One Day Private Badaling Great Wall Hiking

Spend today with us hiking up the Badaling Great Wall, the most typical and best-preserved section of the Great Wall of China, to enjoy both magnificent landscape and thick history and profound culture of it. At your pre-agreed time in the morning, our driver and guide will pick you up at your hotel lobby and then transfer you to the Great Wall by comfortable private vehicle for about 1.5 hours. On the way, the guide will introduce you to Badaling, which has experienced the baptism of innumerable wars since the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), but still firmly stands on the sheer and sneaking mountain ridges, witnessing the glory of ancient Chinese military defense works. It is one of the most popular destinations for travelers, especially those who come to China for the first time, including quite a few foreign heads of state.

How to Choose between Badaling and Mutianyu Great Wall？

Badaling and Mutianyu are undoubtedly the two most well-known sections of the Great Wall and travelers often struggle over which one to visit. If you are a first-time visitor to the Great Wall, the time-honored and magnificent Badaling is indeed more recommended, as it can be called the essence of the Great Wall of China. But note that it is always overcrowded, especially during holidays and peak seasons, which may affect your traveling experience. So if you expect a relatively leisurely trip, our travel consultant can craft a hiking plan for you to the quiet but also scenic Mutianyu.

Hiking Route: Badaling North 1st Watchtower - North 11th Watchtower - Great Wall Museum
Hiking Duration: 3 - 4 hours
Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
Scenery: ★★★★★
What to prepare: suitable sports shoes; sunglasses, sun cream, and hats on sunny days; gloves, scarves, and caps in winter
Best Time to Visit: April to June; September to October

North 1st Watchtower to North 5th Watchtower

Upon arrival, our guide will accompany you to start the hike from the North 1st Watchtower along the popular and slightly strenuous North Route, which boasts long length and steep terrain. No toilet is available once on the wall, so remember to be prepared before hiking at the entrance of the scenic area, or you can only reach one at the exit when finishing the tour. It is surprising to know the part between the 2nd and 4th watchtowers is the classic photo position on Badaling of those foreign heads, including Nixon, Queen Elizabeth, Obama and Emperor Akihito, and why not capture your own wonderful moments in this “VIP area” either? From the 3rd Watchtower, descend first and then climb another 100 or so steps to the 4th Watchtower, where your eyes will be caught by the iconic Hero Monument, which reads, “One who fails to reach the Great Wall is not a hero.”, and it may inspire you to continue to move forward with vigor. Proceed to the 5th Watchtower, a two-story tower with more than 30 arches under the second floor, and let’s enjoy a panoramic view of the majestic wall surrounded by beautiful scenery from those arches used to observe the enemies.

North 6th Watchtower to North 11th Watchtower

Next, we will hike to the North 6th Watchtower, which is the largest of its kind on the Great Wall, and there is a ladder inside for you to climb up to explore its top. From the 7th to the 8th watchtowers, prepare to conquer the most challenging Hero Slope, whose steepest part has a gradient of more than 60 degrees, on both your hands and feet. As you wheeze, you may wonder why such a high and precipitous wall failed to stop Genghis Khan. That’s because the Badaling section was formally built after the dynasty of the great man, to prevent the Mongol’s reinvasion. As the highest point of the Great Wall with an elevation of 888 meters (2,913 feet), the 8th Watchtower is the best spot to admire and snap the sunrise or sunset over the wall, thus it is also named Sun Watching Tower. Go downhill to the North 10th Watchtower, where you will find a garret on its second floor. With our guide, know about its ancient role as a temporary bedroom for garrisoned soldiers and storage of army provisions. End the Great Wall hike at the 11th Watchtower and descend the mountain from the path nearby.● Cable Car & Pulley (at your own expense)
Want to make the journey a little easier? Perhaps opt to take the aerial cable car to the North 7th Watchtower or take the pulley to the North 4th Watchtower near the entrance, and then go on a hike on the Wall. Our guide will be happy to assist you in purchasing the ticket if you need it. But be aware that there may be hours of queues at peak seasons.
* Ticket Price for Your Reference:
1. Cable Car: CNY 100 for a single trip, CNY 140 for a round trip.
2. Pulley: CNY 80 for a single trip, CNY 120 for a round trip.

● If time is on your side and you are still energetic, you can explore the South Route as well, which is shorter and relatively gentle with 7 watchtowers. The ground cable car to the South 4th Watchtower can save you effort.► Lunch Suggestion (at your own expense):
Lunch is not included today. It is recommended that you pack some easily carried food like chocolates and biscuits for a quick energy boost while hiking. Rest assured that there are some restaurants in the scenic area, like western fast food chains KFC, Subway, and Starbucks, or Chinese Mr. Li Beef Noodle King and Qingfeng Steamed Bun Eatery; and the average cost per person in each is about CNY 50 (USD 7). If you are interested, our guide will be glad to help you locate them. Surprisingly, you can also order takeout on the Great Wall! And it is delivered quickly by drone in about 10 minutes from takeoff to the South 5th Watchtower! What is available is some bottled water, simple snacks, and heatstroke or emergency drugs. Want to experience this novel thing? Ask the guide to help you with your ordering on the mobile phone.

Afterwards, let’s visit a museum just at the foot of the Great Wall, specially built to showcase the history and culture of this great manmade wonder, housing more than 2,500 sets of cultural relics found around the Wall, mainly iron, masonry, ceramics and coins from the Warring States Period (475 - 221 BC) to the Ming Dynasty. Linger in front of a brick under glass and take a closer look, and you will find some Chinese characters engraved on it, which is its manufacturing information like maker and time. It was actually a means of supervision to prevent the occurrence of inferior walls because of cutting corners in the Ming Dynasty. Marvel that it was precisely because the ancients were so rigorous and clever that they built such a strong defense line, making it impossible for the nomads to cross at that time.
● Note: The museum is currently closed for renovation and will resume business at a date to be determined, expected at the end of 2025. Before it opens, visit the nearby Bear Park as an alternative if you wish and time permits.

At the end of the Badaling Great Wall hiking tour, you will be driven back to your hotel downtown. Hope you harvest an unforgettable travel memory with us. The Ming Tombs, the most intact burial site with the largest number of ancient China’s emperors, is located right near Badaling, if you are interested, contact us to customize this Great Wall Beijing tour to your liking.

● Best Way: High Speed Train
The most convenient and fastest way is to take the high speed train from Beijing North Railway Station to the Badaling Great Wall Railway Station, which is directly connected to the Back Mountain (inner side of the Wall). The train ride takes 30 to 60 minutes and costs CNY 23-29 (USD 3-4) for a second-class seat while CNY 36-48 (USD 5-7) for a first-class seat. 7 trains are available from 7:05 to 19:26 every day and the return train departs at 14:33 and 17:32. After getting off the train, you can walk 15 minutes to the entrance for hiking up the Great Wall, or 10 minutes to reach the Aerial Cable Car Station and the Ground Cable Car Station. The Great Wall Museum and dining area are also at the foot of the Back Mountain.

* The S2 train from Huangtudian Railway Station to Badaling is less recommended, as its drop-off point is far from the entrance that you need to transfer to a shuttle bus.

● Economical Alternative: Bus No. 877
Bus No. 877 runs every 10-20 minutes between 6:30 and 12:30 from Beitucheng Station to Badaling Station, and returns between 11:00 and 16:00, taking 1.5 to 2 hours and costing CNY 12 (USD 2) one way. It terminates at the Front Mountain (outer side of the Wall). From here, it requires a 15-minute walk to the entrance of the Great Wall and about 10 minutes to walk to the north pulley station near the Bear Park.

* Be aware that you are likely to get stuck in traffic by bus, especially on holidays, and may need to stand all the way to the destination because of limited seats. Just select according to your needs.