Visiting the Great Wall of China from Beijing means choosing a section first: Badaling, the easiest to reach by train, or Mutianyu, more wooded and equipped with a cable car. Both are officially open sites, run by administrations that publish their hours and require named booking. On this page, we compare these two sections using their official websites, with the distance from Tiananmen Square, sunrise time month by month and the rules to follow.
The Wall is visited as a day trip from the capital: to plan the rest of your stay, see our guide to visiting Beijing in 4 to 5 days. Stick to the officially open sections: Badaling’s rules forbid entering areas that are not open to visitors.
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Great Wall (Badaling and Mutianyu): the essentials
- Badaling hours: 6:30 am-4:30 pm from 1 April to 31 October, 7:30 am-4 pm from 1 November to 31 March; open part from north tower 12 to south tower 7.5 — checked on 15 October 2026 on badaling.cn
- Mutianyu hours: high season (16 March-15 November) 7:30 am-6 pm on weekdays, 7:30 am-6:30 pm on weekends; low season (16 November-15 March) 8 am-5:30 pm; ticket sales stop 1 hour before closing, check 30 min before — checked on 15 October 2026 on mutianyugreatwall.com
- Booking: named tickets. Mutianyu: booking up to 30 days in advance, one ticket per passport per day, entry on presentation of the original document. Badaling: named booking and on-site sales — checked on 15 October 2026 on mutianyugreatwall.com and checked on 15 October 2026 on badaling.cn
- Mutianyu prices: entrance ticket adult CNY 45, student CNY 25; entrance + round-trip shuttle adult CNY 60, student CNY 40; entrance + shuttle + round-trip cable car adult CNY 200, student CNY 180; cable car only round trip CNY 140, one way CNY 100; Great Wall Spirit Heritage Museum CNY 30; passport required at entry, tickets by date with a quota — information checked on 16 October 2026 on mutianyugreatwall.com. Badaling: see the prices on its official website
- Duration: allow a full day from Beijing, travel included; on the Wall itself, 2 to 4 hours depending on pace (an estimate, no official duration published)
- Information recorded on 15 October 2026 and subject to change: check before you go.
Which section to choose? Badaling vs Mutianyu
| Criterion | Badaling | Mutianyu |
|---|---|---|
| Straight-line distance from Tiananmen (calculated) | 60 km (37 mi) | 60 km (37 mi) |
| Official location | Yanqing District, « 60 km (37 mi) northwest of Beijing » according to the official website | Huairou District, 70 km (43 mi) from Beijing according to the ticket office; access via the Jingcheng expressway (exit 13) |
| Access without a car (official websites) | Buses 919, 880, 877, S2 suburban train and the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed line | Bus 916 from Dongzhimen then a transfer; tourist bus from Qianmen |
| Lifts | Cable car (get off the « Changcheng » bus at the north cable car departure point) | Cable car up to tower 14, according to the official website |
| Hours (high season) | 6:30 am-4:30 pm | 7:30 am-6 pm (6:30 pm on weekends) |
| Who is it for? | Short visit, direct public transport | Quieter day and wooded scenery, with family |
Quick decision tree: if you only want to use public transport and be back early, choose Badaling by train. If you are traveling with children or want fewer steps without effort, Mutianyu and its cable car are better suited. If you have a car with a driver and a full day, Mutianyu lets you make the most of the later summer hours.
Other sections (Juyongguan, Jinshanling, Simatai, Huanghuacheng) are mentioned in our Beijing guide, but we could not read a usable official page for them: we therefore give no hours or prices for them.
Tickets: official vs resellers
For Mutianyu, the official website indicates a named online ticket office: booking is possible 30 days in advance, one ticket per ID document (a passport for a foreigner) per day, with no ticket exchange: the original passport serves as the ticket at the check. Enter your passport name and number exactly. Tickets are sold by date, with a quota, and the passport is mandatory at entry.
| Mutianyu ticket | Adult | Student |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance | CNY 45 | CNY 25 |
| Entrance + round-trip shuttle | CNY 60 | CNY 40 |
| Entrance + shuttle + round-trip cable car | CNY 200 | CNY 180 |
| Cable car only | round trip CNY 140, one way CNY 100 | |
| Great Wall Spirit Heritage Museum | CNY 30 | |
Student rate: foreign minors taller than 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) and under 18, or students up to undergraduate level aged 18 to 25, on presentation of a student card + passport.
For Badaling, the website of the Yanqing Great Wall management office announces named booking and on-site sales for Badaling, Shuiguan and the old wall. The « purchase for foreigners » section of this site points to a private online booking platform: it is the officially indicated route, but it is not a public ticket office.
Many agencies sell « Great Wall » excursions from Beijing, with transport and sometimes a ticket. They are not official ticket offices: check which section is visited, whether the entrance ticket and the cable car are included, and be wary of hikes on « wild » sections, which are not part of the official visit.
Opening hours and closing days
| Section | Period | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Badaling | 1 April – 31 October | 6:30 am – 4:30 pm | Open every day |
| Badaling | 1 November – 31 March | 7:30 am – 4 pm | Open every day |
| Mutianyu | 16 March – 15 November | 7:30 am – 6 pm (Mon.-Fri.), 7:30 am – 6:30 pm (Sat.-Sun.) | Sales stop 1 h before, check 30 min before closing |
| Mutianyu | 16 November – 15 March | 8 am – 5:30 pm | Same |
Exceptional closures: Badaling’s rules provide for full or partial closure in case of thunderstorm, snow, hail, dense fog, violent rain or strong wind. Mutianyu published several temporary closure notices in July and August 2026: check the site’s « announcements » section the day before your visit, especially in summer.
Best time to visit the Great Wall
According to the CMA normals in our Beijing guide, April-May and September-October offer 19 °C (66 °F) to 28 °C (82 °F) in the afternoon and little rain; July concentrates 210 mm (8.3 in) of precipitation. To avoid the heat and the crowds, opening time is the best slot: the table below gives, for Mutianyu, the sunrise time and the time between the site’s opening and sunset.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Beijing max temp | Beijing rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:35 am | 5:11 pm | 9 h 36 min | 2.7 °C (37 °F) | 2.1 mm (0.1 in) |
| February | 7:08 am | 5:48 pm | 10 h 40 min | 6.5 °C (44 °F) | 5.6 mm (0.2 in) |
| March | 6:26 am | 6:19 pm | 11 h 53 min | 13.4 °C (56 °F) | 9.6 mm (0.4 in) |
| April | 5:36 am | 6:52 pm | 13 h 16 min | 21.3 °C (70 °F) | 21.6 mm (0.9 in) |
| May | 4:58 am | 7:22 pm | 14 h 25 min | 27.6 °C (82 °F) | 34.7 mm (1.4 in) |
| June | 4:42 am | 7:45 pm | 15 h 03 min | 31.0 °C (88 °F) | 84.8 mm (3.3 in) |
| July | 4:55 am | 7:43 pm | 14 h 47 min | 32.0 °C (90 °F) | 209.5 mm (8.2 in) |
| August | 5:23 am | 7:12 pm | 13 h 48 min | 31.2 °C (88 °F) | 119.7 mm (4.7 in) |
| September | 5:53 am | 6:23 pm | 12 h 30 min | 26.8 °C (80 °F) | 53.3 mm (2.1 in) |
| October | 6:23 am | 5:34 pm | 11 h 11 min | 19.5 °C (67 °F) | 27.8 mm (1.1 in) |
| November | 6:59 am | 4:56 pm | 9 h 58 min | 10.6 °C (51 °F) | 15.1 mm (0.6 in) |
| December | 7:29 am | 4:47 pm | 9 h 19 min | 4.0 °C (39 °F) | 2.5 mm (0.1 in) |
Reading: in November, the sun sets around 5 pm; with closing at 5:30 pm at Mutianyu in low season and 4 pm at Badaling in winter, the afternoon is short. In June, the sun is up well before opening: arriving at 7:30 am at Mutianyu or 6:30 am at Badaling lets you walk before the heat.
The periods to avoid for crowds are the Chinese holidays: the 1 May week, Golden Week (1-7 October) and Lunar New Year (see our page on the best time to visit China). As neither section publishes an official daily attendance figure, we give none.
What to see and suggested route
Badaling
The official website presents Badaling as the advance lock of Juyongguan: a fortress built in 1504 under the Ming, with two gates, including the west gate bearing the inscription « Bei men suo yao » (« the key to the northern gate »). The open part runs from north tower 12 to south tower 7.5. Suggested route: climb the north side, the most spectacular but also the busiest, then return towards the fortress; allow 2 to 3 hours.
Mutianyu
The Mutianyu cable car arrives at 640 m (2,100 ft) above sea level, at tower 14, presented by the official website as the best starting point towards tower 15 and the neighboring Jiankou section (not open to the public). Suggested route: ride up by cable car, walk along the ridge towards the neighboring towers, come down on foot or by lift; 3 to 4 hours on site. The site reports restoration work on towers 16 and 17 (notice of 25 May 2026).
Getting there from Beijing
- Badaling by train: S2 suburban train or the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed line, according to the official website, which refers to the railway company’s announcements for timetables — checked on 15 October 2026 on badaling.cn
- Badaling by bus: lines 919, 880 and 877; by car, expressways G6 or G7, mandatory parking then a free shuttle to the entrance.
- Mutianyu by bus: bus 916 from Dongzhimen to Huairou Beidajie, then a transfer; tourist bus from central Qianmen (departures 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 10:30 am; returns 2:30, 3:30 and 4:30 pm) — checked on 15 October 2026 on mutianyugreatwall.com
- Mutianyu by car: Jingcheng expressway, exit 13 (Beitai Lu), then follow the signs.
Badaling’s rules ask visitors not to get into illegal transport vehicles: refuse drivers who approach you outside stations and bus stops.
Accessibility
Badaling’s rules mention facilities for people with disabilities, to be used normally. Neither section publishes, on the pages we consulted, a detailed description of wheelchair accessibility. The ramparts themselves have steep slopes and uneven steps: call the site before you come.
Checklist and common mistakes
- Book with your exact passport number and bring the passport: it serves as the ticket at Mutianyu.
- Do not leave the open sections: Badaling forbids going into areas that are not open and climbing the battlements. The UK FCDO (GOV.UK, updated 27 August 2026) also advises against hiking alone in isolated areas, including on the Great Wall, because of unpredictable weather and the risk of injury.
- Do not arrive just before closing: at Mutianyu, sales stop 1 h before and the check 30 min before.
- No flames, no cigarettes, no animals, no graffiti: Badaling’s rules.
- In a thunderstorm, do not use the phone on the Wall (Badaling rule); the sites may close in bad weather.
- Water, closed shoes, and in winter gloves and a hat; check the air quality index the day before.
What to see nearby
Back in Beijing, follow up with the Forbidden City, then the Temple of Heaven or the Summer Palace presented in our guide to things to do in Beijing. The Ming Tombs, north of the city, are often combined with Badaling or Mutianyu. For a longer trip, see our China travel page.
A short history of the Great Wall
Around 220 BC, under Qin Shi Huang, older stretches of fortification were linked to form a defense system against invasions from the north. Work continued until the Ming dynasty (1368-1644): the stone and brick masonry sections you walk at Badaling or Mutianyu date from this period. The Great Wall has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1987.
Its length depends on what you count. In 2012, China’s State Administration of Cultural Heritage published an estimate of 21,196 km (13,171 mi), which includes stretches that have since disappeared and all dynasties; a 2009 estimate gave 8,851.8 km (5,500 mi).
Is the Great Wall visible from space?
No, not with the naked eye from the Moon: the structure is far too narrow compared with the distance. From low orbit, astronauts’ accounts differ, and the wall remains very hard to make out without a camera.
Frequently asked questions
Which part of the Great Wall should you visit from Beijing?
Badaling if you want simple access by train, Mutianyu for a more wooded setting and the cable car. These are two sections officially open to the public.
Do you need to book for the Great Wall?
Yes, tickets are named. At Mutianyu, booking is possible 30 days in advance, one ticket per passport per day, with a quota per date (adult entrance CNY 45, student CNY 25); Badaling offers booking and on-site sales.
What are the Great Wall opening hours at Badaling?
6:30 am-4:30 pm from 1 April to 31 October and 7:30 am-4 pm from 1 November to 31 March, according to the official website consulted on 15 October 2026.
Can you hike the wild Wall?
Not as part of the official visit: Badaling’s rules forbid entering areas that are not open to visitors, and the UK FCDO (GOV.UK, updated 27 August 2026) advises against hiking alone in isolated areas, including on the Great Wall.
When should you go to the Great Wall?
From April to May and September to October, outside Golden Week (1-7 October), and preferably at opening time.
Our sources
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, no. 438 « The Great Wall » (whc.unesco.org), consulted on 16 October 2026
- Wikipedia, « Great Wall of China » article (2009 and 2012 length estimates, visibility from space, 1987 listing), consulted on 16 October 2026
- Yanqing District Great Wall management office (badaling.cn): notice to visitors and transport, consulted on 15 October 2026
- Mutianyu Great Wall (mutianyugreatwall.com): hours, ticket office, transport, cable car, announcements, consulted on 15 October 2026; prices, student rate conditions, quota and distance, recorded on 16 October 2026 on the official ticket office
- UK FCDO, GOV.UK foreign travel advice for China, Hiking section (updated 27 August 2026): gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china, read 11 November 2026
- Climate normals: China Meteorological Administration (CMA), 1991-2020, Beijing (Haidian) station, see our Beijing page
- Astronomical calculations: NOAA solar algorithm (Global Monitoring Laboratory), IANA Asia/Shanghai time zone, applied by Destination de Voyage at the site’s coordinates (15th of each month, year 2027)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026. Prices and hours may change: check the official website before you go.
