# Great Wall at Mutianyu, Beijing

> Mutianyu is the restored Ming-era Great Wall about 70 km north-east of Beijing — forested ridges, watchtowers and far fewer people than Badaling. Entry is ¥40–45; the shuttle, cable car and toboggan cost extra. Open daily from 7:30. Allow 3–4 hours on the wall and a full day with travel. Tickets are tied to your passport.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-wall-mutianyu

- City: [Beijing](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing), China
- YesGo score: 19/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 4 h
- Opening hours: Daily. 16 March – 15 November: Mon–Fri 7:30–18:00, Sat–Sun 7:30–18:30; 16 November – 15 March: 8:00–17:30. Ticket sales end 1 hour and entry 30 minutes before closing
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Entry: ¥40–45; ¥45 is the ticket with a souvenir postcard
- Concessions: Foreign visitors aged 6–18 over 1.2 m and non-Beijing visitors 60+ get a reduced ticket
- Shuttle bus: ¥15 return, ¥10 one way
- Cable car (to Tower 14): ¥100 one way, ¥140 return
- Chairlift & toboggan (Tower 6): ¥100 one way, ¥140 chairlift up + toboggan down
- Children up to 1.2 m: Free on the shuttle and cable car; taller children pay full fare
- Real-name tickets: One per passport per day, on sale 30 days ahead; show the original passport
- Refunds: Until midnight the day before, if unused
- Tourist bus: ¥80 return; Qianmen 7:00–11:00, Dongzhimen 9:10; back 13:00–16:00
- Distance: About 70 km from central Beijing, 1–1.5 h by car
- Coordinates: 40.43802, 116.56190
- Facts checked: 04.11.2026

## Key facts

- **Towers 1–20** — open by day; evening visits cover only towers 10–15 (source: Mutianyu Great Wall official website: visitor notice)
- **≈ 70 km** — north-east of central Beijing, in Huairou District (source: Mutianyu official website; English Wikipedia (Chinese Wikipedia: 73 km))
- **1404** — the Mutianyu Pass was built, in the second year of the Yongle reign (Ming) (source: Mutianyu official website; English and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **6th century** — a Northern Qi wall ran here first; the Ming wall was built over it (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **Battlements on both sides** — defenders could shoot outwards and inwards — rare on the Great Wall (source: Mutianyu official website; English Wikipedia)
- **3-in-1 tower** — Zhengguantai: one large tower flanked by two smaller ones on two levels (source: Mutianyu official website; English Wikipedia)
- **7–8 m** — high, 4–5 m wide along the top (source: English Wikipedia; travelchinaguide.com)
- **1,580 m** — toboggan run — a stainless-steel track built by Germany's Wiegand (source: Mutianyu official website; asiaodysseytravel.com)
- **723 m** — enclosed cable car up to Tower 14 (source: Mutianyu official website; chinadiscovery.com)
- **Qi Jiguang** — the Ming general who strengthened the wall guarding the capital (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **1987** — the Great Wall became a UNESCO World Heritage Site (source: UNESCO; English Wikipedia)

## Mutianyu Great Wall tickets and prices

Entry is **¥40–45**: sources give ¥40 for the standard ticket and ¥45 for one with a souvenir postcard. Foreign visitors aged 6–18 and over 1.2 m, and visitors 60+ from outside Beijing, get a concession — unofficially ¥20. Free entry for under-18s applies to Chinese citizens only.

On top of that you pay for the **shuttle bus** (¥15 return) and a ride up. The cable car and the chairlift are each ¥100 one way or ¥140 return; chairlift up plus toboggan down is also ¥140. Two separate companies run them, and their tickets are not interchangeable. Children up to 1.2 m ride free; taller children pay the adult fare. Budget around ¥200 per adult.

Tickets are real-name: one per passport per day, on sale up to 30 days ahead online (orders are handled by Trip.com/Ctrip) or at the ticket office. Most payments in China go through **Alipay or WeChat Pay**, both of which accept a linked foreign Visa or Mastercard; carry some cash yuan as a backup — vendors must accept it.

> **Bring the passport you booked with** Gate staff check the original passport against your real-name ticket — a photo or copy is not enough. It is a full-day trip: leave Beijing by 9:00, because the last tourist buses back depart at 16:00 and ticket sales stop an hour before closing.

## Mutianyu opening hours

Mutianyu is **open every day**. From 16 March to 15 November it runs 7:30–18:00 on weekdays and 7:30–18:30 at weekends; from 16 November to 15 March, 8:00–17:30. Ticket sales end an hour before closing and entry 30 minutes before. Officially, the cable car keeps the same hours as the site.

Come at opening time. Before 10:00 the wall is quiet and there is no queue for the cable car; by late morning tour groups arrive. Avoid Chinese public holidays, especially the first week of October.

## How to get to Mutianyu from Beijing

1. Easiest: the **tourist bus** run by the Beijing Tourism Distribution Center — ¥80 return. It leaves Qianmen from 7:00 to 11:00 as it fills, Dongzhimen metro Exit H at 9:10 and Shaoyaoju Exit E at 9:30, drops you at parking lot P4 with no shuttle change, and returns between 13:00 and 16:00.
2. On your own: go to the **Dongzhimen** transport hub (metro Lines 2 and 13, or the Capital Airport Express from PEK) and board the **916 Express (916快)** — not the slow regular 916.
3. Get off at **Huairou Beidajie** (怀柔北大街), about 1–1.5 hours.
4. Cross the road and take bus **H23** (H24, H35 or H36 also work) to **Mutianyu Huandao** (慕田峪环岛), about 30 minutes. Unofficially, the whole trip costs about ¥16.
5. Walk about 300 m to the visitor centre and ticket office, then ride the shuttle about 3 km uphill to the cable car or chairlift.
6. By taxi or DiDi: 1–1.5 hours, unofficially ¥300–400 each way. A driver who waits and brings you back costs about ¥800–1,200 — agree the return time in writing.

## Cable car, chairlift or toboggan?

- **Cable car** — enclosed cabins up to Tower 14, about 723 m. Suits everyone; there is a lift at the lower station for older and less mobile visitors.
- **Chairlift** — open two-seater up to Tower 6. Not advised for older riders or anyone with a heart condition.
- **Toboggan** — a 1,580 m steel track from Tower 6 down to the valley. Children under 10 ride with an adult; not recommended for over-60s or people with high blood pressure. It can close in rain or strong wind.
- **On foot** — well over a thousand steep steps. Fine if you are fit and early.
- The classic loop: cable car up to Tower 14, walk the wall to Tower 6, toboggan down. Just remember the toboggan needs a chairlift-company ticket, not a cable-car one.

## Is Mutianyu worth it?

Yes — for most first-time visitors it is the best single Great Wall day from Beijing. The wall is restored and safe but not over-commercialised, the views over forested ridges are better than at [Badaling](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/badaling-great-wall), and the toboggan makes it fun with kids.

It is not worth it if you only have half a day: with travel, Mutianyu needs 7–8 hours. In that case choose Badaling by high-speed train. Unrestored sections such as Jiankou are a separate, harder hike and need a guide.

## Mutianyu vs Badaling

|  | Mutianyu | Badaling |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where | ≈ 70 km north-east | ≈ 70 km north-west |
| Getting there | Tourist bus, or 916 Express + H23 | High-speed train from Qinghe or Beijing North |
| Entry | ¥40–45 | ¥40, ¥35 in winter |
| Ways up | Cable car, chairlift | Cable car, ground cable car |
| Toboggan down | Yes | No |
| Crowds | Moderate | Very busy |
| Real-name ticket | Yes | Yes |

Badaling figures are unofficial (travelchinaguide.com). Pick Mutianyu for scenery and space, Badaling if a fast train ride matters most.

## What to see on the wall

- **Zhengguantai** near Tower 4 — three watchtowers on one platform, a large one between two smaller ones.
- Battlements on both sides of the walkway, so archers could fire in either direction.
- The stretch from Tower 14 to Tower 20 — steeper, quieter and with the best ridge views.
- Beyond Tower 20 the wall climbs the steep Ox Horn Edge (Niujiaobian), closed to regular visitors.
- Spring and September–October bring the most comfortable weather and autumn colour; in winter, wind, snow and ice make the steps slippery.

## A short history of Mutianyu

A wall of the **Northern Qi** dynasty ran along these hills in the 6th century. After the Ming came to power, general Xu Da fortified the line between the Juyongguan and Gubeikou passes, and the Mutianyu Pass was built in 1404. The Ming general **Qi Jiguang** later strengthened it further.

The section was restored in the 1980s and opened to visitors. The Great Wall as a whole was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

## Guided tour or on your own?

A tour with a guide and driver solves three things at once: the bus changes, the real-name tickets and getting back before dark. It makes sense on your first day in China, before Alipay and mobile data are sorted.

Going independently is easy enough: the tourist bus drops you by the lifts and you can buy tickets at the office with your passport. Take a guide if you want the story of the wall, not just the walk.

## Before you go: checklist

- [ ] Original passport — the one used for the ticket
- [ ] Ticket booked online, or time to queue at the office
- [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay with a card linked — or cash yuan
- [ ] Leaving Beijing by 9:00
- [ ] Good shoes and water — the steps are steep
- [ ] Know the last bus back
- [ ] Stop names saved in Chinese characters

## Beijing views compared

Places in Beijing with a view, rated by YesGo.

- [Tiananmen Gate](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-gate) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥15, concession ¥5, booking only
- [Houhai Lake and Shichahai](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/houhai-lake) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free
- [Jingshan Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/jingshan-park) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥2, ¥10 during exhibitions
- [Drum and Bell Towers](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-drum-and-bell-towers) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥30 for both towers
- [Beihai Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beihai-park) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ¥5–10, ¥15–20 with the island
- [Summer Palace](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-summer-palace) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h 30 min · ¥20–30, ¥50–60 through ticket
- [Olympic Park and Bird's Nest](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-olympic-park) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Park free; Bird's Nest ≈ ¥50–100
- [Central Radio & TV Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-tv-tower) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · CNY 90
- [Great Wall at Badaling](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/badaling-great-wall) — YesGo score 27/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ¥40 entry; ¥35 November–March
- [Great Wall at Juyongguan](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/juyongguan-great-wall) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥35 entry; ¥40 April–October
- [Great Wall at Mutianyu](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-wall-mutianyu) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥40–45 entry; cable car ¥100–140
- [Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/gubei-water-town) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥140 entry; ¥170 with Simatai wall
- [Longqing Gorge](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/longqing-gorge) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥40, boat ¥100

## The wall, then an evening in town

The tourist bus back stops at the Olympic Park; from there head to Wangfujing for the evening.

1. [Great Wall at Mutianyu](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-wall-mutianyu) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥40–45 entry; cable car ¥100–140
2. [Olympic Park and Bird's Nest](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-olympic-park) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Park free; Bird's Nest ≈ ¥50–100
3. [Wangfujing Street](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/wangfujing-street) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free

## Good to know

Beijing has several open Great Wall sections. Mutianyu, Badaling and [Juyongguan](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/juyongguan-great-wall) lie in different directions from the city — one or two fit into a day. The cable car and the chairlift-toboggan are run by two companies with separate lower stations.

## Tips

- Arrive at opening time — the wall is calm and the cable car has no queue before 10:00.
- Walk from Tower 14 towards Tower 6 — most of the way is downhill.
- Book online ahead for weekends and Chinese holidays.
- Save the Chinese names — 东直门, 916快, 怀柔北大街, 慕田峪 — to show drivers.
- Avoid Chinese public holidays, above all the first week of October.

## Questions

### How much are Mutianyu Great Wall tickets?

Entry is ¥40–45, the shuttle ¥15 return, and the cable car or chairlift/toboggan ¥100 one way or ¥140 return — about ¥200 per adult in total.

### How do I get to Mutianyu from Beijing?

Take the ¥80 return tourist bus from Qianmen or Dongzhimen, or the 916 Express from Dongzhimen to Huairou Beidajie and bus H23 to Mutianyu Huandao. A taxi or DiDi takes 1–1.5 hours.

### What are Mutianyu opening hours?

Open daily: 7:30–18:00 on weekdays and 7:30–18:30 at weekends from 16 March to 15 November; 8:00–17:30 from 16 November to 15 March.

### Do I need my passport for the Great Wall?

Yes. Tickets are real-name, one per passport per day, and staff check the original passport at the gate.

### Is Mutianyu better than Badaling?

For most visitors, yes: it is more scenic and less crowded, and it has the toboggan. Badaling is quicker to reach by high-speed train.

### Should I take the cable car or the toboggan?

Cable car up to Tower 14, walk to Tower 6 and toboggan down is the classic loop — but the toboggan needs a chairlift ticket, as the two are run by different companies.

### Can kids ride the Mutianyu toboggan?

Yes, children under 10 ride with an adult. Children up to 1.2 m ride the shuttle and cable car free.

### How long do you need at Mutianyu?

3–4 hours on the wall plus about 3 hours of travel there and back — plan a full day.

### Can you visit Mutianyu without a tour?

Yes. The tourist bus goes straight to the lifts, and you can buy real-name tickets online or at the office with your passport.

## How we checked

Hours, real-name rules, concessions, free rides for children up to 1.2 m and the tourist bus come from the official Mutianyu website. The official pages list no prices, so entry, shuttle, cable car and toboggan fares are cross-checked across several guides and marked “verifying”: some guides give ¥40 for entry and others ¥45 (the postcard ticket), so we show ¥40–45; Chinese Wikipedia lists ¥120 for a return cable car, against ¥140 everywhere else. We could not find extended midsummer hours (to 19:30) on the official site, so we leave them out. Guides disagree on the booking window (7 or 15 days); we show the official 30 days. Sources give different lengths for the open wall (2.25 km and about 3 km), so we leave it out. One guide lists shorter cable-car hours than the official ones; we show the official hours. Payment notes for China are unofficial, from travel guides.

## Sources

- Mutianyu Great Wall Scenic Area official website (慕田峪长城旅游区): hours, real-name tickets, concessions, lift rules, transport, history of the pass, cable car and toboggan
- Beijing Bendibao (北京本地宝): tourist buses to Mutianyu
- English and Chinese Wikipedia: Mutianyu, 慕田峪长城; Wikidata Q212610
- travelchinaguide.com: lift prices, public transport, Badaling
- tour-beijing.com, wanderinchina.com, unusualnomad.com: prices and the 916 Express + H23 route
- Ctrip travel notes (游记): entry and shuttle prices

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