Trip Overview
When: August (summer, around 20°C—surprisingly pleasant for hiking)
Duration: 1 day
Travelers: Family with kids and elderly
Budget: ~40 RMB (~$6 USD) per person
Transportation: Self-drive + free shuttle bus within scenic area
Essential Foreigner Info
Getting There: Badaling is about 2 hours' drive from central Beijing. Private cars aren't allowed into the scenic area—park at Great Wall World (长城天地) and take the free shuttle bus to the entrance.
Entry Reservation: Due to COVID-19 restrictions at the time, advance online booking with real-name registration was required. Check current policies before visiting.
Cable Car Options: Two routes—North Line (北线) reaches Tower North 8 (北八楼), the highest point, via 8-minute cable car. South Line (南线) goes to Tower South 4 (南四楼) in 6 minutes. The North Line offers better views.
Reality Check: The steepest sections reach 70-degree angles. If you're with elderly or young kids, pace yourself—it's tougher than it looks!
Our Route: North Line Adventure
Having conquered several wild Great Wall sections like Jiankou (箭扣野长城), Mutianyu (慕田峪长城), and Yellow River Water Great Wall (黄花城水长城) before, I finally made it to the most famous one—Badaling Great Wall (八达岭长城). Famous for its convenient transportation and accessibility, it's the "beginner's Great Wall" that most visitors check off their Beijing bucket list.
Badaling lives up to its name—literally "eight directions reach" (四通八达). As a UNESCO World Heritage Site and symbol of Chinese civilization, this is the section you've seen in every China photo. Is it touristy? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely—the engineering marvel and sweeping views are still breathtaking.
We arrived around noon and entered by 12:30. Pro tip: weekdays during off-season mean almost no crowds—we basically had the wall to ourselves! No fighting through tour groups, no "let me take your photo" vendors. Pure hiking bliss.
The free shuttle dropped us at the walking entrance. After a 400-meter walk through the tourist street, we reached the base. We chose the North Line (北线) because the best scenery is concentrated there, heading from Tower North 1 (北一楼) all the way to Tower North 8 (北八楼).
Senior Alert: With elderly and a child in tow, we took it slow. The 70-degree slopes had me secretly impressed at my own stamina. Every ten steps revealed another picture-perfect view—layered peaks stretching endlessly. I couldn't resist quoting Mao Zedong: "We shall see the true heroes among the、风流人物"!
Reaching Tower North 8 (北八楼)—the highest point—was surreal. The rare luxury of having this iconic landmark almost to ourselves felt like winning the travel lottery.
Reality Check: Originally we planned to take the cable car down from Tower North 7 (北七楼), but with almost no crowds and the kid getting more energetic, we decided to continue to Tower North 11 (北十一楼). Bad idea—hour after hour, we trudged past just one tower. The little one got tired and started whining. Forward or back? No choice but forward!
The second half was even emptier—just our group. The views were spectacular, though the slopes were steep. I'd recommend this route for年轻人 or regular hikers. Perfect for photos with that dramatic Great Wall atmosphere.
About 1.5 hours after leaving Tower North 8, we exited at Tower North 11. Bonus surprise: cute brown bears at the exit! You can feed them snacks (5 RMB per bag). Watching them in captivity being fed was bittersweet—let's remember to protect animals.
Back to the car by 5 PM, heading home.
Final Thoughts
The Great Wall in autumn? Even more stunning. Worth coming back for.