Gubei Water Town
Gubei Water Town
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
333 reviews
Excellent
195
Very good
91
Average
30
Poor
10
Terrible
7
Daphne
Singapore, Singapore51 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
Loved this place and I will definitely come back again in Autumn. Check out the pictures it was a scenic and beautiful town!
The day and night shots give a different vibe and impression! It was a wonderful place especially during sunset
The day and night shots give a different vibe and impression! It was a wonderful place especially during sunset
Written 17 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
China P
11 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
Take a taxi to Dongzhimenwai bus station, aiming to arrive no later than 820am. Look for bus 980 and/or a small sign referring to gubei. The cost is 48yuen.. cash only (no alipay or WeChat) and is paid as you're boarding. It departs 9am daily
Written 6 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PlatinumForeverDUS
Shanghai, China2 499 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
Great place to visit - lots of wonderful sceneries - very different moods during the day - from early morning to late night
Written 1 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cuneyt C
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Couples
Beautiful ancient town. The great wall is spectacular! Lots of photo moments. Leos private tour with Mr Ping was good. he also provided some Interesting information about the great wall and Chinese history.
Written 28 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
YULIANA M
1 contribution
May 2023 • Friends
Amazing town full of streams, beautiful flowers, cute stores and great food. I loved the flower and ceramic details hang by the houses’ doors. The views are wonderful.
Written 16 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mari
72 contributions
Dec 2021
This is a great long weekend getaway from Beijing. it is less than an hours drive. I went here with a group of friends during Christmas time. We had such a fun time! Walking aournd is like being transported back a few hundred years. It is so sweet and beautiful. The area also has hot water springs resports, massage, ice skating, and easy acess to the Great Wall. The Great Wall that is at Gubei is the only part of the wall that is open at night. It is a beautiful time to go up to the wall. I hgely recommed this as a short getaway from Beijing.
Written 15 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Abusyed
Tianjin, China42 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
wow , no words to say about the beauty of the place, if you are looking for a place to take the photographs , this is the place , Recommended for night view , stunning beauty, lot of resturants ,boating, and enjoy the.scenaries .
Written 1 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephen C
Singapore, Singapore1 082 contributions
Dec 2020 • Couples
This water town is about 2 hours drive from Beijing city. For those who have been to Wuzhen (in outskirts of Shanghai), there is a heavy resemblance as I'm told that this place is modeled after the latter.
There is plenty to do inside. The bonus of going in winter is that the streams are frozen and converted to skating rinks. There are also ice sculptures at various parts of the town.
The other advantage of visiting this town is that it is linked to the Simatai leg of the Great Wall. It is best to stay until evening time as the lights of the town and the Great Wall are magnificent.
There is plenty to do inside. The bonus of going in winter is that the streams are frozen and converted to skating rinks. There are also ice sculptures at various parts of the town.
The other advantage of visiting this town is that it is linked to the Simatai leg of the Great Wall. It is best to stay until evening time as the lights of the town and the Great Wall are magnificent.
Written 27 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
spp123
Beijing, China58 contributions
Nov 2020
This is around 130 km outside of Beijing, 1.5 hr driving. The place is phenomenal though gets crowded during the weekend. We stayed there for two night within the water town. ( Be careful not all hotels accept foreigners so you have to call them and confirm that). Plenty of places to eat . Along with Chinese food , you get your Pizza , burger and steak so don't worry about the food there . Make sure to go around the whole place during the day and then at night. Try to climb the hill of Gubei church in the evening to see the whole place lit up. We also took the cable to Simatai Great wall . It is a broken great wall , even after the cable it is still a steep climb. It is bit expensive though. Its not worth to go up to the great wall in the evening , you might want to stay and enjoy the water town in the evening. And if you like photography , this is your place . we were there in 1st week of Nov so great time to see the red Ivy all over the water town and of course great weather. A must visit place.
Written 14 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveller_Oldie
Charleston, SC284 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
This re-enactment of the actual watertown is very well constructed and has a range of wonderful little shops and alleyways. BUT try to go on a weekday. Weekends are hectic and full of crowds. Has a nice vibe. The lightshow with more than 80 drones dancing in the sky was quite incredible.
Written 15 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TimAnita787
Chiang Mai, Thailand1 contribution
If I'm taking a bus there, are there English speaking tour guides available once you arrive? Or are they necessary?
kiwijokers
Auckland, New Zealand364 contributions
Our driver says it’s not worth visiting it’s just a commercial business recreation.
I thought it was ancient buildings?
Is it or not?
We won’t be there till end of November and think it will be pretty cold then....
suzanne t
4 contributions
I am not sure if your driver is chinese and local to Beijing ?? But Gubei is a collection of old villages and brought together in Gubei it’s authenticity is very good must have cost a fortune but simatai the oldest bit of the wall is very close and is the best of the Chinese’s Great Wall it’s under UNESCO and was built in 550 -557 built in the Qi dynasty also really old and on the Yanshan mountain .and the peking mountains are very rugged and dramatic it’s beautiful your going into the countryside . I would visit it it’s like going to London and not visiting the Crown Jewels or visiting England and not going to Stonehenge . The water town was well worth the visit i enjoyed it the nearest water town to Beijing the next other is in Shanghai which is Nanxun but I went to see the old part of the historic wall .. I really found it like a small shangrila you won’t be dissapointed . Take care and enjoy the experience
dalomedontre
Chicago, IL1 contribution
If I go to Samaita wall at the gubei water town and take the 21:00 bus to dongzhimen station and arrive around 23:00... would I get stranded cause to my knowledge the metro stop running around that time..and it will be a 3 hour walk to downtown?
Most metro trains have their last journey start at 23:00 (next train @ 05:00). You should be able to get a taxi (around $7). Have a look at the Rome2rio travel app. It says the walk would be around 1.5 hours. Not smart especially if in winter.
cbema
Oxford, UK42 contributions
Can someone recommend a driver to take us to & from Gubei on the 6th September? We would like to stay till 9pm, to see the light show. What would be the cost? I checked at my hotel and the return cost is very expensive. Thanks
Andrew
Perth, Australia318 contributions
Postscript to my earlier post: If you decide on the shuttle bus option be sure to PRE-BOOK your return, a lot of people use this service that stay to see the light show and you cannot just turn up and get a seat.
Cheers
Drew22
dalomedontre
Chicago, IL1 contribution
Can u take a taxi from Beijing to the hubris water town and are there taxis to get back the next day if we decide to spend the night
Bon
Hong Kong, China74 contributions
You may try booking taxi through app eg DiDi. It is quite a long distance from Beijing to Gubei Water Town.
MarcoKess
Lodi, Italy1 contribution
Ciao, dove è meglio soggiornare per spostarsi a piedi? nella parte a nord vicino alla partenza della funivia oppure dove il fiume compie l'ansa più stretta? O ancora nella parte più a sud? Ma è grosso questo paese/attrazione?
Grazie
Francesca C
Milan, Italy31 contributions
Non è grosso , ma a piedi da un estremo all'altro comunque ci vogliono 20 -30 minuti. Secondo me è meglio soggiornare nella parte centrale o verso nord, dove ci sono più locali/ristoranti e case tipiche da visitare
Hi, Anyone know how to go from Beijing International Airport to Gubei Water town ? How do I get there using public transportation?
How to book the hotel in Water Town ?
How to buy online ticket to go in Water Town and Simatai Great Wall ?
444Larry
Adelaide, Australia112 contributions
The easiest way to Gubei is to catch a bus from Dongzhimen Bus Station. The Bus Station is located a short walk to the east of Dongzhimen Metro Station, which is the terminus for the direct metro from Beijing Airport. The public bus service runs a limited time schedule, however, private bus operators are located on the road outside the bus depot and charge the same rate as the public service, their buses are also more comfortable. Going to Gubei for a one day visit is not viable, if you plan on coming direct from the airport it is 45 minutes from the airport to Dongzhimen, the you have to walk to the bus depot and provided you do not get lost this will take 15 - 20 minutes and then you have to catch a bus, the bus journey is one and a half hours. It will take the same time by taxi but will be a lot more expensive. Everything at Gubei is controlled from a central administration area, that is hotels, entrance fees etc. Except for the two big resort hotels most hotels in Gubei are boutique style hotels with 9 - 12 rooms, these need to be booked on line (effectively through the administration office). I used a com website to book my "trip"
Hi, could you tell me how to book hotel in Gubei Water Town for family 6 person ?
Around 20 November, Gubei Water Town have snow and how is the weather ?
sal C
Brisbane, Australia58 contributions
We were part of a tour group, the hotels were all arranged and booked by Asia Travel. We travelled there by coach which was also part of the tour.The hotel we stayed at ( The Gubei WaterTown Hotel, I think!) may have been the only hotel there. It was an excellent hotel!
Good luck, do the wall when youre there!
Joobjib
Bangkok, Thailand464 contributions
Hi. Does anyone have information of direct buses to Gubei from Beijing South station? Schedule and where does the bus park?
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Claim your listingGUBEI WATER TOWN: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Gubei Water Town
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Gubei Water Town:
- Private Trip to Simatai Great Wall&Gubei Water Town with English Speaking Driver (From R 1 985,46)
- Overnight Experience Gubei Water Town With Simatai Great Wall Visiting (From R 4 401,74)
- Private Evening Tour to Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town (From R 3 521,39)
- Private Night Tour: Illuminated Gubei Water Town and Simatai Wall (From R 3 933,47)
- Private Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town Night Tour from Beijing (From R 4 383,01)
- Hotels near Gubei Water Town:
- (0.27 km) Gubei Zhiguang Hot Spring Holiday Hotel
- (0.55 km) William Edgar Hotel
- (0.53 km) Gubeishui Town Biaoju Inn
- (0.78 km) Wangjinglou Boutique Hotel
- (1.08 km) Gubei Zhi Guang Hotspring Hotel