How to get to Mutianyu, the Great Wall of China
Option 1: Direct Mubus
The bus will depart from Swissotel Beijing Hong Kong Macau Center at 07:40 and 12:00. This is perhaps the easiest way to reach Mutianyu., hence it is very popular and tickets often got sold out. To guarantee a seat, I advise you to book in advance on THIS pageOption 2: Dongzhimen Tourist Bus Line
From Dongzhimen Wai Bus Station, visitors can take a Dongzhimen tourist bus line at 08:30. The ride will take about 1.5 - 2 hours. Ticket fare is 30 Rmb.Option 3: 916 Express + rural bus h23, h24, h35 or h36
Fare: 6 Rmb if you are using the Beijing Yitongka transportation card OR 12 Rmb in cashUnfortunately, during my visit, I wasn’t able to grab any direct bus ticket so I resorted to the next best way. The Dongzhimen bus station is right above the Dongzhimen subway station – Just follow the exit C sign and you will find the bus station or Jiaotongju.
Friendly reminder:
When your bus reaches HuaiRou, some irresponsible tour operators will come into the bus and tried to lure you down by saying: "this is the last stop and if you keep riding the bus, the bus will bring you further from the Great Wall".
This is not true. In fact it is just a trick to make you join their tour where they charge you at least triple the price.
This is what Huairou Beidajie looks like. You'll have to cross the road to get to the H bus stops, which is shown in the background of this photo.
Option 4: Qianmen Tourist Bus Line
From Qianmen Tourism Distribution Center, the bus departs at 08:30. The ride will take 2 - 2.5 hours with the ticket fare of 30 Rmb.It’s true that probably it is more comfortable riding in a car than a bus, but if you would really like to skip the hassle and possible mishaps and take a tour to the Great Wall, join legit tours, not something off the streets like those. BOOK A TOUR here, you will have all the logistics figured out.
About the Mutianyu Section
This part of the Great Wall located in Huai Rou District is fully restored and it’s about 3.4 miles long. This section is safe for all ages, less crowded than Badaling 八达岭 Great wall and just an hour and a half bus ride away (65km) away from Beijing! It can be reached easily by bus from downtown without transfer.The Mutianyu great wall was first built during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-557), measuring 8 meters in height, and about 5 meters in width. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), General Tan Lun and General Qi Jiguang, rebuilt Mutianyu and strengthen its defensive potential. Both sides of Mutianyu Great Wall have crenelated parapets, some saw-toothed, for soldiers to fire arrows to defend against enemy invasion. This feature is very rare in other sections of the great wall.
This part of the wall (5,400 meters) is densely dotted with watchtowers, all 22 of them distributed at close intervals (about one every hundred meters), not just along the main wall, but also on the branch wall (for example the No. 11 Watch Tower). From the map above you can see a rare triangular formation of three interlinked watchtowers, which doesn't exist in other parts of the great wall.
We took the chairlift and arrived near tower 14. The walk from tower 14 to tower 23 is the most scenic but some part is quite steep. From there we went along the wall to Watchtower No. 15 and then started to head back down towards Watchtower No. 6 where we took the toboggan down near the South Entrance.
Big Corner Tower (No. 1 Watchtower) is connected with Mutianyu in the west, with Gubeikou in the east, and with a branch city wall in the south. The tower looks like a corner from each angle, so it is called Big Corner Tower.
I love the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, coz it is so Instagrammable every corner!
How much to spend in Mutianyu Great Wall?
Great Wall Entrance: 45 Rmb (this is a must, unavoidable)Baidu Shuttle Bus: 15 Rmb (this bus gets you from the tourist center to the base of the Great Wall)
2 ways Cable car/ chairlift/ Toboggan: 200 Rmb
In total, you will have to spend at least 260 Rmb in Mutianyu great wall. To skip the line, book your cable car and Mutianyu tickets online.
What to do at the Great Wall, Mutianyu?
To reach the top of the Great Wall, you may either hike, take the Cable Car or the chairlift and Toboggan.
Cable car
Adults ChildrenSingle Trip 100 Rmb 50 Rmb
Round Trip 120 Rmb 60 Rmb
From the north entrance, the cable car will send you up to the No. 14 Watchtower.
Chairlift / Toboggan:
The ride on the 2 rider chairlift is thrilling.At the Zhengguan Terrace (No. 6 Watchtower) near the South Entrance, you’ll find the single rider personal wheeled toboggan, which will send you down the valley on a winding track.
Adults Children
Single Trip 100 Rmb 50 Rmb
Round Trip 120 Rmb 60 Rmb
When to visit Mutianyu
In spring, when cherry blossoms bloom all over the surrounding mountain and it is breath-taking.In mid-October, when autumn put a gold blanket across the mountain tops with gold.
In winter, when the great wall is covered by fluffy snow.
Other popular things to do in Mutianyu Great wall
Mutianyu Great Wall connects the Jian Kou 箭扣 Great Wall section(also known as the wild great wall) in the east and the Baima Pass section in the west. If you walk past watchtower 23 from Mutianyu, you will pass a lady telling everyone that we will be responsible for our own lives beyond this section.The Mutianyu-Jiankou trail (5-6 hours) is a popular thing to do at the Great Wall, as well as the night watch in Simatai 司马台 at night On this trail, you can see the most pristine, unrestored part of the great wall, Jiankou in comparison to the restored Mutianyu.
Remember, always start your hike from Jiankou because if you do, you will only be spending 1-hour hiking up and 4 hours down hike (instead of the other way around).
If you wish to stay the night nearby, I recommend Mutianyu Great Wall Villa and Brickyard.
A Helicopter ride over the Great Walls, if you have the budget, will sum up your visit to the Great Wall nicely.
Itinerary of Mutianyu Great Wall
* 0700 – 0715: Subway to Dongzhimen (15 mins)* 0715 – 0835: Bus from Dongzhimen to Huairou Beidajie (1 hour)
* 0835 – 0905: Bus from Huairou Beidajie to Mutianyu (30 mins)
* 0905 – 0950: Buy tickets, use the washroom (45 mins)
* 0950 – 1150: Tower 14 to Tower 23 (2 hours)
* 1150 – 1350: Walk to Tower 6 (2 hours)
* 1350 – 1410: Toboggan (20 minutes)
* 1420 – 1700: Bus back to Beijing (2 hours 40 minutes)
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Thank You for Reading! This post is based solely on my honest opinion or personal experience. If you have a different opinion, feel free to share your thoughts with me by commenting below!
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