Great Wall at Badaling, Beijing

Badaling Great Wall tickets and prices

Entry is ¥40 from 1 April to 31 October and ¥35 from 1 November to 31 March. Full-time students pay half (¥20 / ¥17.5). Under-18s, over-60s and disabled visitors enter free with ID — foreigners show a passport as proof of age. Concessions cover entry only; the cable cars are paid by everyone.

According to the Beijing government, you can simply buy at the ticket office on arrival with your passport. Tickets are also sold online in advance through Badaling's official site and WeChat account — they are real-name, so enter your passport number. Sources disagree on how far ahead sales open (7 or 15 days). For weekends and Chinese holidays, book ahead: the daily cap is 65,000 and the office can sell out.

Unofficially, Badaling's own online system takes WeChat Pay only. Link a foreign Visa or Mastercard to WeChat Pay or Alipay before the trip, or buy through Trip.com; cash yuan is accepted at the office, so carry some small notes.

Badaling opening hours

Badaling is open every day, Mondays included. From 1 April to 31 October it opens 6:30–16:30, and from 1 November to 31 March 7:30–16:00. Some guides treat these as last-entry times and say the wall closes at 17:00; plan to be on your way down by then.

Unofficially, the cable cars run from about 7:30 (north) and 8:50 (south) to 16:00, and return tickets are sold only until 13:00. The China Great Wall Museum at the foot of the wall is the one thing closed on Tuesdays.

Cable car, ground cable car or on foot?

• Cable car (north) — up to North Tower 7, a few minutes below the top at Tower 8. Unofficially ¥100 one way, ¥140 return; children under 1.2 m ride free.
• Ground cable car (south) — rail cars up to South Tower 4, same price unofficially. You can go up one and down the other, but the lower stations are apart, so expect a walk.
• On foot — straight from the entrance plaza onto the north wall: the steepest climb and the real thing. Allow an hour to 90 minutes up to Tower 8.
• YesGo's pick: in season, walk up the north side early before the crowds and take the cable car down. With small children or older travellers, do the opposite — ride up, stroll down.
• Rides are paid separately from entry, no concessions apply, and they stop in high wind or storms.

Is Badaling worth it?

Yes — if time is short. Badaling is the only section you can reach by high-speed train in half an hour, and the wall is wide, restored and safe. It suits half-day trips, older travellers and anyone combining the wall with the Ming Tombs or Juyongguan.

It is less rewarding if you want quiet and scenery. On a busy day the north side moves at a shuffle. With a full day free, Mutianyu gives better views and fewer people, and Gubei has the wall lit up at night.

Badaling vs Mutianyu

Badaling entry prices and hours are official; Mutianyu figures come from YesGo's Mutianyu page. Badaling when time is short, Mutianyu when scenery matters most.

What to see at Badaling

• North Tower 8 — the highest point, with the wall running away along the ridges in both directions.
• The steep north climb — in places the steps are almost a ladder. This is where people pose with the famous line “He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man”.
• The south side — shorter and calmer, with a good view across to the north wall.
• The pass fortress at the entrance — arched gates and walls where the old road crossed the mountains.
• China Great Wall Museum (中国长城博物馆) at the foot of the wall — a new display of 700+ objects about the wall across China. On trial opening: free, no booking, 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30), closed Tuesdays, up to 4,000 visitors a day; bring your passport.
• Unofficially, summer evenings bring separately ticketed night visits with the wall lit up — seasonal only.

Badaling tour or on your own?

A tour with a car and guide makes sense if you want Badaling plus the Ming Tombs or Juyongguan in one day — they are off the railway and hard to link without a driver. The guide also handles real-name tickets and any payments that need WeChat Pay.

For Badaling alone, go independently: train from Qinghe, passport at the ticket office, same train back. It is the one Great Wall trip where you do not need help with transport.

Beijing views compared

Places in Beijing with a view, rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

How to do it right

• Arrive at opening time on a weekday — before 9:00 the north side is nearly empty.
• Use Qinghe rather than Beijing North: more trains and shorter journeys.
• Buy your return train ticket at the same time — weekend evening trains sell out.
• The north side is steeper and busier; if it is packed, turn south.
• In winter the steps can be icy — wear shoes with a good grip.
• Do not plan the Great Wall Museum for a Tuesday — it is closed.

Questions