7-Day Slow Travel in Beijing for Autumn Charm

Days 1-2: In-depth Tour of Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall Sunset

The strategy for these two days is to “play the time difference.” As the most popular resort area in the Beijing suburbs, the weekend foot traffic at Gubei Water Town is terrifying. Therefore, I specifically arranged this stop in the middle of the week or the first half of the trip, which will result in a completely different experience.

Day 1: Check-in and Night Tour

If you are driving, be sure to park your car in Parking Lot P1, which is closest to the service hall. I suggest you arrive at the Gubei Water Town Tourist Service Center around 12:00 PM. Here is a pro tip: be sure to check your large luggage at the luggage consignment office outside the service center. The water town is full of Ming and Qing style slate roads and steps under horse-head walls; dragging a suitcase for a kilometer will wear down both your wheels and your patience. If you have booked an inn or hotel within the scenic area (such as William Edgar or Duan’s Courtyard), complete the check-in and facial recognition at the service center. Then you can enter the scenic area empty-handed, like a relaxed local, by scanning your face. Although the accommodation in the scenic area has a high premium, it includes two entrance tickets (valued at 320 yuan) and unlimited battery car transfers. Considering the convenience of not having to struggle out of the scenic area after watching the night view, it’s a worthwhile deal.

At 2:00 PM, when the sunlight is most abundant, head straight to the Yongshun Dye House. Going at this time is ideal because the sunlight filters through the high-hanging red and green printed fabrics, casting beautiful light and shadows. The view from the second floor is the best for capturing the entire cloth-drying yard. After taking photos, go sit by the waterside pavilion of Yinghua Academy. This place is relatively remote and many tour groups don’t make it here, making it very quiet.

For dinner, I strongly recommend going to the Cloud Cafe or restaurant near the Hilltop Church, or bringing your own snacks. The point isn’t what you eat, but the timing: around 18:30. You need to wait for the sunset at this spot, watching the lights below turn on one by one like dominoes until the entire water town becomes a golden world of glazed glass. At 8:00 PM, there is the Great Wall Musical Water Fountain Show at Wangjing Street, which is the signature attraction of Gubei.

The pitfall here lies in the choice of location: don’t squeeze into the front row just to see clearly. The water show involves fire breathing and high-pressure water spraying. If the wind direction is wrong, those in the first three rows will either have their faces scorched by heat or be drenched like drowned rats. The best position is on the bridge opposite Wangjing Building, which offers an open view and a perfect panorama.

Day 2: Great Wall and Water Town

Depart on time at 8:30 AM for the Simatai Great Wall. This is the only section of the Great Wall that retains its original Ming Dynasty appearance. It’s not as “new” as Badaling and exudes a sense of historical desolation. At this time, the tour group buses haven’t arrived yet, so the entire wall is yours.

Be sure to buy round-trip cable car tickets. Do not try to be brave and hike up, as climbing from the foot of the mountain to the entrance will consume most of your energy, while the essence lies between the watchtowers on top. The cable car ride takes 10 minutes and is very steep; those afraid of heights shouldn’t look back. Don’t think you’ve arrived once you get off the cable car; you still need to walk about 20 minutes on various rubble steps to truly step onto the wall. Focus on the section from East Watchtower 5 to East Watchtower 8, especially the “Fairy Tower” at East 8. The terrain is treacherous, and the view overlooks the entire Mandarin Duck Lake Reservoir, creating a strong contrast of “Jiangnan scenery at the foot of the Great Wall.”

After descending at noon, find a shop by the water for a meal. The afternoon is for a boat trip; go to the pier to take a rowing boat.

The tip here to avoid being a “sucker” is the “full-trip ticket.” Don’t buy the full-trip ticket from start to finish; it’s overpriced, and sitting for too long can make you dizzy and bored. Just buy a half-trip ticket from “Yangui Pier” to “Riyue Island Pier”; it’s about 20 minutes. This section of the waterway is the narrowest, with red leaves and creepers almost hanging over the water. If the boatman is in a good mood, he might sing a few Beijing-style tunes, which is the true slow life of a water town.

Days 3-4: Hongluo Temple Millennial Ancient Temple Ginkgo and Mountain Prayer

Departing from Gubei Water Town, drive south along Jingmi Road for about 1 hour and 10 minutes to reach Hongluo Temple in Huairou District. Compared to the refined “artificiality” of Gubei Water Town, Hongluo Temple feels wilder and more profound. There are no noisy commercial streets here, but more of the scent of incense and earth.

Day 3: Ginkgo and Ancient Temple

After arriving at Hongluo Temple at 10:00 AM, the first thing is to solve the parking issue. Try to park in the official P1 or P2 parking lots, which are closest to the main gate. If villagers by the roadside wave for you to park in their yards, don’t go unless the official spots are full, as price disputes can easily occur.

Don’t rush up the mountain after entering. The first stop is the Imperial Bamboo Forest at the entrance. This bamboo forest is over 600 years old, with millions of emerald bamboos blocking the sun completely; the temperature feels a few degrees cooler once you step inside. Passing through the bamboo forest leads to the core area—the Mahavira Hall. There are two male and female ginkgo trees planted in the Tang Dynasty, which are the soul of Hongluo Temple.

I have seen ginkgo trees in many places, but these two are unique. The one on the west is the male tree, which only flowers and doesn’t bear fruit; the one on the east is the female tree, which bears fruit and doesn’t flower. It is strongly recommended to time your viewing between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM. At this time, the sun moves just behind the side of the Mahavira Hall, and the light penetrates the ginkgo leaves, making every leaf look like glowing gold foil. Also, tourists rushing to descend before dark have begun to leave, allowing you to take photos with a clean background. If you don’t like climbing, you can spend the afternoon in the pine forest around Guanyin Temple. There are many red squirrels here; they are large and not afraid of people. If you have walnuts or melon seeds in your hand, they might even jump onto your shoes to beg for food.

There is a pitfall for dining here: the small restaurants at the scenic area entrance mostly cater to tour groups, offering mediocre tastes and inflated prices. It is suggested to drive two kilometers toward Huairou city to Luzhuang Village. That is the famous “Rainbow Trout Street.” Find any farmhouse and order Chestnut Braised Pork or Grilled Rainbow Trout. The portions are so large that two people can’t finish them, but the price is only half of that at the scenic area entrance.

Day 4: Hongluo Temple Hiking and Slide

Today’s task is “hardcore” mountain climbing. There are three paths at Hongluo Mountain. Based on my experience over the years, the most reasonable route is to take the “Health Path” up and the slide down.

Start climbing at 9:00 AM; the entrance is on the west side of Guanyin Temple. This path is all stairs and quite steep, passing through the 500 Arhat Garden. Hundreds of life-sized Arhat statues scattered in the dense forest might feel a bit solemn at first, but it is truly shocking. The entire ascent takes about 1.5 to 2 hours, which is a test for the knees; trekking poles are very useful here. When you reach Zhongtian Gate or the summit observatory on a clear day, you can clearly see the Huairou Reservoir to the south, looking like a sapphire set in the plains.

Do not return the same way when descending; be sure to experience the track slide. This is not just a transport tool, but the most worthwhile project at Hongluo Temple. The slide is 1500 meters long with a significant drop. Each person sits in a small car with a control lever: push to accelerate, pull to brake. Be sure to queue during the 12:00-13:00 period. Most tourists are eating, so the wait might only be 20 minutes; once it’s past 1:00 PM, the queue is usually over 1.5 hours.

Days 5-6: Yanqi Lake 20km Lakefront Cycling and Leisure Wellness

After the “exhausting walks” at the Great Wall and Hongluo Mountain, I have slowed down the pace completely for these two days. If not for the APEC summit, the Yanqi Lake area would just be a large reservoir, but now the road conditions and greenery are amazing. The way to play here is definitely not to buy a ticket to enter the scenic area for the simple pirate ship, but to enjoy the top-tier peripheral cycling greenway for free.

Day 5: Lakefront Cycling

Don’t set an alarm this morning; wake up naturally. Drive slowly to Yanqi Lake at noon and navigate to “Yanqi Lake P5 Parking Lot.” This is key: P5 is closest to the cycling start point and the most convenient place to rent a bike. Don’t go to P1 or P2; those are for the paid scenic area, they are crowded, and far from the good cycling stretches.

Start renting bikes around 2:00 PM. Opposite the P5 parking lot, there are numerous bike rentals with a dazzling array of models. If you don’t bike often, be sure to rent a tandem bicycle or a leisure bike with wide tires; don’t rent a professional road bike, as the low posture is hard on the waist. Prices here can be negotiated, especially on Fridays or Mondays.

The route is very simple: just follow the red plastic cycling path by the roadside. Many people mistakenly think the lake loop is 20km, but the essential section hugging the lake is only about 13km. The remaining 7km goes onto the road with cars, which is neither safe nor scenic; I suggest turning back after completing the 13km loop.

• Start Phase: It begins as a tree-lined road with mountains on the left and the lake on the right. The road is very flat, requiring almost no effort to pedal.
• Highlight Moment: After cycling for about 40 minutes, you will reach a Dam (Main Dam Observatory). You must stop here because the iconic Sunrise East Kempinski Hotel (the globe building that looks like a giant shell or the sun) is directly opposite you. Around 4:00 PM, the setting sun hits the glass curtain wall and reflects in the lake, making for the most “prestigious” photo of the trip.
• Second Half: After the dam, there is a downhill section; watch your brakes. This road will pass many APEC meeting venues with interesting architectural styles, all in Han and Tang styles.

Here is a typical pitfall: there is a long stretch in the middle of the cycling path (about 5-6km) with no kiosks or vending machines. I have encountered too many tourists who were desperately thirsty halfway and had to stop people for water. Pack two bottles of water in your car trunk or backpack before starting; this is more useful than any equipment.

Day 6: Boardwalk Hiking and Recovery

No high-intensity exercise on the last day. Drive to the Yanqi Lake West Mountain Boardwalk in the morning. There are several entrances; I recommend entering from Entrance 2. No ticket is needed here; just scan your ID card at the gate.

The West Mountain Boardwalk is entirely made of wood, elevated above the forest. You don’t need to walk the whole way (which takes 3 hours); just walking the essential section from Entrance 2 to Entrance 3 is enough, taking about 40 minutes. This section is on high ground, and you can see the entire panorama of Yanqi Lake through the trees. The view is even better than yesterday’s cycling, and the air is full of the fresh scent of pine and cypress.

Leave the afternoon for “staring at the lakeside.” There are many teahouses or cafes by the mountains and water around Yanqi Lake. For example, several boutique guesthouses near Fanqi Road have afternoon tea areas open to the public. Find a spot with floor-to-ceiling windows, order a pot of tea, and watch the yellow leaves fall outside; this is the perfect finale to this week’s slow tour. If you have a picnic mat in your car, lying in the sun on the lawn near the P5 parking lot is also excellent; the lawn there is maintained like a golf course and allows walking.

Day 7: Return to City for Recovery and Trip Conclusion

The theme for the seventh day is very clear: Retreat. Many people are used to packing their itinerary until the last moment to get their “money’s worth,” but for a Beijing suburb trip, this mindset will definitely lead to a breakdown on the highway back. I have arranged no attractions for this day, purely to let you end your holiday decently and calmly.

• Natural Wake-up and Final Breakfast
  Do not set an alarm today; waking up naturally is the best reward for yourself. If you are staying at a brand hotel near Yanqi Lake (such as Sunrise East or Hilton), breakfast is usually served until 10:00 or 10:30. Be sure to have this breakfast; not just to get your money’s worth, but because the five-star hotels in the Beijing suburbs have the fewest people at this time. You can slowly sip coffee until the service ends. This sense of relaxation is stronger than visiting any attraction. After eating, go back to the room to pack, check if any chargers or toiletry bags are left in the bathroom, and check out on time at 11:00.
• Lunch: A Bowl of Wide Noodles Before Leaving
  Don’t rush onto the highway after checking out; solve lunch in Huairou city first. It is recommended to find an Old Beijing style restaurant near Qingchun Road or Kaifang Road and order some home-style dishes or a meal of big-filling dumplings. Huairou has a dish called “Green Bean and Pork Rib Rolls” that is excellent—a carb bomb but very satisfying. You need to be full to deal with the road home. By the way, buy two pounds of sugar-fried chestnuts at a roadside dry fruit shop to take home; hot chestnuts fresh from the pot are the best souvenir.
• Life and Death Speed: The 13:00 Return Deadline
  This is a blood-and-tears lesson learned from countless traffic jams: you must strictly adhere to the 13:00 departure time. If you are driving, as long as you get on the Jingcheng Expressway (G45) before 1:00 PM on Sunday, you will likely have a smooth trip, taking 40-50 minutes from Huairou to the North Third Ring Road. Once you delay past 2:30 PM, the Jingcheng Expressway heading into Beijing, especially the section from Suanzaoling Bridge to the main toll station, will turn into a red parking lot.

Here is a real lesson: once I thought I should buy a souvenir at the gate of Hongluo Temple and delayed my departure from Huairou until 3:30 PM. As a result, a journey that usually takes 40 minutes took me 3.5 hours. Especially after passing the Kuangou Toll Station at the checkpoint into Beijing, the line of cars stretched for kilometers. The anxiety of watching the holiday end while trapped on the highway can really ruin the joy of your previous 6 days. Therefore, it’s better to return to the city early to space out than to look at tail lights on the highway.

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Badaling Great Wall / Mutianyu Great Wall — Practical Information

Tickets & Booking

• Mutianyu Great Wall student/senior ticket: Half-price concession CNY 20 per person; postcard concession CNY 25 (Beijing-registered residents over 60, medical staff and others free of charge, but must call ahead to reserve and exchange tickets); advance booking required (Mutianyu Great Wall official website/official channels)^[src]
• Mutianyu Great Wall round-trip shuttle bus: Round trip CNY 15 per person; one way CNY 10 (media reference); no booking required^[src]
• Mutianyu Great Wall cable car (enclosed cabin) / Speed slide: Cable car adult round trip about CNY 120, one way about CNY 100; children round trip about CNY 60, one way about CNY 50; slide adult round trip about CNY 120, one way about CNY 100 (also a “chairlift up + slide/cableway down” package about CNY 140; OTA reference); no booking required^[src]

Transport & Schedules

• Deshengmen → Badaling Great Wall | Bus 877: From Deshengmen take bus 877 direct (about 1–1.5 h); third-party timetables show outbound departures about 6:00–12:00 and return trips about 10:30–17:00, fares from CNY 12, with a discount f^[src]
• Metro Line 13 Huoying station → Badaling Great Wall | Suburban railway Line S2 (Huangtudian station): Transfer at Huoying metro station to Line S2 (Huangtudian station) to Badaling station; third-party sources give a fare of about CNY 7, no advance booking, buy on site per departure (non-off^[src]
• City center (Zhushikou metro station exit D) → Mutianyu Great Wall | Scenic-area direct shuttle: Direct shuttle departing from Zhushikou metro station exit D at about 08:00; round-trip reference CNY 80 per person (OTA reference).^[src]

Where to Stay · Room Type · Nearby

• Yanqing district (at the foot of the Badaling Great Wall) | Reference price Characteristic guesthouses, reference several hundred CNY per night (OTA reference) | Room tip: View room/standard room | Nearby add-ons: Badaling Great Wall, Ancient Great Wall, Shuiguan Great Wall, Ming Tombs^[src]
• Huairou district (at the foot of the Mutianyu Great Wall) | Reference price Scenic-area hotels/guesthouses, reference several hundred CNY per night (OTA reference) | Room tip: View room/standard room | Nearby add-ons: Mutianyu Great Wall, Yanqi Lake, Jiankou Great Wall^[src]

Typical Climate & Packing (Past Years)

• January: -9.4–1.6 °C, Windy and freezing at the Great Wall passes; slippery when snow and
• February: -6.9–4.0 °C, Still cold; windproof and warm clothing needed
• March: -0.6–11.3 °C, Warming and windy; mountain flowers gradually bloom
• April: 7.2–19.9 °C, Cherry blossom and mountain flower season along the Great Wall; larg
• May: 13.2–26.4 °C, Pleasant climate; hiking the Great Wall is fairly comfortable
• June: 18.2–30.3 °C, Rainy season begins; watch for thunderstorms and slippery paths