Mutianyu Great Wall

Mutianyu Great Wall Travel Guide

Grace Wang
1339 Words/6 Minutes, By Grace Wang, Updated January 31, 2023
  • Chinese name: 慕田峪/mù tián yù
  • Open hours: 08:30 - 17:00 (Weekend closing time is 17:30)
  • Ticketing: Ticket sales stop at 16:00 from Monday to Friday and at 16:30 from Saturday to Sunday
  • Entrace fee: CNY45
  • Cable car/Chair lifts: CNY100 for one way, CNY140 for round trip; CNY100 for toboggan down, CNY120 for cable car/Chair lifts up and toboggan down
  • Tour time: 2 - 4 hours

Epidemic Alert: The Mutianyu Great Wall has been closed since May 16, 2022, so please call(010-61626022) to confirm whether it is open before you leave.

Why Mutianyu Great Wall

There are 8 main sections of Great Wall(Badaling, Juyongguan, Huanghuacheng, Jiankou, Mutianyu, Gubeikou, Jinshanling and Simatai, etc.) in Beijing are pretty famous and we inclusively recommend Mutianyu section for most normal travelers. 

  • 1. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.
  • 2. Less comercial but more original than Badaling.
  • 3. More trees, better vegetation, better air, and more vibrant colors in all seasons.
  • 4. Ranked first in tripadvisor's list of the best attractions in Beijing, the Mutianyu Great Wall is far more satisfying than other sections of Great Wall.
  • 5. It is easy to get around and you can see the best parts in 0.5-1 day; there are also good accommodations and restaurants to eat.

What to see - the HIGHLIGHTS of Mutianyu

map 从哪里开始 把精华特别标出来

1. Tower

Where to take my favourite photos?

推荐拍照点:15号烽火台、17号烽火台、20号烽火台

15号可以拍到山上全景,看到“忠于毛”看到自己即将征服的顶峰!

17号烽火台适合从窗口往外拍,站在外面拍也很美,这块的长城曲线是有的。

20号烽火台当然是俯瞰长城了!你走过的路现在皆在你脚下!

Things to do

1.Hiking

2.Camping

3.Helicopter tour

4.Night tour

Mutianyu Great Wall Tour Itinerary

1. Half day tour itinerary: asdfasdfdasf

2. 1 day tour itinerary

3. 2 day tour itinerary

How to get to Mutianyu Great Wall from Beijing?

1. Starting from Tiananmen Square / Wangfujing Street:  Buss No. 120 → No. 916 express bus → No. H23(2 hours 50 minutes, 82 km, CNY19)

STEP 1: Get on bus No. 120(120路) at Tiananmen East Station(天安门东站) and get off at Zuojiazhuang Station(左家庄站) after 14 stops;

Walk along Dongzhimenwai(东直门外斜街) for 50 meters, walk straight across the sidewalk, turn left into Xindong Road(新东路), walk along Xindong Road for 160 meters, turn right into Xiangheyuan Road(香河园路), walk along Xiangheyuan Road for 120 meters;

STEP 2: arrive at Zuojiazhuang Station, get on express bus No. 916(916路快车) and get off at Huairou Beidajie Station(怀柔北大街站) after 12 stops;

Walk along Beidajie for 30 meters, turn right and cross the sidewalk Walk along North Street for 30 meters, turn right, cross the sidewalk, walk along North Street for 30 meters;

STEP 3: arrive at Huairou North Street(Beidajie/北大街) Station, get on H23(H23路) (last bus departs at 14:30), get off at Sinying Station(辛营站) after 18 stops;

Get off and walk back, walk along Huaihuang Road(怀柔路) for 40 meters, walk straight across the sidewalk, turn left and walk 110 meters, turn right and back across the stairs, turn left and walk 180 meters, turn left and walk 10 meters to the ticket office(售票处).

If you are taking the bus from Dongzhimen(东直门), repeat Step 2 and Step 3 as mentioned above.

2. Dongzhimen Tourist Line(东直门旅游专线)

Dongzhimenwai Station
  • Price: CNY30
  • Kilometers: 65KM
  • Time: 1.5 hours
  • Departure point: Dongzhimenwai bus station(东直门外公交车站)
  • Departure time: 8:30
  • Return time: 16:00
  • Ticketing: Buy tickets on board (half an hour in advance)

3. Qianmen Tourist Line(前门旅游专线)

Qianmen Station
  • Departure location: Beijing Tourism Distribution Center(Qianmen Center Branch)(京旅游集散中心-前门中心店)
  • Departure time: 07:30, 08:30, 09:30, 10:30;
  • Return time: 14:30, 15:30, 16:30
  • Ticketing: On-site ticketing at Qianmen Distribution Center
  • Price: CNY30 for one way and CNY40 for round trip

4. Mubus/慕巴士

Mubus
  • Departure location: East side of Hong Kong Macau Center (in front of Swiss Apartments)/港澳中心东侧(瑞士公寓门口)
  • Departure time: 07:30 - 08:00; 10:00
  • Drive time: 1H 30M
  • Ticket price: CNY40 for one way and 80 for round trip

Take subway line 2 (get off at Dongshisitiao Station/东十四条), exit C, and walk 100 meters east to the entrance of Hang Seng Bank.

5. ZanBus/赞巴士

Zanbus
  • Departure location: Metro Line 5 - HePingXiQiao Station "B" Exit/地铁5号线-和平西桥站“B”出口
  • Round trip schedule: depart at 08:00 and return at 15:00,  depart at 10:00 and return at 16:30
  • Drive time: 1H 20M
  • < li>Ticket price: CNY80 for round trip

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What to do?

Camping, cycling, helicopter tour

Mutianyu great wall tour itinerary:

1 day itinerary

  • 8:00 AM - Start the day by taking a bus or private vehicle from Beijing to the Mutianyu Great Wall.
  • 9:30 AM - Arrive at the Mutianyu Great Wall and purchase tickets.
  • 10:00 AM - Take the cable car to the top of the wall for panoramic views of the surrounding area.
  • 11:00 AM - Start exploring the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall on foot. Hike along the well-preserved sections and take in the stunning views from the watchtowers.
  • 12:30 PM - Stop for a picnic lunch or visit a nearby restaurant.
  • 1:30 PM - Continue exploring the Mutianyu Great Wall, hiking to different sections and taking in the views.
  • 3:00 PM - Take the cable car back down to the entrance of the Mutianyu Great Wall.
  • 4:00 PM - Return to Beijing by bus or private vehicle.

2 days itinerary

Day 1: Arrive at Mutianyu Great Wall in the morning. Hike from the east entrance to the west entrance, taking breaks at various watchtowers along the way to admire the views and learn about the history of the wall. Stop for a picnic lunch at one of the scenic spots along the way. In the late afternoon, take a cable car down from the west entrance for a different perspective of the wall. Have dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 2: Start the day by taking a scenic chairlift to the top of the Mutianyu Great Wall. Hike from the east to west entrance, taking different routes and exploring the different sections of the wall. Stop at the Mutianyu Great Wall Museum to learn more about the history and significance of the wall. Have lunch at a local restaurant. In the late afternoon, take the toboggan ride down from the west entrance for a fun and scenic way to end the day. Drive back to your hotel or the airport.

The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall lies in the Huairou District of Beijing, 73 kilometers from the city center. With an average height of of 535 meters, Mutianyu Great Wall is 2,250 meters long. Originally built in the Northern Qi Dynasty and repaired during the Ming Dynasty, the Mutianyu section is one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall. Its construction is the largest in terms of scale and the best quality among all sections of Great Wall. In 1987, it was listed as one of the “16 Most Beautiful Tourists Sites of New Beijing”. In 1992, it was ranked as one of the “World’s Best of Beijing Tour”. And in 2002, it was ranked “AAAA scenic spot”.

The Mutianyu section is accessible by cable car. The distinct style of the Mutianyu Great Wall is due to the heavy (96%) forest cover and perilous passes that surround it, and thus it has closely packed watchtowers. The major watchtowers are connected by one general gateway, which is quite rare in the whole Great Wall.

There’s a village at the foot of the Mutianyu Great Wall, called Mutianyu Village. This and the village of Shelburne Falls of Massachusetts State are sister villages. Accommodation and entertainment there are satisfactory. You can also enjoy different kinds of fish there, such as rainbow trout and sturgeon from Huairou County.

Grace Wang

Hi, I’m Grace Wang, if you like my article, please share it with your friends. Any sugguestions on this article, please contact me. Thanks!

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