How to visit the Great Wall from Beijing: which section and how (2026)

Several sections of the Great Wall are a day trip from Beijing, and they are very different. Pick the section first, then the transport. Every section sells real-name tickets, so carry your passport.

Which section to choose

• Mutianyu is the best choice for most people. It is restored, green, less crowded than Badaling, and has a cable car, a chairlift and a toboggan. About 1.5–2 hours from the city.
• Badaling is the easiest to reach, by high-speed train in well under an hour, but it is the busiest section and heavily restored. Go early on a weekday.
• Jinshanling is partly restored and partly original, with long views and far fewer people. It is in Hebei province, about 2.5 hours away, and good for a proper half-day hike.
• Simatai is next to Gubei Water Town and is the only section open at night. Tickets come as a package with the water town, and you book ahead.
• Jiankou and other “wild” sections are not open to visitors. Beijing’s rules ban climbing unopened sections and fines have been handed out. The crumbling steps are also where hikers get hurt. Stick to the open sections.

Getting to Mutianyu

There is no metro. The cheapest way is bus 916 Express from Dongzhimen to Huairou Beidajie, then a local H-bus (H7, H23, H24, H35 or H36) or a taxi to the site. The Mutianyu site also lists tourist buses from Qianmen, Dongzhimen and other hubs that go straight to the entrance and back, some bookable online. Timetables change by season, so check the official transport page before you go.

A car with driver or a small-group tour saves a lot of time and is worth it if there are two or more of you. DiDi also works, but drivers may not want to wait for the return trip, so agree on it or book a return ride.

Tickets, cable car and toboggan at Mutianyu

• Book on the official site en.mutianyugreatwall.com or through agencies such as Trip.com. Tickets are real-name, sold up to 15 days ahead, one ticket per passport per day.
• Foreign visitors do not need to exchange the booking for a paper ticket: show your original passport at the gate.
• Entry is about ¥40–45, plus a shuttle bus from the car park of about ¥15 return.
• Cable car ¥100 one way or ¥140 return; chairlift up plus toboggan down is also about ¥100 one way.
• The toboggan is not recommended for people over 60 or with heart problems, and it stops in rain.
• From 16 March to 15 November the site opens 07:30–18:00 (18:30 at weekends). Ticket sales stop an hour before closing.

Getting to Badaling

High-speed trains run from Beijing North or Qinghe to Badaling Great Wall station in about 30 minutes. Book them like any other train (see our Beijing page). The station is deep underground, so allow time for the escalators. Tickets are about ¥40 from April to October and ¥35 in winter. Book ahead with your passport, as reports differ on how much is sold at the gate.

When to go

Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are best, with mid-October bringing the red leaves. Summer is hot and hazy; winter is cold but empty. Avoid Chinese public holidays, above all the first week of October, when every section is packed.

See our pages on Mutianyu and Badaling, and plan the rest of Beijing with the reservations center.