Great Wall at Badaling

Visit the Great Wall at Badaling on a day trip from Beijing, as part of a China highlights tour, or even on a layover; many packages include a restaurant lunch and a visit to a jade workshop, while a few also include cable car tickets. Some day trips combine the Great Wall at Badaling with nearby attractions, such as the Guyaju Caves or the nearby Badaling Ski Resort. Other additions include Longqing Gorge, which has an ice sculpture festival in winter, or the Ming Tombs, a grand imperial graveyard that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Alternatively, opt to pair the Great Wall at Badaling with imperial sights in Beijing, such as the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace, or the Temple of Heaven.

• Easily accessible from Beijing, the Great Wall at Badaling is a good choice for time-pressed travelers.

• The wall can be bitterly cold in winter. Wear gloves, a warm coat, and a hat that covers your ears.

• Ramps and elevators make the Great Wall at Badaling the easiest stretch of the wall for travelers who use wheelchairs. Ask your tour operator to phone ahead to ensure elevator access.

The Great Wall at Badaling is about 42 miles (68 kilometers) north of downtown Beijing. It’s easily reached by the suburban S2 train that runs frequently from Huangtudian station in Beijing; to get there, take metro line 8 or 13 to Huoying. When Beijing North railway station reopens at the end of 2019, the S2 will depart from there instead of Huangtudian. To reach Beijing North, take metro line 2, 4, or 13 to Xizhimen.

The Great Wall at Badaling is open from early morning until early evening seven days a week, with slightly shorter hours during winter (November through March). The site is always busy, but don’t even think about visiting on weekends or over the major Chinese holidays: Lunar New Year in late winter and Golden Week at the beginning of October.

Historians date the Great Wall of China to the time of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a united China, in the third century BC, but some of its fortifications are even older than that. After a 5-year survey at the turn of the 21st century, the Chinese government calculated the length of the Great Wall, including all its different branches and constructions from different eras, at 13,170 miles (21,196 kilometers). That’s more than twice as long as previously thought.

Plenty of tours go to the Great Wall at Badaling—most depart from Beijing. You can choose between a private or group tour, some of which also include sightseeing in Beijing. Note that some group tours stop at souvenir stores along the way, so check before you book if you’d rather avoid shopping opportunities.

The Great Wall at Badaling dates back to the Ming Dynasty. It was built to help defend Beijing from the Mongolians. There are several watchtowers along this section of the Great Wall; several holes in the walls act as lookouts and places to shoot enemies with arrows.

Be prepared for stairs at the Badaling section of the Great Wall. This is a complete section of the wall, and there are handrails in some places to help climbers stay safe, but it will require effort. There’s a cable car that takes you up to the wall if you find it difficult to walk up.

The Great Wall at Badaling isn’t too far away from the center of Beijing. Tours can take you to this section in an hour, depending on traffic. From Beijing, you can also take a train to Badaling Railway Station or bus numbers 877, 919, or 880. Another option is to hire a private car for ultimate flexibility.

The Badaling section of the Great Wall is so popular because it’s one of the best preserved and isn’t far from Beijing. It makes for some impressive photos at the watchtowers or on the stepped sections of the rolling wall. It’s also one of the oldest sections, so is popular with history buffs.

It depends. The Great Wall at Badaling is incredibly popular with Chinese tourists, making it very crowded most days. Yet, it is accessible, is one of the first built sections, and has a cable car that lets less mobile folks walk the Great Wall.