Traveling to Beijing (Beijing) and not visiting the Great Wall of China would be something like visiting Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower, only with one small difference. In Paris it is almost inevitable not to look up and face it almost from anywhere in the city, however accessing from the Chinese capital to any of the closest sections of the wall can become a real adventure.
How to get to the Chinese wall from Beijing?
If you intend to access the Great Wall of China from Beijing you have several options. The first thing to keep in mind is the time of year you visit. If it is summer (July or August) be prepared for agglomerations, queues, and in many cases despair and mildew. It is one of the best useful tips for planning a Great Wall tour in Beijing. It should be borne in mind that in China there are more than one billion people, who also take advantage of the summer to travel and tour their country.
Organized bus: This is perhaps the simplest option and with fewer queues, but also the most expensive and heavy of all. In all hotels and tourist establishments in Beijing, you will find brochures and people trying to sell you some of these excursions, also, at the exit of the train stations and in places like Qianmen and Xizhimen. Keep all the valuable tips for planning a great Wall Tour in mind when you visit the place.
By bus: It is a very cheap and convenient option if you visit the wall in the low season. In summer it is only recommended for mega-early risers or people who are willing to fight for two hours queuing in the sun for a free place on the bus. To reach the sections of Badaling, the best preserved and most touristy, or Juyongguan, the closest to Beijing, take line 919 that leaves from Deshengmen gate. Buses leave continuously to the Great Wall of China from 6:30 in the morning.
By train: A priori this would be the most convenient, cheap and quick option to cover the 70 kilometers that separate Beijing from the Badaling stops at the foot of the Great Wall of China. However, as we have warned before, it is a practically discarded option if you go in high season. In summer it is almost impossible to get a ticket for the day and people get up in the wee hours of the morning to queue at the ticket office and be able to find one of the few tickets that are sold out in a matter of minutes. Beijing is another great option to enjoy China wall hiking without any hassle.
The train to the Great Wall of China is taken from the North Station of Beijing, at the Xihimen subway stop. There it is advisable to have written in Chinese (you can ask the receptionist of the hotel to point you in a paper) the journey, the date and the number of tickets you want to buy since it would be almost a miracle to find a station employee who knows English.
Once you reach Badaling station, you still have about 15 minutes to walk up to the base of the Wall.
By taxi: People usually prefer taxis when they fail to buy an Air or bus ticket. Taxis in China are really cheap, but attention to taxi drivers, as a rule, they will try to get you out of the race as much money as you can. You can also go for Great Wall tour in Beijing if you are not a good bargainer.
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