If visiting the Great Wall of China is on your bucket list, you might want to make it happen soon. China is making it easier for foreign tourists to enter, especially with free visa offers for some European and Asian countries. Plus, with locals also eager to visit the Great Wall, postponing your trip will only mean more crowds there over time.
On my last trip to China, I made it a priority to visit the Great Wall while touring Beijing.
FYI, because the Great Wall is so long, there are several spots you can visit. For tourists, there are two popular sections to experience the Wall: Badaling (八达岭) and Mutianyu (慕田峪). Either option offers an excellent view of the Wall, so both are worthwhile.
Badaling is easily accessible by high-speed train from Beijing, just a 20-minute ride from Beijing North, making it the most convenient and quickest section of the Wall to reach from the city. However, it can get crowded, especially on weekends or holidays. If you’re headed to Badaling, try to go on a weekday.
I chose Mutianyu, which sees fewer locals and is less frequented by group tours. It’s located 70 km from central Beijing, making it possible to do a day trip by car or bus.
Getting to the Great Wall
There are two ways to get to Mutianyu: public transport (bus) or arranged transport like a tour.
If you opt for public transport, you’ll need to take the metro to Dongzhimen, then board a tourist bus directly to Mutianyu. The fare is ¥30 one-way, departing at 8:30 AM. If you miss this bus, another option is the 916 bus, but you’ll need to arrange a connecting bus, which can be challenging if you don’t speak Mandarin.
To avoid the hassle of getting to Dongzhimen early in the morning, I chose the convenient option of a tour, which wasn’t too expensive.
I booked my Great Wall tour through Klook. They offer hotel pickup (as long as you’re within Beijing’s third ring) and drop-off in the Wangfujing area of Beijing. Once you book, you can provide your WeChat number (via Klook’s customer service or in the notes) because the day before your tour, you’ll need to confirm the pickup time and place.
The tour bus picks up between 6-7 AM, depending on your hotel location, and arrives at Mutianyu around 9:30-10 AM. This tour is solely focused on the Great Wall, with no visits to other stops (or forced shopping stops, as in some tours).
An English-speaking guide on the bus provides some background information about the Great Wall, but they don’t accompany you up the Wall. You’re free to explore Mutianyu until the designated meeting time at 2 PM. The guide can also help purchase tickets for the cable car and toboggan if you didn’t choose these options on Klook—just pay in cash or WeChat, and the guide will handle the purchase at the counter when you arrive.
You can select a Meal (USD 26) or No Meal (USD 17) option when booking your Klook tour. I recommend the Meal option, so around 1 PM, you can head down to the designated restaurant for lunch. If you’re in a group of 3-4, you’ll get a private table; if you’re solo or with one other person, you might share a table with other tourists.
Mutianyu Great Wall Map
Upon arriving at the Mutianyu area by bus, we have a short restroom break while the guide buys the entrance tickets. If you haven’t had breakfast yet, there are a few restaurants here, including a Burger King, where you can grab something quickly.
Next, we board a shuttle bus that takes us to the lower Cable Car station, about a 5-minute ride away. From there, we walk a bit more uphill before choosing between the chairlift or the cable car.
Great Wall Entrance Tickets
The entrance fee to the Mutianyu area is CNY 40, which is included if you purchased tickets through Klook. However, the Cable Car/Gondola and Toboggan rides require separate tickets (or you can purchase them through Klook when booking). Note that this entrance ticket only gets you to the lower area—you won’t actually reach the Wall itself yet.
There are several access points at Mutianyu to ascend the Wall. Be sure to decide where you want to go before purchasing tickets, or you can buy both options if desired.
- Gondola/Cable Car: This takes you to Tower #14. It’s best to buy a round-trip ticket if you don’t want to descend at Tower #6. Tickets are CNY 100 one way and CNY 140 round trip.
- Chairlift + Toboggan: This takes you up and down to Tower #6. If you’d prefer not to use the toboggan for your descent (though it’s fun!), you can use the chairlift for both directions. Tickets cost CNY 100 one way and CNY 140 round trip.
Note that the gondola and chairlift are operated by different companies, so if you plan to ascend to Tower 14 and descend via Tower 6, you’ll need to buy separate one-way tickets for each.
You should have enough time until 1:30 PM to do both activities, allowing you to go up and down from both Tower 14 and Tower 6. On particularly busy days, such as weekends, the tour guide may inform you if queues for the cable car or toboggan will take about an hour, helping you plan your ticket purchases in the bus.
Gondola to Tower 14
If you take the gondola (commonly referred to as the cable car), you’ll walk about 100 meters uphill from the shuttle bus drop-off. Restrooms here are very clean, so no need to worry.
The cable car takes you to Tower 14. From here, you’re free to explore further up to Towers 15, 16, etc. (just remember to return to Tower 14), or down to Towers 13, 12, and so on to Towers 5 or 6 if you want to descend by chairlift or toboggan.
On clear days, you’ll enjoy sweeping views from Tower 14, seeing nearly the entire Mutianyu section up to posts 16-19.
Towers 14-15 are scenic spots perfect for photos. When I visited in mid-December, there were practically no visitors, so I had a relaxed experience.
Chairlift and Toboggan at Tower 6
The chairlift ride, especially for those who’ve never tried it, is an exciting experience. It’s similar to chairlifts at ski resorts—you just stand in the designated spot, and the seat will scoop you up. Hold onto the safety bar as the chair steadily ascends to the upper station.
At the top, you’ll find yourself between Tower 6 (to the left) and Tower 5 (to the right), with many visitors heading to Towers 4 and 3.
Some stairs, particularly beyond Tower 4 (Zhengguantai Pass), are steep and require more climbing than walking.
The toboggan is exclusively for descending. It’s a lot of fun, especially because you get to experience it on the Great Wall! People of all ages can try it as long as they can operate the brake lever. However, if you have young children, it’s best to take the chairlift down.
Lunch and Return Journey
We were reminded to meet up on time for the return trip, especially those who opted for the meal package.
The lunch consists of Chinese food served at a table, including chicken and vegetables, and it was delicious. I found the meal package to be worth it, as it saved us from having to find food on our own.
For the return, there’s no need to take the shuttle bus again, as our bus is parked close to the restaurant. The drive back takes about 75-90 minutes, depending on traffic. I was dropped off near Wangfujing Street around 4 PM.
Overall, booking arranged transport was very satisfying as it eliminated many uncertainties compared to using public transport.