Travel Guide: The Great Wall of China Near Beijing

There are several sections of the Great Wall of China that can be reached from Beijing.

Located northwest of Beijing, Badaling (八达岭) and Juyongguan (居庸关) are the closest and easiest sections to reach. An ideal day trip generally involves a visit to one of these sections (they are not connected) and the Ming Tombs. Badaling is the busiest section of the wall since it is relatively easy to get to, well-renovated and easier to climb than the other sections.

North of Beijing is the Mutianyu (慕田峪) section and nearby Jiankou as well as the rundown Huanghua (黄花) section.

Farthest from Beijing is the section of the wall that stretches from Gubeikou (古北口) to Jinshanling (金山岭) to Simatai (司马台). It takes about 3.5 hours to reach this area if you drive straight there. A hike from Jinshanling to Simatai takes 4-5 hours. Gubeikou is quite close to Jinshanling.

Tours

Anybody in the tourism business in Beijing will offer tours to the Great Wall. To find economically priced tours try contacting hostels in Beijing. It is important to ask the tour operator where exactly the tour group will be going since many tours combine a trip to the great wall with a trip to the Ming Tombs. It is also quite common for tours to stop at "factories" or "galleries" where tourists are pressured to buy goods for more than their normal sale price.
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