A Complete Route Guide to Explore the Great Wall of China From Beijing

To get the best ways to explore the Great Wall of China, Beijing is the best destination. It is located in suburban areas of Beijing’s most famous great wall sections, including the well-preserved Badaling and Mutianyu, the renovated Juyonguan, Jinshanling and Simatai, and the wild Jiankou and Gubeikou. They are all not far from downtown Beijing, a 1-2 hour drive. In Chinese history, Beijing was not only one of the ancient capitals, but also one of the most strategic northern cities. To protect their territory, many rulers actively ordered that the Great Wall be built here. The Great Wall of Beijing is a total of 573 kilometers (356 miles). Members of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the last great wall-building dynasty, cover 526 kilometers (327 miles). It is distributed in Pinggu, Miyun, Huairou, Yanqing, Changping, and Mentougou areas. We facilitated your work by introducing a “Complete Route Guide to the Great Wall of China”. In this guide, I will tell you everything you need to know about the route to the Great Wall of China. 

Best Route to the Great Wall of China

Route Guide to the Great Wall at Badaling from Beijing City

Badaling Great Wall is 72 km northwest of Beijing city center and a 1.5-hour taxi ride away. The S2 train can also take you to the Great Wall of Badaling and by 2020 you can get there by a bullet train.

By Taxi (1½ hours, $36)

Approximately 240 yuan ($ 36) will be charged, the toll includes all the way to Badaling’s scenic Great Wall from downtown Beijing. It takes 1½ hours to drive if we don’t encounter traffic control or a traffic jam.

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By a Transfer Service 

Tours usually offer a spacious car, an English-speaking guide, a scheduled collection from the hotel lobby/airport, mandatory attractions such as Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall (or section of the Great Wall and lift route included in both directions), Lunch (optional), Entrance fees to the listed locations, Return to the hotel or airport.

By S2 Train (2½ hours, $2)

The train is the most traditional route to get to the Great Wall of China  Travel to Huoying Station on either Metro 8 or 13 or take the Airport Express line. Go to the nearby Huangtudian Railway Station after exiting the station, then take the S2 train to Badaling Railway Station.

The entrance to Badaling’s Great Wall is a 20-minute walk from the train station. Follow the flow of other passengers, or drive signs along the roads that are written in English and Chinese.

There are free shuttle buses from the train station to the lift station on the Badaling section of the Great Wall, although you have to line up for a while to get to them.

Fare: 7 yuan

Frequency: During weekdaysEight pairs of trains operate while during national holidays and weekends 12 pairs operate.

Duration: 1½ hours

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By Tourist Bus  

A tourist bus runs to Badaling’s Great Wall from downtown Beijing. It starts at Qianmen Tourist Dispatcher Center and ends at the front gate of the Great Wall in Badaling’s scenic district. You can purchase tickets at the Qianmen Tourist Dispatcher Center 30 minutes before departure or on their official website.

Departure time: Every day from 7 am to 11 am. The coach will start when he is full.

Ticket price: 40 yuan / 6 USD / way. The journey takes about 2 hours to reach the Great Wall of Badaling.

The last bus back to the city leaves at 15:30.

Excludes: Lunch, Great Wall tickets, and lift fees.

By High-Speed Train (20 Minutes)

The new Badaling high-speed train station is completed. Bullet trains departing from Beijing North Railway Station can reach the Great Wall of Badaling in 20 minutes.

By Bus ( Less Recommended)

You can take bus 5 at Tiananmen East Station and change to bus 919 at Madianqiaonan stop, then get off at Badaling National Forest Park stop to reach the Badaling Great Wall. It is difficult for foreign tourists to find stops and it is easy to take a bus going in the wrong direction.

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Route Guide to the Great Wall from Beijing Capital International Airport

If you want to make a short visit to the Great Wall of Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), we recommend that you visit the Mutianyu section as it is closer to the airport and just as famous and interesting.

By Taxi

The Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall is located 54 kilometers (34 miles) north of Beijing Capital International Airport. It takes about 1½ hours by taxi to travel, and it costs about 180 yuan ($ 27) each way, including the toll.

By comparison, a taxi to Beijing Airport and Badaling, located 73 kilometers (45 miles) northwest, takes about 2 hours by taxi and costs about 280 yuan ($ 42) each way.

You can choose to take the Airport Express if you have a lot of time and change to line 13 and then take the S2 train to the Badaling Great Wall. The journey takes about 3 hours.

By a Transfer Service Included in Great Wall Layover Tours 

This is the most sensible way to visit the Great Wall if you have a short rest at Beijing Airport. The tour starts at $ 159 and includes you on arrival at the PEK, driving to and from the Great Wall, an English-speaking guide, assistance with baggage/visa waiver issues (if any), the entrance to the Great Wall, and lift fees as well as lunch. The tours are completely carefree and time-efficient.

Best Time to Visit the Great Wall From Beijing City 

In all sections of the Great Wall near Beijing, the spring months (April to June) offer moderate weather and are great for climbing. In late April and early May, many trees begin to bloom, which is a particularly beautiful time to visit the Wall. Autumn is also a good time to visit as the temperature is usually comfortable. The beginning of October and early November is especially picturesque as the leaves in the mountains begin to change color. The winter months, December to February, can be cold and windy, but there are usually far fewer tourists on the Wall during these months. July and August are not the best for long hikes because they are hot and humid. Also, it is best to avoid hiking on the wall after rain or snow because some parts can become very slippery.

Such as Badaling, Juyongguan, and Mutianyu around National Day (first week of October) and the Spring Festival, you should avoid visiting popular sections. August is also a busy period for the Badaling and Juyongguan sections, as students are on summer vacation and many families travel with their children to these famous sections before the start of the new school year. Learn more about how to avoid the crowds when traveling to China.

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Hope you received a brief and easy idea about the various routes to reach the Great Wall of China and the added duration and cost information that might have helped you, to manage your schedules and budget according to your trips. There are more engaging and helpful blogs that can help you out with a lot of on-ground basic problems so visit our website or download our Adequate Travel app to win exciting offers over various trips and tour packages that will make your journey more efficient and pocket friendly. 

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