Mutianyu Great Wall Hiking

In the morning, our guide and driver will punctually show up at the lobby of your self-booked hotel in downtown Beijing, and then transfer you to the Mutianyu Great Wall in a comfortable 2-hour drive. En route, you will be introduced to the history and culture of China’s Great Wall. Once there, the guide will take you through the South Hiking Road to Watchtower No.6 on the Great Wall, and then formally take the thrilling hike along all 20 distinctive watchtowers. Take your time to delve into detailed architecture and admire the surrounding intoxicating scenery. Witness the most typical hollow watchtower, the No.4 at the lowest point, leave your precious memories on the white cloths covered on the walls of Watchtower No.14, brave the Hero Slope between Watchtower No.19 and No.20, and finally end the hike with a bird’s-eye view of the scenic Mutianyu Great Wall on the Watchtower No.20, the highest and the westernmost point. After descending the Wall, you will be escorted to your hotel or somewhere you specify in the downtown area. If your body is not sporty enough to hike the whole way, contact our travel consultant ahead of time to book the cable car ride for you. We are always online ready for you to tailor the trip to your liking.

As one of the 16 best sights of Beijing, Mutianyu Great Wall is much loved by visitors at home and abroad. It is the longest section of the Great Wall of China, with a total length of 5.4 km (3.4 mi), connecting the Juyongguan Pass on the west and Gubeikou on the east. Speaking of which, do you know how long the Great Wall of China is in total? There was a rumor that it was so long that it could be seen from the moon. As for its specific length, in fact, only in recent years have geologists, for the first time, professionally measured it to a staggering 21, 196.18 km (13,170.68 mi)! Figuratively speaking, it is even longer than a wall built straight between the North and South Poles. And the ongoing research will likely make the number even larger; that is to say, the Great Wall has no end.

● Mutianyu vs. Badaling, which one will be your preference?
Mutianyu and Badaling are the two most popular sections of the Great Wall for visitors to Beijing, and each has its own merits. Featuring beautiful scenery and a tranquil environment, the less-visited Mutianyu is more sought-after by travelers especially foreigners as it ensures that little time is wasted getting stuck in queues of the Great Wall, even during holidays or peak seasons. But if you tend to prefer the grandness and historical sense, opt for Badaling, which offers an equally wonderful travel experience except for the annoyance of overcrowding.

● Basic Facts of Mutianyu
Entrance Fee: CNY40
* If you want to have a Mutianyu postcard as a souvenir, pay CNY5 more and get your paper ticket at the manual ticket window or self-service ticket machine when you arrive.

Opening Hours: 07:30 - 18:00 from March 16 to November 15 (high season); 08:00 - 17:30 from November 16 to March 15 (low season)
* The closing time will be extended to 18:30 at weekends during high seasons.

● What Should You Pay Attention To
1. You are going to walk through jungles to reach the wall, so wear long pants rather than shorts even in hot summer to protect your legs.
2. Toilets can be found near the ticket office, parking lot, visitor's center, and north entrance. Along the wall, you can also find toilets near watchtowers 4, 8, and 14. Always remember to bring toilet paper with you!How to Reach the Mutianyu Great Wall
● Most Convenient Way: Direct Tourist Bus
Tourist buses to Mutianyu are available from Qianmen, Dongzhimen, Shaoyaoju Subway Station and Chaoyang Railway Station in downtown Beijing, and the whole trip takes 1.5 to 2 hours and costs CNY 80 for a round trip. For a single trip ticket of CNY 50, it can only be accessed by the bus departing from Chaoyang Railway Station. All of them will send you to the Fourth Parking Lot near the Ticket Check of Mutianyu Great Wall, so you don’t need to purchase a shuttle bus ticket for the long stretch from the scenic area entrance to the Ticket Check. Note that the return trip will drop you off at Qianmen via Minzuyuan Road Bus station near the Bird’s Nest.

Departure Place	Departure Time	Return Time
Qianmen	07:30-10:00, multiple buses available, departing when full	13:00 - 16:00, multiple buses available, departing when full
Chaoyang Railway Station	09:00
Dongzhimen Public Transport Hub	09:10
Shaoyaoju Subway Station (Exit E)	09:30

* Remember to book the tickets on the official website of Beijing Hub of Tour Dispatch the day before, but note that you may only find Chinese on the website and it only supports Wechat payment, Alipay and UnionPay. If you have difficulty in understanding Chinese, go to the site in advance to ask the staff to help you buy a ticket.

● Cheapest Way: Bus 916 Express + H23
Take Bus 916 Express from Dongzhimen Station to Huairou North Avenue, transfer to bus H23 to Xinying Station, and then walk about 300 meters to the scenic area entrance of Mutianyu. The whole journey takes 2.5-3 hours and costs only CNY16. Note that 916 Express leaves Dongzhimen from 05:50 to 20:00 and returns from Huairou North Avenue from 04:30 to 18:50, running every 10 to 30 minutes. H23 leaves Huairou North Avenue from 06:50 to 16:50 and returns from Xinying Station from 07:20 to 17:50. Considering the long distance from the entrance to the Ticket Check, you are recommended to take the shuttle bus, which costs CNY10 for a single trip and CNY15 for a round trip.

Hiking Map of Mutianyu (click for full map)

Highlights along Mutianyu Hiking Route
Route: South Entrance - China Stone Museum - Watchtower No.6 - Watchtower No.1 - Watchtower No. 20
Distance: 2.25 km (1.4 mi)
Hiking Duration: 3 - 4 hours
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
Scenery: ★★★★★
Best Time to Visit: April to June; September to October

There are North Hiking Road and South Hiking Road for you to come to the Great Wall, and each of them splits ways half way up. The two fork ways of the South Hiking Road will take you to watchtowers No. 6 and No. 8 respectively; whereas the two of the North Road will lead to watchtowers No. 8 and No. 10 respectively.

After checking in at the South Entrance, walk on the South Hiking Road and first come across the China Stone Museum, where you can appreciate a collection of more than 20,000 weird stones illustrating the uncanny workmanship of nature for free. Then, at the fork, continue along the right route with thousands of steps to the No. 6 Watchtower. Most of the path on Mutianyu is composed of steps, which may be a great workout for you, but all your hiking effort will be rewarded with the fantastic scenery. Once on the Great Wall, you may notice that there are crenels on both sides of the parapet, while some other sections, such as Simatai Great Wall, have them only on the outer walls used to defend the enemy. Further eastward the No.4 Watchtower, aka Zhengguan Terrace, appears. It is located at the lowest point and consists of three connected hollow towers unique and representative of China’s Great Wall, reaching a height of four or five stories, which is very spectacular. What's more, the gate of the pass is not built on the middle but on the two side towers, and it is said that both soldiers and horses could pass through in ancient times. Walking eastward from the pass will take you to the No.1 Watchtower, which connects with Badaling to the west, Gubeikou to the east, and a branch of Mutianyu to the south. From its appearance, you may know why it is also called the Big Corner Tower.

Turn back and walk westward until you get to the watchtower No.20. The section from watchtower No.6 to No. 20 is well preserved and the walkway is in good condition. On the No.14 Watchtower, three walls covered with white cloth are specially set up for you trippers to draw on to leave a memorial but doesn’t cause a damage to the Wall. When arriving at the Watchtower No.18, maybe raise your camera as most visitors do and frame the Beijing CITIC Tower in the city center and Mutianyu nestled in the mountains at similar elevations, which will give you a visual shock of Beijing’s ancient and modern collision. Challenge yourself at the part between Watchtower No.19 and No.20, known as the Hero Slope, which is rather steep with a gradient of up to 80 degrees. At last, overlook the breathtaking panoramic view of the 90%-forested Mutianyu Great Wall at the No.20 Watchtower, the highest point, and then go back the way you came and leave.● Memo on Food
It’s better to have a hearty breakfast at the hotel and prepare some high-calorie snacks for the hiking beforehand. Don't worry, you can also find some restaurants in the scenic area. For some Western flavors, perhaps go to the Burger King or Subway; and if you are more inclined to taste some Chinese home-made dishes, Yisong Restaurant famous for local rainbow trout cooked in various ways or Well-stuffed Dumplings Eatery will be a good choice. No matter which one you dine in, the average cost per person is around CNY 40-70 (USD 5.5-10).

● Alternative Hiking Options
If you are not physically strong enough to cover the whole route, perhaps short your hike with one or two of the distinctive parts according to your preferences. For example, go back and forth along the most popular west route from the Watchtower No.14 to the No.20, or the easiest middle route from the Watchtower No.6 to the No.14, or even the most challenging east route from the Watchtower No.1 to the No.6.

● Cable Car, Toboggan, and Chairlift
If you want to make your trip easier, you can opt to take a cable car to and from Watchtower No.14. Or take the chairlift up to Watchtower No.6 and down by toboggan when finishing your hike on the Great Wall.
* Ticket Price for Your Reference:
Single trip per person: CNY100
Round trip per person: CNY140► Dinner Suggestion in Downtown Beijing:
Peking Duck, a traditional Beijing dish with a worldwide reputation, should be a must-try when you are here. Once you are back in the city center, it is recommended that you patronize the Cheap Corner, which has been serving roasting duck for more than 600 years. Unlike other restaurants of the same type, it cooks the duck in a braising oven rather than a hanging oven, which makes the outer skin more golden and crisp and the inner meat more tender and juicy. This old brand has 20 branches or so scattered in every corner of Beijing, and the Xianyukou branch in the most bustling area may be the most convenient one for you to reach. It is decorated in an antique style, with its facade looking very “old Beijing”. The signature Crispy Roast Duck with Flower Fragrance, a delicacy of intangible cultural heritage, is basically a must-order at every table. Roll the thin layer of duck meat with cucumber shreds and sliced scallion and dip in sauce, and you will have a chewy and yummy treat.
Average cost per person: CNY 120-140 (USD 16-19)
Address: No. 65-77, Xianyukou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Hope you can benefit from the above information. The self-guided tour will generally drain a lot of time and energy before and during the tour, such as in transportation, which will get you into the trouble of a language barrier when buying a tourist bus ticket or several transfers while taking the public bus. Thus if you want to be more worry-free, choose our customizable Mutianyu Great Wall hiking tour with private caring and transfer service. Want to hike more sections like camera-friendly Jinshanling or challenging Simatai, or visit some iconic attractions in Beijing? Feel free to contact our travel consultant to customize an exclusive trip for you.