China · WATER TOWN TOURS IN BEIJING

15 Water Town Tours in Beijing That Fill Up First

19 tours  ·  from $85

The good water town tours in Beijing go weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and where they differ.

Beijing: Simatai Great Wall & Gubei Water Town Private Tour - Gubei Water Town before the wall
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Beijing: Simatai Great Wall & Gubei Water Town Private Tour

1.Simatai Great Wall & Gubei Water Town Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 110 reviews · 8 hours · from $133Our pick

Travel privately from Beijing to Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town in about eight hours. Choose a guide such as Miko, Lily, Jack, or Jimmy, or book transfer only. Ride the cable car, visit 10 watchtowers, and see Gubei’s canals by day or under red lanterns at night.

“We had a great day at Simatai visiting 10 towers and the water city. The transportation was punctual and comfortable with our driver Jason.”

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Mutianyu Great Wall And Gubei Watertown Private Day Tour

2.Mutianyu Great Wall And Gubei Watertown Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 86 reviews · from $149Top rated

Travel by private air-conditioned vehicle from your Beijing hotel to Mutianyu Great Wall and Gubei Water Town. You set the pace at both stops, while your driver handles the long transfers. Plan for 8 to 9 hours, plus entrance fees, meals, and optional cable car costs.

“The driver was very friendly and he spoke English. We arrived early in the day, so got very lucky with nearly no crowds. Great layover!”

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Jinshanling Private Tour with Night View of Simatai and Gubei Water Town from Beijing - Walking Jinshanling’s watchtowers and ridges
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Jinshanling Private Tour with Night View of Simatai and Gubei Water Town from Beijing

3.Jinshanling Private Tour with Night View of Simatai and Gubei Water Town from Beijing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 77 reviews · from $261

Meet your English-speaking guide at your Beijing hotel and spend 10 to 12 hours exploring Jinshanling, Gubei Water Town, and Simatai. Guides such as Tony, Miko, Andy, Anson, Jay, and Huang are praised for clear history talks, photos, and personal care. A Chinese meal and Simatai cable car are included.

“Amazing tour! Our tour guide Jonathan was great. He was very punctual, polite and friendly. He catered to all our needs. The lunch we had at Jinshanling was from a local family restaurant they had chosen and it was delicious. The views from this tour were extraordinary and Jonathan knew which spots to go to, to avoid the crowds! Would highly recommend this tour!”

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Private Sunset&Night Tour: Simatai Great Wall & Gubei Water Town - Cable cars make the wall visit more manageable
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Private Sunset&Night Tour: Simatai Great Wall & Gubei Water Town

4.Private Sunset&Night Tour: Simatai Great Wall & Gubei Water Town

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 45 reviews · from $182

Travel from Beijing with a private vehicle, explore Gubei Water Town, then ride cable cars to Simatai Great Wall for sunset and illuminated night views. Guide service depends on the booking option: all-inclusive tours include an English-speaking guide, while transportation-only bookings use a Chinese-speaking driver with a translation app. Expect about nine hours.

“This is a private driver, not a tour. No English speaking and haven’t escort us properly. Not worthing the price.”

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Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall Private Day Tour - Gubei Water Town: canals, courtyards, and staged old-China charm
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Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall Private Day Tour

5.Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · from $110

Travel privately from Beijing with Benny’s Guide & Driver Service to Gubei Water Town and the original Simatai Great Wall. Allow 8 to 9 hours, plus about $50 per person for admission, cable car, and shuttle fees. Drivers such as Duan and Su Debin provide punctual, helpful transport, though an English-speaking guide is not included.

“Though location is far from Beijing, driver Duan was very kind, friendly and considerate - making the journey comfortable and smooth. Even if you don't speak Chinese, the translation app is useful and there are no problems communicating. Gubei and Simatai itself is beautiful and an enjoyable experience”

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Private Beijing Transfer: Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town - What the private transfer actually gives you
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Private Beijing Transfer: Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town

6.Private Beijing Transfer: Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 31 reviews · from $133

Leave your Beijing hotel in a private vehicle for Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town. Choose a transfer-only visit or add a guide. Your fare covers entrance tickets, round-trip cable car rides, bottled water, and hotel pickup within Beijing’s 4th Ring Road. Evening departures offer illuminated views, though some shops close early.

“The car ride was great and very smooth. The village is beautiful, the cable car so cool and the illuminated wall was stunning. Such a great evening.”

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Beijing: Jinshanling and Simatai Wall&Gubei Watertown Tour - Starting at Qianmen and riding north
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Beijing: Jinshanling and Simatai Wall&Gubei Watertown Tour

7.Jinshanling and Simatai Wall&Gubei Watertown Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 9 hours · from $185

Meet your English-speaking guide at your central Beijing hotel for a private ride to Jinshanling, then eat locally and visit Gubei Water Town before taking a cable car to illuminated Simatai. Guides such as Miko, Andy, Allen, and Jessica are praised for clear stories and attentive care.

“The trip was wonderful and very memorable due to the wonderful sights it covers - something most miss but is extremely beautiful especially the Gubei Water Town. Wish I had more time there. The Guide Jessica (Jan Shai Ren) was very friendly and knowledgeable. Took us through the entire trip in a very cheerful and fun way more like a friend than a guide. I would recommend this trip especially due to the good vehicle, driver and of course Jessica.”

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Private Gubei Water Town and Simatai Trip with English Speaking Driver Service - Starting from your Beijing hotel
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Private Gubei Water Town and Simatai Trip with English Speaking Driver Service

8.Private Gubei Water Town and Simatai Trip with English Speaking Driver Service

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · from $130

Travel privately from Beijing with an English-speaking driver such as Peter Wu, then explore rugged Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town on your own. Pickup, drop-off, bottled water, parking, tolls, and fuel are included, but attraction tickets and lunch cost extra.

“The tour guide will drive you from the town and help you buy your tickets 1) to the town 2) a one-way bus trip to the wall (you walk back through the town) and 3) to the chairlift. It was around 600 Yuan for myself and senior father for those thRead more”

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Beijing Mutianyu Great Wall Tour with Night View of Simatai and Gubei Water Town - Mutianyu in daylight, with a toboggan choice
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Beijing Mutianyu Great Wall Tour with Night View of Simatai and Gubei Water Town

9.Beijing Mutianyu Great Wall Tour with Night View of Simatai and Gubei Water Town

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · from $270

Spend about 8 to 10 hours with a private English-speaking guide, visiting Mutianyu in daylight and Simatai after dark. The tour includes hotel pickup within Beijing’s fourth ring road, lunch, tickets, cable cars, and a toboggan option at Mutianyu. Guides such as Andy and Jimmy have led this experience.

“What an amazing experience. We had Guide Andy and Driver Wang, and they were both extremely patient and friendly. We wanted to take a lot of pictures, and I mean a LOT, and they always gave us enough time and told us about the historRead more”

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Private Evening Tour to Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town - Gubei Water Town before the wall
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Private Evening Tour to Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town

10.Private Evening Tour to Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $188

Travel from Beijing to Gubei Water Town and the wild, unrestored Simatai Great Wall on a private evening outing. An English-speaking driver or optional guide handles transport, while you set the pace. See Wangjinglou’s fountain show, ride the cable car, and view illuminated watchtowers.

“It was really special to see the Wall lit up at night, and the water town was a memorable experience--quite chilly in winter, with many parts of the park closed, but this tour would be especially magical in warmer months. Our guide was very warm and kind. We cherish this memory.”

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Private Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town Night Tour from Beijing - The climb to Simatai after sunset
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Private Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town Night Tour from Beijing

11.Private Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town Night Tour from Beijing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $234

Leave your Beijing hotel with a private guide and driver for Gubei Water Town’s canals, boats, shops, and lit streets. Then visit Simatai Great Wall after sunset. Add a cable-car ride and dinner if you prefer less climbing and a fuller evening. Guide Linda has received special praise for her help and English.

“The visit to the wall was amazing and it was thrilling to see it lit up with lights at night time. Our guide and driver were lovely and could speak good English which was helpful to us. They suggested, as an added on extra, to take the boat ridRead more”

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Gubei Water Town Simatai Great Wall Ticket And Options - Walking Through Gubei Water Town
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Gubei Water Town Simatai Great Wall Ticket And Options

12.Gubei Water Town Simatai Great Wall Ticket And Options

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · 3 - 12 hours · from $85Best value

Explore Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall at your own pace with advance QR code entry. You can book tickets alone or add hotel pickup. Expect steep wall walks, a recreated northern Chinese town, and no included guide or meal.

“Great experience! When my pre booked driver suddenly fell ill and couldn't collect me from the hotel to commence our itinerary, HAPPY TRAVEL ASIA promptly arranged for Jack, an excellent driver whose performance was nothing short of exemplary. Punctual and dependable, he was friendly, talkative and ever-helpful, providing us with bottled water and efficiently organising our schedule. He also offered proactive suggestions for exploring the Great Wall and sightseeing in Beijing. His English was fluent, driving smooth and comfortable. The Simatai Great Wall radiates primal charm, while the Gubei water town faithfully recreates an ancient settlement. We thoroughly enjoyed the local restaurants a...”

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Simatai Great Wall & Gubei Water Town Private Trip English Driver - Two hours at Gubei Water Town
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Simatai Great Wall & Gubei Water Town Private Trip English Driver

13.Simatai Great Wall & Gubei Water Town Private Trip English Driver

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $124

You’ll travel by private air-conditioned car from Beijing to Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town with an English-speaking driver such as Mark, Martin, Bruce, or Rocky. Expect about nine hours on the road and at the sights, bottled water, hotel pickup, and 230 RMB per person for entrance tickets.

“We had been given Marks contact through some friends who had visited the wall with him a few years ago. So happy we had this recommendation because it was amazing! Our driver Xie was very chilled and relaxed for the drive to JinshanRead more”

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Beijing Gubei Water Town and Great Wall Day Trip - The morning ride to Simatai Great Wall
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Beijing Gubei Water Town and Great Wall Day Trip

14.Beijing Gubei Water Town and Great Wall Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $348

Meet your English-speaking guide at 10:00am for private hotel pickup, then ride to Simatai Great Wall for a cable-car ascent and two-hour visit. After lunch, explore Gubei Water Town’s canals, courtyards, shops, and hot spring area before returning to Beijing around 8:00pm.

“Muchas gracias por la experiencia, increíble la atención del guía, nos orientó perfectamente durante todo el tour.”

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All Inclusive Private Day Trip to Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town - Gubei Water Town’s Canals, Shops, and Replica Streets
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All Inclusive Private Day Trip to Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town

15.All Inclusive Private Day Trip to Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $251

Travel privately from Beijing to Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall in about nine hours. Your guide handles tickets, driving, lunch, and pacing. Guides such as Kevin, Jerry, Marco, and Lily have been praised for thoughtful help, photography, history, and adapting to the climb.

“Tour Guide Jerry was exceptional. He took my pictures which turned out great! He explained the history of The Great Wall and also adjusted to my pace especially during the climb to the Great Wall which was tiring. He even helped with mRead more”

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