Great Wall tickets: Mutianyu and Badaling explained

Great Wall tickets depend on the section you visit. For most first-time foreign visitors, Mutianyu is the best choice: fewer crowds, a cable car and a toboggan, and easier booking. Badaling is the alternative, but it is much busier.

Mutianyu or Badaling?

	Mutianyu	Badaling
Crowds	Fewer than Badaling	The most visited and most crowded section near Beijing
Distance	About 73 km northeast of central Beijing, about 1.5 hours by car	About 70 km northwest of central Beijing
Entrance	40 CNY per adult (45 CNY with a postcard option)	40 CNY from April 1 to October 31 and 35 CNY from November 1 to March 31
Ways up and down	Cable car, chairlift, toboggan down	North and south cable cars
Opening hours	See below	6:30–16:30 from April to October and 7:30–16:00 from November to March
Public bus	Bus 916 + H24, 2–3 hours each way	Bus 877, about 1 hour

Not sure yet whether to go on your own? Compare Great Wall tours from Beijing.

The full comparison, including what each section feels like on the day, is in Mutianyu vs Badaling.

How much are Mutianyu Great Wall tickets?

• Entrance: 40 CNY per adult (45 CNY with a postcard option).
• Shuttle bus: the internal shuttle bus costs about 15–20 CNY return.
• Cable car: an enclosed cable car to Watchtower 14: 100 CNY one way, 140 CNY return.
• Chairlift and toboggan: the chairlift up to Watchtower 6 and the toboggan down are run by a separate operator with separate tickets: about 100 CNY one way, or about 140 CNY for chairlift up + toboggan down. Note that the toboggan only goes down, and it closes in rain and snow.

Schematic plan, north at the top, not to scale. Only positions confirmed by our sources are shown.

1. 1Shuttle bus to the lifts
2. 2Chairlift up to Tower 6 (separate operator)
3. 3Tower 6
4. 4Toboggan down from Tower 6 (closed in rain and snow)
5. 5Tower 14
6. 6Enclosed cable car up to Tower 14

Sources: brivience.com, chinatravel.com, wanderinchina.com

Which combination to buy

• You want the toboggan ride down: buy the chairlift up + toboggan down ticket. A cable car return will not get you onto the toboggan: chairlift and toboggan tickets are bought on site from their separate operator; the cable car ticket does not cover them.
• Rain or snow forecast: the toboggan only goes down, and it closes in rain and snow, so the cable car is the safer choice.
• You want an enclosed ride both ways: take the cable car return.

What you pay for at Mutianyu, step by step

Each step below is a separate purchase. Tours sometimes bundle some of them: check the listing.

Step	What	Cost
1. Getting there	Tour, private car, or public bus	Bus: express bus 916 from Dongzhimen to Huairou, then bus H24 to Mutianyu; allow 2–3 hours each way
2. Entrance	Real-name ticket with your passport	40 CNY per adult (45 CNY with a postcard option)
3. Shuttle bus	From the entrance area to the lifts	The internal shuttle bus costs about 15–20 CNY return
4. Going up	Cable car to Tower 14, or chairlift to Tower 6, or walk	An enclosed cable car to Watchtower 14: 100 CNY one way, 140 CNY return
5. Coming down	Cable car, chairlift, toboggan, or walk	The chairlift up to Watchtower 6 and the toboggan down are run by a separate operator with separate tickets: about 100 CNY one way, or about 140 CNY for chairlift up + toboggan down

Up by cable car, down by toboggan? Return tickets are not interchangeable: chairlift and toboggan tickets are bought on site from their separate operator; the cable car ticket does not cover them. To combine them you need two one-way tickets, a cable car up to Tower 14 and a toboggan down from Tower 6, and you walk between the two towers on the wall. Check on site that this stretch is open, and remember that the toboggan only goes down, and it closes in rain and snow.

How do you book Mutianyu tickets, step by step?

1. Open the official website: en.mutianyugreatwall.com.
2. Choose your date. Tickets can be booked up to 30 days ahead.
3. Enter each visitor’s passport details exactly as printed. Tickets are real-name, one admission per passport per day.
4. Pay, and have a backup payment method (a second card or some cash in CNY).
5. Chairlift and toboggan: chairlift and toboggan tickets are bought on site from their separate operator; the cable car ticket does not cover them.
6. On the day, bring the original passport you booked with.

Changes and refunds: unused tickets can be refunded or changed until midnight on the booked date (this does not cover chairlift or toboggan tickets).

How much are Badaling Great Wall tickets?

Badaling is the most visited and most crowded section near Beijing. If you go, book early.

• Booking: booking is real-name with your passport, and booking ahead is strongly recommended.
• Entrance: 40 CNY from April 1 to October 31 and 35 CNY from November 1 to March 31.
• Opening hours: 6:30–16:30 from April to October and 7:30–16:00 from November to March.
• Cable cars: a north and a south cable car, about 100 CNY one way and 140 CNY return.
• Discounts: check current discounts on the official booking channel.

How do you get from Beijing to Mutianyu?

• To Mutianyu: by public bus, private car or tour. We compare the three, with travel times and what happens on arrival, in Beijing to Mutianyu.
• By public bus to Badaling: bus 877 from Deshengmen (near Jishuitan station, Line 2): about 1 hour, 12 CNY.
• By train to Badaling: suburban train S2 from Huangtudian station (Metro Line 8 or 13) to Badaling station, or high-speed trains from Beijing North station to Badaling Great Wall station; check current timetables.
• With a tour: transport and tickets are arranged for you. See Great Wall tours from Beijing.

When is the best time to visit the Great Wall?

• Beat the crowds: arrive at opening time, go on a weekday, and avoid Chinese public holidays (October 1–7, May 1–5 and Spring Festival week).
• Mutianyu opening hours: from March 16 to November 15, 7:30–18:00 on weekdays and 7:30–18:30 on weekends; from November 16 to March 15, 8:00–17:30.
• Badaling opening hours: 6:30–16:30 from April to October and 7:30–16:00 from November to March.
• How long to plan: about 3 hours on the wall and about 6 hours in total by car or tour (longer by public bus).
• Weather: the toboggan only goes down, and it closes in rain and snow.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Forgetting your passport. Tickets are real-name and can be booked up to 30 days ahead, with one admission per passport per day; bring your original passport.
• Buying a cable car return and expecting to use the toboggan. The chairlift up to Watchtower 6 and the toboggan down are run by a separate operator with separate tickets: about 100 CNY one way, or about 140 CNY for chairlift up + toboggan down.
• Visiting on Chinese public holidays. To avoid the biggest crowds: arrive at opening time, go on a weekday, and avoid Chinese public holidays (October 1–7, May 1–5 and Spring Festival week).
• Underestimating travel time. By public bus, allow 2–3 hours each way to Mutianyu. Plan about 3 hours on the wall and about 6 hours in total by car or tour (longer by public bus).

Prefer no stress? Tours with transport included

If you would rather not organise buses, tickets and rides yourself, a tour from Beijing that includes transport keeps the day simple. See all Great Wall tours from Beijing.