what is the best/easiest way to travel from beijing to simatai? would you book in advance?

Question

We are planning to visit the Simatai section of the Great Wall from Beijing and possibly stay overnight in the water town then head back to Beijing. Could anyone advise how easy it is to travel to and from Beijing to Simatai and if you should book this in advance? Is there independent travel agents in Beijing that could arrange travel for you or are we best to go on a tour? We are not sure how easy it is to transport here ourselves with the language barrier and presume no signs will be in English. Also, if anyone has stayed overnight in the water town and would recommend doing this or not that would be great :) Thanks in advance!

Lily · Answer

According to the official website, you can take an express at Dongzhimenwai Bus Stop. The ticket fare is CNY48/person. This express will depart at 08:00, 09:00, 12:00 and 15:30 in weekdays and it will add one express at 14:00 on weekends. The duration is about 2 hours. The return ticket should be reserved at Tourist Service Center 1 hour in advance. It departs at 11:00, 12:00, 16:00 and 21:00 from no.2 parking lot of Gubei Water Town in weekdays and there will be one more express leaving at 19:00 on weekends.You need to reserve this Great Wall on their official website. However, they only have the Chinese version, so you may ask a Chinese friend to help you book it. Well, if you want stay there for a night, you may not go out alone at the deep night. Maybe you may also get a jacket when you go out at night.Besides, you can also contact the travel@travelchinaguide.com, who has provided me with a nice and comfortable trip to the wall. You can consult them for the detailed information.

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What is the best/easiest way to travel from Beijing to Simatai? Would you book in advance?