How to Get to Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is one of the most impressive and iconic monuments built by the Chinese people. It's so big that whether you see it in person or in pictures, it will always cause a sense of awe, so it's common to want to know how to get to this place.

Some of the most popular sections to visit are Badaling and Mutianyu, which are closest to Beijing. Jinshanling, Jiankou and Simatai are in different parts of the country. But no matter which one you choose, it is clear that going to the Great Wall of China is one of the best things to see and do in Beijing.

The Great Wall of China guided tour is definitely the best way to travel from Beijing. Usually this type of experience includes transportation from the city to the section of the wall you are going to visit. One of the most striking features of this option is that the price usually includes entrance to the section of the wall and a guide who provides information about the history and architecture of the place.

Depending on the itinerary, you will be able to do a wall walk and possibly a visit to the Mutianyu section of the wall, which is one of the most famous and popular sections among tourists. Here, in fact, you will be able to admire breathtaking panoramic views of the amazing natural scenery. The guided tour to this section of the wall usually includes direct transport from the city.

On the trip you will have the opportunity to see and take many pictures of the panoramic views of the nearby forest from the top. As you will always be accompanied by a guide on this type of experience, you can expect a guide to show and tell you about the renovated watchtowers that protected the imperial city from invaders. Almost as a general rule, in this kind of tours you will be able to go back down to the starting point, from the Chinese Wall, in the slide, which is already catalogued as a legendary attraction.

Without a doubt this is an enriching experience that I recommend you to do if you travel to Beijing for five days or less, especially if you have never been to China and you want to start knowing one of the most representative icons of this Asian culture, which is none other than the Great Wall of China.

Interesting details

• Price: this kind of tours usually cost around 60 euros per person.
• Duration: as a general rule, these experiences usually last around 3 hours, although everything can vary according to the activities that are programmed.
• Means of transport: these types of tours are almost always carried out in a minibus or private car with all the comforts.
• Advantages of this option: It is a tour guided by a professional who will take you to see the Great Wall of China. Generally this type of tour takes place on board of a bus with all the comforts. You will almost always be offered local food during the tour.
• Recommended if... You have never visited the Great Wall of China and you don't want to miss any detail of the tour.

The second most popular option for visiting the Great Wall of China is to hire a private transport service. This is a very good option if you are looking for comfort and flexibility during your visit. Generally, this type of service includes direct transport from your hotel or accommodation in Beijing to the section of the wall you want to visit. And the best thing about this is that the driver can give you recommendations of the sections you should see.

Sometimes, this private service gives you the possibility to have a tour guide to give you information about the wall and its history. This is the best option if you are travelling to Beijing for a short time and want to explore the city in its entirety, including a good but quick visit to the famous Great Wall of China. You can choose this option to visit the iconic monument right after making your transfer from the airport to Beijing.

When making such a trip, you have to keep in mind that all expenses are at your own expense. The private transport is only supposed to pick you up from your hotel or accommodation and bring you back once you have seen and explored the entire section of the wall you went to visit.

In the Mutianyu, Badaling and other sections of the Great Wall, you can enjoy not only a fun and historical walk, but also enjoy the breathtaking views from the wall.

Interesting details

• Price: Private transport without a tour guide usually costs around 96-100 euros per person.
• Duration: it will take you between 5 and 8 hours to complete this tour.
• Means of transport: transport is always by private car, bus or private minivan and with all comforts.
• Advantages of this option: private transport to and from the hotel or accommodation is included. You will also be accompanied by an experienced driver.
• Recommended if... you are travelling to the city with little time but don't want to miss a short visit to the Great Wall of China to appreciate this work of ancient architecture.

Public transport is one of the cheapest options to get to the Great Wall of China. There are different sections of the Great Wall of China that you will love to visit. In this case, I suggest you visit the Mutianyu and Jinshanling sections.

How to get to Mutianyu

To make use of this system, you will have to go directly to Dongzhimen metro station, and once there you will have to use lines 2 and 13 of the Beijing metro. Once you get out of the underground, you will have to find the bus station and get on the 916 Express bus to get to Mutianyu, one of the best preserved sections of the Great Wall of China.

The Mutianyu Roundabout will be the place where you have to get off and then get on a bus that will take you directly to the entrance of the Great Wall.

Getting to Jinshanling

On the other hand, if you want to visit the Jinshanling section from Beijing, you will have to get on a daily bus, which departs at 8:00 am and returns around 3:00 pm.

At this point I recommend you arrive very early to get a seat for yourself, because it is the only bus that leaves daily, so it fills up very easily and quickly. Once you are in Jinshanling, a free minibus will take you to one of the entrances to the Great Wall. I recommend getting off at the first entrance to enjoy the longest stretch of the wall.

One of the best advantages of taking this bus trip is that once you get to any of the sections of the Great Wall, you will have the opportunity to join one of the best bike tours in and around Beijing, which will allow you to cycle along the wall more comfortably.

Interesting details

• Price: you will have to pay around 9 euros per person to get on the public transport bus that will take you to the Great Wall of China.
• Duration: the bus ride can take up to an hour between Beijing city and the Great Wall of China. The bus departs at around 8:00 and returns at around 15:00.
• Means of transport: The entire journey is completed by bus.
• Advantages of this option: it is undoubtedly the most economical option to visit the Great Wall of China.
• Recommended if... you are travelling on a budget and want a more adventurous experience on your backpacker trip.

Finally, another option to visit the Great Wall of China is to take the Beijing Hub of Tour Dispatch tourist bus service. This is a very good option if you want to visit the Great Wall of China but you don't know how to do it. With this option you will have a guaranteed transport system, with an integrated real-time GPS system that will let you know where you are and how much time is left before you get to the next stop.

The best thing is that while you ride the tourist bus, you will be able to use the audio system in several languages that you will have available on board, in order to know detailed information about the history and details of the Great Wall. Besides, this tourist bus of Beijing allows you to choose between many stops and routes to customise your itinerary.

You should know that the tourist bus that takes you to the Great Wall of China can also take you to other interesting places of the city of Beijing and its surroundings, because it is a route specially designed for tourists who come with all the desire to know the most incredible and interesting places of the city.

Best of all, whichever route you choose, you'll be able to get off at different stops to explore the city's highlights.

Interesting details

• Price: You'll have to pay around 12 euros to get on the city's tourist bus and enjoy not only the Great Wall of China, but also other sights that are quite popular in Beijing.
• Duration: the schedules of the tourist bus vary according to many factors, mainly depending on the season of the year, but in general, you can get on the bus between 08:00 and 18:00. You can also enjoy this service between 09:00 and 19:00, every day.
• Means of transport: this route is by bus.
• Advantages of this option: the price of the bus ticket includes reduced fares to enter tourist attractions that require an entrance ticket. The price is for a return ticket, which also includes a tour guide. Lunch fare is also included on some of the routes. People over 60 years of age and children under 1.2 metres tall can enter some tourist sites with preferential tickets or even free of charge.
• Recommended if... you are travelling to Beijing with the intention of seeing much more than just the Great Wall of China.

As you can see, the truth is that it is not very difficult to get to the Great Wall of China from Beijing, what is certain is that each of the ways to get to this site, will be adapted to you, according to the plan or itinerary that you have stipulated for your trip.