Great Wall Travel Tips – Getting to Beijing Great Wall

Great Wall Travel Tips – How to get to Badaling, Simatai Great Wall and etc.? This is a frequent question asked by many (especially those who do not wish to travel with a tour agency) who wants to travel up the Great Wall of China in Beijing.

Well, you have come to the right page for information on how to travel to the different sections of the GreatWall around Beijing.

So, jot the info down in a notebook or handphone!

Great Wall Travel Tips to Simatai

The best option is to visit with one of the Youth Hostelling International tours. The telephone number is 010 8188-9323. The tour bus usually leaves the YHAs daily between 7 and 8am. The cost is 90 RMB for simple transportation.

The air-conditioned city-sponsored tourist ("YOU") buses No. 12 travels to Simatai from northeast of the Xuan Wu Men (206) metro stop (Apr to mid-Oct Sat-Sun 6:30-8:30am, every 30 min; 70 RMB); you get about 3 hours at the site. A round-trip taxi ride should cost less than 400 RMB.

Great Wall Travel Tips to Ba Da Ling

The most affordable way to get to Ba Da Ling is on the air-conditioned bus no. 919. The bus schedule is as follow: Daily 6am-6pm, about every 30 min.; 1-hr. trip; 10 RMB), which leaves from the east side of Desheng Men.

Another option is to take one of the air-conditioned city-sponsored tourist (" YOU") buses (tel. 010 6779-7546): "YOU" No. 1 leaves from the northeast side of Qian Men (daily 6am-noon, every 20 min.; 50 RMB).

The "YOU" No. 2 leaves from Dong Zhi Men and the Beijing Railway Station (daily 6:30-10am, every 30 min.; 50 RMB); the price includes Juyong Guan and one of the Ming Tombs (usually Ding Ling).

A round-trip taxi should cost less than 300 RMB.

There are also group tours are typically combined with a trip to the Ming Tombs and cost around 400 RMB per person.

Great Wall Travel Tips to Mutianyu

Mutianyu is not as convenient to reach as Ba Da Ling.

Most hotels can arrange guided group tours for around 250 RMB.

The "YOU" No.6 combines a trip to Mutianyu with a visit to a temple and a lake; it leaves from the northeast side of the Xuan Wu Men (206) metro stop (Sat-Sun 6:30-8am, every 30 min.; 50RMB).

The bus stops at Mutianyu for about 3 hours.

A taxi will cost between 200 RMB and 400 RMB.

Great Wall Travel Tips to Jin Shan Ling

Jin Shan Ling can be reached by train from the Beijing Bei Zhan (North Railway Station), just north of the Xi Zhi Men metro stop (201, exit A).

A special tourist train for Gu Bei Kou, the L671 departs daily from mid-April to October at 7:25am. The 2 1/2-hr. trip will cost about 20RMB.

The rest of the year, the slower L815, departing at 8am, will take you there (4-hr. trip; 10 RMB). The returning trains depart at 3:05pm and 4:15pm, respectively.

Walking down from the station, you can either find lodgings in the village of Gu Bei Kou Hexi Cun, or take a minivan directly to the Wall (25-min. trip, 20RMB).

From Xi Zhi Men bus station, some buses to Chengde (daily 6am-5:30pm, about every 20 min.; 2 1/2-hr. trip; 46 RMB for an IVECO or similar) also pass the turnoff, where you face either a 6km (4-mile) hike or haggling for a minivan at about 10 RMB.

Note: These are just guideline and subject to changes. The prices and bus routes may change during the Olympics 2008 held in Beijing.