs

• Best sunset and photography towers on the restored section

• Practical tips on weather, cash, passports, and hotels

• FAQs on booking, kids, timing

Why Simatai is different

Most of the "popular" Great Wall sections around Beijing - Badaling, Mutianyu, Juyongguan - are fully restored, flat on top, and closed at sunset. Simatai breaks those rules.

• Half restored, half original. Towers 1 through 8 are restored and walkable; Towers 9 through 16 are the raw "Wild Wall" and permanently closed to visitors. The border is a steel gate at Tower 8.

• The only night-access section. A limited ticket allows evening entry with lit watchtowers and a drone show over Gubei Water Town below. No other wall section offers this.

• Built into Gubei Water Town. You do not park and hike to the wall; you walk out of your hotel and are at the base.

• Steeper than Mutianyu. Between Towers 5 and 8 the gradient is no joke. If you have weak knees, take the cable car.

Getting to Simatai from Beijing

Simatai sits in Miyun District, about 120 km northeast of central Beijing. You have three practical options.

Option A: Direct tourist bus from Dongzhimen (best value)

Gubei Water Town operates an official direct bus from Dongzhimen Transport Hub that runs to the village entrance, stopping nowhere else.

• Boarding: Dongzhimen Transport Hub (东直门交通枢纽), same building as the airport express and 916 Express to Huairou. Look for the Gubei Water Town ticket desk on the ground floor with green "古北水镇直通车" signage.

• Fare: ¥48 one way, ¥80 round trip if booked together (2026 rates).

• Schedule: Departures roughly every 30-60 minutes between 08:30 and 12:30 outbound; returns 15:30 to 21:00. Night-tour travelers use the late returns.

• Booking: Buy on the spot or pre-book in the WeChat mini-program "古北水镇" (Gubei Water Town). Passport required for e-ticket collection.

• Journey time: 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes on the G45 expressway.

This is the option I recommend. It is cheaper than any tour, no sales stops, and you arrive at the front gate of the water town with your wall ticket printed on your phone.

Option B: Didi or private driver

• A Didi Premium from central Beijing to Gubei Water Town runs ¥450-¥600 one way and takes around 1 hour 45 minutes with light traffic. Matching is slow on the return, so pre-book.

• A chartered driver for the day (up to 4 passengers round trip, 10-12 hours) runs ¥800-¥1200 through Trip.com or hotel concierges. Worth it for families or groups with luggage.

Option C: Tour bus with guide

Group day tours run ¥380-¥700 per person, typically include entry, cable car, and an English guide, and leave Beijing around 08:00. Useful if you want pickup from your hotel and no logistics, but the fixed schedule means you usually miss sunset.

2026 tickets: what you actually pay

You will buy multiple tickets. Here is the 2026 breakdown.

The most common "do it right" combo is town entry + wall entry + cable car round trip = ¥300, plus the night tour at ¥180 if you stay over. That is before hotel or food.

Passport is mandatory

Every ticket at Simatai and Gubei Water Town is real-name - each ticket is bound to one passport. You need the physical passport at the gate, not a photo. Families: one passport per person, including children.

Day trip or overnight?

If you can spare 24 hours and ¥400-¥800 extra, the overnight is the better experience. The night tour is lit from Tower 4 to Tower 8 and the view over the illuminated water town is the signature Simatai image. Most hotels inside the water town run ¥600-¥1200 per night on Trip.com; cheaper guesthouses in Simatai village outside the gates run ¥250-¥450 but require a taxi back at night.

Accessibility: reaching the wall without stairs

Simatai is steep, but the cable car bypasses most of the hard climbing. Here is what works for travelers with mobility limits, knee issues, or small kids.

The cable car gets you to Tower 8 level

The cable car lower station is inside Gubei Water Town - a flat, paved 10-minute walk from the main entrance, mostly wheelchair accessible. An internal electric shuttle runs from the town gate to the lower station for visitors who cannot walk that distance (included in the town ticket).

The cable car tops out at Tower 8, the highest restored tower on the section. From the upper station, a short paved ramp (not steps) leads to a viewing platform directly below the tower. This platform is wheelchair accessible and gives the best sunset view of the Wild Wall ridge to the east.

Walking along the restored wall

• Tower 8 to Tower 6: moderate gradient, uneven paving, manageable with trekking poles. Round trip takes about 45 minutes at a slow pace.

• Tower 6 to Tower 4: steeper, several stair flights with worn bricks. Skip if knees are an issue.

• Tower 4 to Tower 1: steepest section, narrow steps, no handrail in many places. For experienced hikers only.

What does not work for wheelchair users

• The wall surface above Tower 8 and below Tower 6 has stairs and narrow sections.

• The chairlift on the east side (separate from the main cable car) has open seats with no wheelchair accommodation.

• The "zipline" from Tower 8 down to the water town is fun but has a strict weight range and is not for anyone with back or neck problems.

Best for accessibility in 2026

Book the cable car round trip, take photos from the Tower 8 viewing platform, spend 30 minutes on the short Tower 8 to Tower 7 walk, then cable car down and focus on the water town below. The canal-side main streets of Gubei are flat stone paving - fine for wheelchairs and strollers, and most restaurants have step-free entries.

Sunset, night tour, and the best photo towers

• Tower 6 at 30 minutes before sunset. This is my favorite shot. You get the restored wall curving west toward the setting sun, the Wild Wall collapsing east into the ridge, and the water town glowing in the valley below.

• Tower 8 for the drone show. On weekends and summer evenings, Gubei Water Town runs a drone show (free for all town visitors) at about 20:30. From Tower 8 you see the whole formation over the valley.

• Night tour entry runs from 17:30. Towers 4 through 8 are lit with warm white floodlights, the steps have subtle ground lighting, and crowds drop to under 10% of the daytime volume. The night ticket is checked at a separate gate - you cannot use a regular day ticket after 17:30.

Practical tips from two visits

• Book the bus outbound, not return. The return bus sells out last-minute only on Sundays. On weekdays, you can walk up and buy.

• Reserve the hotel at least 2 weeks ahead. Gubei fills up on weekends and holidays. The on-site Gubei Water Town Hotel (古北之光温泉度假酒店) is worth the splurge; hot spring access is included for guests.

• Bring a windbreaker year-round. The ridge is 10 degrees cooler than the valley and the wind cuts through cotton tops. In winter, the temperature on Tower 6 can hit -15°C.

• Water is expensive inside the park. Vendors inside the water town charge ¥10-¥15 for a 500 ml bottle. Pick up a pack at the Beijing 7-Eleven before you board the bus.

• Cash is unnecessary but bring ¥100. Every shop and restaurant in the water town takes Alipay and WeChat Pay. The only cash-only thing I encountered was a coin-operated telescope at Tower 8 (¥2).

• Visit in October or April. October has clear skies, golden foliage on the ridge, and comfortable hiking temperatures. April is green with fewer visitors. Avoid Golden Week (Oct 1-7) when the bus sells out days ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Simatai better than Mutianyu or Badaling?

Different, not strictly better. Badaling is the most crowded and closest to Beijing. Mutianyu is the most photogenic restored wall with a fast highway in. Simatai is the only section with a night tour, the only section with the Wild Wall immediately visible, and the only one where you can overnight at the base. If you only visit one section and you value night atmosphere and fewer crowds, pick Simatai.

Can kids under 6 hike Simatai?

On Tower 8 via the cable car, yes - even a 3-year-old can walk the short paved ramp to the viewing platform. The steeper stairs below Tower 6 are not suitable for small children or strollers. Kids under 1.2 meters enter both the wall and the water town at half price or free.

How long does the night tour actually last?

Entry starts around 17:30 (sunset time varies by season). Lighting is fully on by 19:00. Most visitors spend 45-90 minutes on the wall at night before taking the cable car back down. The wall gate closes at about 21:30 in summer and 20:30 in winter.

Can I visit Simatai without entering Gubei Water Town?

Not really. The wall gate sits inside the water town, and you must pay the ¥140 town entry to reach it. There used to be a separate "Simatai locals' path" on the east side but it has been permanently closed since 2020.

What happens if the cable car is closed?

The cable car pauses in high wind, thunderstorms, and occasionally during winter ice. When it is closed, you must hike up the stone path from Gubei Water Town. This is a steep 45-60 minute climb with sustained stairs. Check the WeChat mini-program "古北水镇" on the morning of your visit - cable car status is posted live.