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TIPS FOR HIKING THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

TIPS FOR HIKING THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

Hiking the Great Wall of China makes itself on many people’s bucket lists and for good reason. Here, we share tips on how to do just that! 

At 21,196.18 kmThe Great Wall of China is perhaps one of the most famous landmarks in the world. As a Wonder of the World, the Great Wall is visited by thousands every year and is starting to become a top choice for those exploring Asia.

In this guide, I will be sharing tips for hiking the Great Wall of China; we will look at the sections of the wall you can visit and hike, how easy or hard those sections are, how to get to each section, where you can stay on the great wall and some general tips for visiting the Great Wall from Beijing.

hiking the Great Wall of China

Can you hike the Great Wall of China?

Of course, you can hike the Great Wall of China and the best part is – there are so many options for you to choose from depending on your time restrictions, fitness levels and needs. For those looking for a challenging and exhilarating hike, there are sections that are perfect for you! For those that want to see the wall and walk along the wall but perhaps don’t or can’t hike the steep and demanding climbs of the wall, that is fine too – the Great Wall offers incredible convenience for all times of travellers.

The Sections of the Great Wall

hiking the great wall of China

Badaling

The most popular Great Wall section among Chinese tourists and often incredibly busy is Badaling. A 2-hour drive away from Beijing, this section of the wall includes cable cars to and from the Wall, a Great Wall Museum, a circular-screen cinema and some wheelchair access.

Most tour groups visit Badaling because it is the most completed and best-preserved section of the wall. Compared to other sections of the wall, this is by far the easiest – the stairs aren’t steep and have handrails to assist you, making the climb relatively simple. It is also easier to reach by public transport than other sections of the wall.

Cable car: You can get a cable car to the wall itself instead of walking up to the walk. This section is separated into two sections and cable cars are available in both sections, taking you from the parking lot/entrance to the wall and back again. From the north section, you can also get a Pulley up the mountain but this is not recommended for children or seniors. Round trips cost 140 RMB in a cable car and 100 RMB for the Pulley ride.

Distance: 7.5 miles

Hiking the Great Wall of China
Getting there

Bus 877 – Take subway line 2 to Jishuitan subway station and walk to Deshengmen. The bus is non-stop and takes around an hour. It costs 12 RMB and drops you near the Pulley car lower station. The last bus from Deshengmen leaves at 12.30pm. The last bus back leaves at 4.30pm.

Tourist bus line 1 – This is a slightly more comfortable bus and leaves from Qianmen Arrow Tower near Tiananmen Square. It runs from 5 am to 11 am, with buses leaving every 30 minutes. These buses take longer because of their departure from the city centre – the duration is around 1.5 hours. It costs 20 RMB per person and a tour guide is on the bus.

Private car/taxi/Didi – a private car can be arranged from your hotel, normally costing around 600 RMB. If you are staying in China for a while or you are living in China, download the Didi app and a driver can be arranged via this app. Read our post on apps you will need when in China to make your trip even easier.

  • Why: This is an easy Great Wall Hike, with good accessibility and great views. Try to visit on a weekday and avoid national holidays or summer holidays as this section is the busiest and most visited section of the Great Wall.
  • Badaling Great Wall of China Entrance Fee: 40 RMB (Apr 1 – Oct 31), 35 RMB (Nov 1 – Mar 31).
  • Where to stay: Delight Inn, The Great Wall Courtyard Hostel or Badaling Guest House.
  • Where to eat: McDonald, KFC, Yonghe King, Great Wall Commune Restaurant and Jindian Friendship Restaurant.
Mutianyu Great Wall of China section

Mutianyu

Badaling may be popular with local tourists but Mutianyu is popular with foreign travellers. It is the most restored section of the Great Wall and is perfect for the Great Wall of China holidays because of the nearby hotels and the Great Wall of China attractions. It is the ideal place location for birthday trips – no matter the age.

The Mutianyu section is 1.5 hours drive from Beijing and similarly to Badaling, it offers cable cars up and down the mountain. There are many watchtowers along this section of the Great Wall with styles that are unique to the wall.

The Mutianyu Village isn’t too far from the entrance, making an interesting stop on your Great Wall of China trip.

Cable car: If you don’t fancy climbing the 4000+ steps to the wall itself, then you are in luck as this section has lots of options for you. You can choose to take a two-person chairlift or a cable car both ways or, for those looking for a bit of fun, you can even get on a toboggan down the mountain.

Distance: 1.4 miles

hiking the great wall of China
Getting there

From Beijing, you need to get to Dongzhimen Bus Station – there are many buses that can take you here or you can catch subway line 2 or 13. From the station, you can catch the bus line 916 Express for 12 RMB – this bus will get you to Mutianyu in 60-70 minutes.

Private car/taxi/Didi – a private car can be arranged from your hotel, normally costing around 700 RMB. If you are staying in China for a while or you are living in China, download the Didi app and a driver can be arranged via this app. Read our post on apps you will need when in China to make your trip even easier.

Because of the location, you may prefer to either take an organised tour or hire a driver for your trip.

  • Why: This hike again, is a fairly easy hike. There are some steep sections of the walk but the steps have smooth and restored. The scenery around the wall is arguably the best you will find along the Great Wall of China.
  • Mutianyu Great Wall of China Entrance Fee: 40 RMB
  • Where to stay: Hejia Yard Beijing and Brickyard retreat – great for couples!
  • Where to eat: Subway, Xinshuangquan Restaurant, local hotels all have restaurants attached and are pretty good and often very cheap.

Note: To walk from Mutianyu to Jiankou, the journey will take around 5-6 hours. However, Jiakou is a harder walk so we suggest you walk from Jiankou to Mutianyu. 

Jiankou Great wall of China

Jiankou

Jiankou is a completely wild section of the Wall, offering the original Great Wall, with steep and challenging climbs – also known as the most dangerous section of the Great Wall. For those that love a challenging hike, this is for you. This section is particularly popular with photographers because of its stunning greenery and wild nature.

Distance: 12 miles – there are some great places to stay along this section of the wall, so you can explore the wall fully at your own leisure.

hiking the great wall of China
Getting there

There are no cable cars or means of accessing the wall other than hiking, which you can do from Xishanzi village or Wofo Mountain Villa. To get to these locations, you need to catch bus 936 from Dongzhimen Wai Station. Get off as Yujiayuan Station then, for Xizhazi village, get the H25 bus or catch bus H26 to Xinying Station and walk to Mountain Village.

  • Why: This hike is for those serious about hiking. Proper hiking boots are essential and a walking stick is advised but it is worth it because not only are the views stunning but you have parts of the Great Wall of China all to yourself!
  • Jiankou Great Wall of China Entrance Fee: 45 RMB
  • Where to stay: Head to Xishanzi village and use the village as a base.
  • Where to eat: Stock up on snacks from the village and use the hotels and guest homes for food during your visit.
hiking the great wall of China

Jinshanling

Jinshanling is popular for Great Wall hike for those that love to hike but don’t want the tough challenge of Jinakou. This section of the wall is half restored and half-wild yet still offers an experience to see the beautiful nature and views available. This section is a 2-3 hours drive from Beijing and a cable car is available to transport you to the wall.

Jiankou is a completely wild section of the Wall, offering the original Great Wall, with steep and challenging climbs – also known as the most dangerous section of the Great Wall. For those that love a challenging hike, this is for you. This section is particularly popular with photographers because of its stunning greenery and wild nature.

Distance: 80 miles

Getting there

This section has a great bus route. You can take a direct bus from Wanjing West Station in Beijing directing to the ticket office. These 2-hour direct buses have the following pick-up and return times:

Pick up: 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 3:30 pm.

Return: 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 3:00 pm

Beijing Travel Guide
  • Why: Great for those who love hiking and want some challenge. Again, this section is popular with photographers.
  • Jinshanling Great Wall of China Entrance Fee: 65 RMB
  • Where to stay: For 150 RMB, you can camp in a campsite at the foot of the mountain – a popular choice for many, especially in the summer months. AVOID November through to March; it is bitterly cold.
  • Where to eat: There are a collection of restaurants near the ticket office, serving some fantastic Chinese local foods. One of our favourites is the Jinshan Restaurant just outside the ticket gate.

Note: A hiking route that is recommended is the 4-hour walk along the Great Wall from Jinshanling to Simatai. 

Simatai hiking the great wall of China

Simatai

Representing all the greatness of the Great Wall, this section of the Great Wall of China from Beijing is a 2-3 hours drive. The Simatai section offers steep hikes alongside built-up architectural towers. This section became a World Heritage Site in 1987 and is just stunning in the Autumn. Cable cars, battery cars and zip-lines are all offered to transport you to and from the Wall, making it accessible for all. It gains moderate levels of tourists and is the only section of the wall that you can visit at night. Near the wall is the Gubei Water Town; giving visitors an opportunity to visit a gorgeous water town during their visit to the Great Wall of China.

Note: Because of some of the wall damage, tourist numbers are limited for each hour. You can head to the website to reserve a time slot for the day you intend to visit.

  • Distance: 3.4 miles
  • Getting there: You can take a tourist bus from Dongzhiment to Gubei Water Town directly – the water town is the entrance to the wall. The bus takes 2 hours and costs 48 RMB. If you don’t wish to visit the water town, you can change to a minibus that will take you straight through to the ticket office.
hiking the great wall of China
  • Why: Great for those looking to make a day out of visiting the water town and wall. The walk itself is fairly easy, with a few challenging climbs but walkers can save energy by taking the cable car to the top.
  • Simatai Great Wall of China Entrance Fee: 40 RMB
  • Where to stay: There is a selection of good hotels in Gubei Water Town such as the Chengtao Xiaozhu Folk Inn or the Dhawa Jinshanling Hotel.
  • Where to eat: There are a collection of restaurants near the ticket office, serving some fantastic Chinese local foods. One of our favourites is the Jinshan Restaurant just outside the ticket gate.
hiking the Great Wall of China

Other sections of the Great Wall

Above are the main sections of the Great Wall of China but there are a few others that a rarely visited but are interesting places to visit during your time in China – ideal for those that want to experience and see the whole Great Wall of China.

  • Huanghuacheng – This section is one of my favourites because it is so picturesque. It is the only section near Beijing that is by a lake – you can take a boat along the Great Wall to see it from a different view. It is also not far from Tianjin, the city I live in.
  • Gubeikou – This area has never been reconstructed, making it very difficult to walk along. Because of previous battles many many years ago, some of the Wall isn’t standing in its entirety but this section does give you a real sense of how old and strong this Great Wall once was.
  • Panlongshan – This section is near Gubeikou and makes for great photographs. Here you can find a broken watchtower that is fascinating. You can walk to this section from Gubeikou but be careful – this hike of the Great Wall of China requires a lot of energy; the path is uneven and has fallen away in some parts.
  • Shanhaiguan – This section is often overlooked because of its distance from Beijing. From Beijing South Station, you can get a speed train to Shanhaiguan Statin, taking around 2.5 – 3 hours. The entrance is a short walk from the station. This section is referred to as the “First Pass Under Heaven” because it is the First Pass of the Great Wall of China in the East and is surrounded by beautifully restored Drum and Bell towers and offers a great insight into Chinese history.
  • Laolongtou – For this section of the wall, it is best to stay in the seaside town of Qinhuangdao; this is the section of the Great Wall that meets the sea. Similar to Shanhaiguan, here you can see temples and towers around the Wall too, plus Qinhuangdao offers a lovely seaside to enjoy on a warm spring day.

Best time to visit the Great Wall of China

Those photographic shots and your experience of the Great Wall will change with the seasons but I suggest spring or autumn to visit the Wall. This means that the weather is fairly sunny and the sky is clear without the heat and tourists that arrive from June to August. April and September are great times to visit because it is warm but not too hot and the sky is clear.

AVOID the National Holidays in China:

Golden Week: First week of October

Chinese New Year

May Day (1st-2nd May)

What to wear to the Great Wall of China?

Layers are important for most trips, particularly for the Great Wall. Because of the height, you are climbing up, the temperature may be fairly warm at the base but rather chilly as you head higher up. Bring a cardigan or jacket to stay warm during your visit. Wear comfortable shoes, as the wall can be steep with some areas being uneven. Trainers are perfect for your trip to the Great Wall.

FOOD AND DRINK

Some areas of the wall offer food and drink stalls and even restaurants at the base of the wall. However, make sure you bring a bottle of water and perhaps a snack or two for your time on the wall as some hikes can be 2-3 hours and keeping hydrating is essential.

hiking the great wall of China

RECOMMENDED TOURS

Depending on how long you have in China, you may choose to hike sections over a few days or stay in a hotel near the Wall itself. However, most visitors seeing the Great Wall opt for a tour – perhaps the easiest and most convenient way to see the wall. If you are travelling by yourself or as a couple, it often works out cheaper to opt for a tour than a driver.

So, these are some of our favourite tours to take that either we have taken or friends that live with us China have taken.

Stay Creative!

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Great tips! Is it 600RMB one way to the wall? Or would that be round trip? .

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That's a roundtrip!

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Oh my gosh, so many interesting facts here. wow, such a stunning place & you photograph it so well. Thanks for the creative post!

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Monday 17th of June 2019

Thank you! :)

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