A Complete Guide to Getting from Downtown Beijing to Various Great Wall Sections – Buses, Shuttle Buses, Charters & Day Tours

As a world cultural heritage site, The Great Wall of China has several core scenic sections in Beijing, among which Badaling, Mutianyu, Simatai, Juyongguan and Jinshanling Great Wall are most popular with foreign tourists. There are various transportation methods from downtown Beijing to these sections, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. You need to choose reasonably according to your itinerary rhythm, number of travelers and budget. The following is a detailed analysis of four mainstream transportation methods and travel time reference for each section.

Bus travel is a cost-effective choice for tourists with limited budget and ample time. Its core advantages are low fare and stable operation, but you need to pay attention to transfers and last bus time. To get to Badaling Great Wall, you can prefer Bus No. 877, which departs from the north station of Deshengmen Arrow Tower and directly reaches the east entrance of Badaling Great Wall in one stop. The whole journey is 60 kilometers, and the one-way travel time is 70 minutes without traffic jams. The fare is 12 yuan, supporting card swiping and QR code scanning discounts. During peak season, a bus departs every 2 minutes, with the first bus at 6:00 and the last bus at 17:00. If you choose Bus No. 919, you need to distinguish between express and slow trains. The slow train directly reaches Badaling Station, and it takes 10 minutes to walk to the scenic spot, with a one-way travel time of about 2 hours; the express train does not stop at Badaling, so it is not recommended. To get to Mutianyu Great Wall, you need to transfer: take Bus No. 916 from Dongzhimen to Huairou North Street Station, then transfer to Bus H23/H24 to Mutianyu Roundabout. The whole journey takes 2.5-3 hours, with a total fare of about 18 yuan, suitable for tourists who are not in a hurry. For Juyongguan Great Wall, you can take Bus No. 919 or 880 directly from Deshengmen, with a one-way travel time of about 1.2 hours; for Huanghuacheng Water Great Wall, take Bus No. 916 from Dongzhimen to Huairou Nanhua Garden No. 4 District, then transfer to the “Huairou – Water Great Wall” special line, with a total journey time of about 2 hours.

Scenic shuttle buses balance convenience and cost-effectiveness, making them the first choice for most foreign tourists, with no transfers and controllable travel time. The Badaling Great Wall shuttle bus departs from Qianmen Station of Beijing Tourism Distribution Center, takes the highway directly to the foot of the scenic spot in one stop, with a one-way travel time of 1.5 hours. It departs every morning and stops at the Olympic Sports Center on the way back, facilitating tourists to visit along the way. Mutianyu Great Wall also has exclusive shuttle buses, which depart from designated locations in the urban area, with a one-way travel time of about 1.5 hours. The fare is slightly higher than that of buses, but it saves transfer time. Some shuttles also provide combined tickets of entrance fee and bus ticket, with higher cost performance. Shuttle buses need to be booked in advance on official platforms or through travel agencies. It is recommended to book seats 1-2 days in advance during peak season to avoid temporary ticket shortage.

Chartered cars are suitable for family trips, group tours or tourists pursuing flexibility, providing door-to-door transfer and allowing independent control of the itinerary rhythm. The model and price vary by the number of people: the round-trip cost of a 4-5-seat economy car to Badaling and Juyongguan is about 1000-1200 yuan, to Mutianyu and Jinshanling is about 1000-1400 yuan, and to Simatai is about 1400-1600 yuan; the cost of a 5-7-seat comfortable SUV or business MPV is about 1200-1800 yuan, and a medium bus with more than 18 seats is about 2000-2200 yuan. The cost usually includes driver service fee, fuel fee and highway toll, excluding driver’s meal supplement (50-100 yuan) and Parking fee (10 yuan/time for cars). The travel time by chartered car is similar to that by shuttle bus: one-way to Badaling and Juyongguan takes 1.2-1.5 hours, to Mutianyu takes 1.8 hours, to Simatai takes 2.5 hours, and to Jinshanling takes 2 hours. The driver can directly send you to the parking lot near the cable car entrance, saving the time of queuing for shuttle buses. When booking a chartered car, confirm the vehicle operation qualification, sign a contract to clarify the cost details, and avoid hidden consumption.

Day tours are suitable for hassle-free tourists, especially those who are not familiar with local transportation and hope to visit multiple attractions. The price of a regular one-day tour combining Badaling and Ming Tombs is about 190 yuan per adult, including round-trip transportation, entrance fees and tour guide service. The whole journey takes 8-10 hours, visiting The Great Wall in the morning and Ming Tombs in the afternoon, suitable for tourists with tight schedules. Premium small-group tours (3-8 people) offer a better experience, with senior tour guides explaining Great Wall history, Mercedes-Benz business car transfer, and customizable itineraries such as Mutianyu Great Wall sunset tour and Simatai Great Wall night tour. The price is about 500-1000 yuan per person, with no shopping links, suitable for tourists pursuing in-depth experiences. When choosing a day tour, avoid low-cost shopping tours, prefer regular travel agencies, and confirm the included items and free time in the itinerary.

Suggestions for each Great Wall section: Badaling Great Wall has complete facilities and high popularity, suitable for first-time visitors, with convenient buses and shuttle buses; Mutianyu Great Wall has a high vegetation coverage rate and is preferred by foreign tourists, with good shuttle bus and chartered car experiences; Simatai Great Wall retains its original appearance and is adjacent to Gubei Water Town, so it is recommended to take a chartered car or join a combined-ticket day tour; Jinshanling Great Wall is suitable for photographers, requiring a chartered car or tour group with a longer travel time; Juyongguan Great Wall is suitable for short-term visits, accessible by bus. Tourists can plan reasonably according to their own needs and start a smooth Great Wall trip.