Badaling Great Wall: The 13 Best Day Trips

1.Great Wall of China at Badaling and Ming Tombs Day Tour from Beijing

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 731 reviews · from $87Our pick

Spend about eight hours with an English-speaking guide at Badaling and Chang Ling Ming Tomb, with hotel pickup, transport, admission, and a Chinese lunch included. Guides such as Jenny, Lisa, Michael Shi, Mary, and Lee are praised for clear history and practical help. Expect jade and tea shopping stops.

“We chose this area to see the wall because it was less crowded and there were fewer tourist attractions. It was beautiful. The guide was very informative. We also went to see the tomb which was nice, but this is not a necessary thing to add. They took us to a large jade store that is connected to a large restaurant where we had lunch. I do not recommend buying from this store as the prices were high. The lunch was average. They took us to a nice tea shop for a demonstration and to purchase tea. The demonstration was good, and the tea was also good.”

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2.Beijing Essential Full-Day Tour including Great Wall at Badaling, Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 609 reviews · from $99

Cover Beijing’s three headline sights in about nine hours with an English-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport, lunch, and admission tickets. Guides such as Lee, Jenny, Murphy, and Michael Shi have earned praise for clear explanations and personal help. Expect plenty of walking, a jade shopping stop, and limited Great Wall time.

“A nice city highlights tour with a friendly guide. I’d have skipped the tea house stop, as I’m not a fan of ‘commercial proposals’, but everything else was excellent. The Great Wall is absolutely breathtaking and unforgettable!”

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3.Mutianyu/Badaling Great Wall Tour with VIP Fast Pass

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 515 reviews · 5 hours · from $118

Choose Mutianyu, Badaling, or an original undeveloped section of the Great Wall. Your private English-speaking guide, such as Sherry, Lucy, Lily, or Cindy, handles transport, tickets, history, and photo stops, while you get free time to explore.

“Mina She was very good, very prepared and very professional.”

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4.Badaling Ancient Great Wall of China Day Trips

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 208 reviews · 8 hours · from $22

Visit the weathered Ancient Remnant of Badaling on an eight-hour trip from Beijing. Choose a small-group bus, private car transfer, or guided tour with an English-speaking guide such as Amy, Evelyn, Betty, or Lee. Expect original watchtowers, rugged hills, optional cable-car costs, and a possible cultural show.

“Exceptionally well organised and led by our tour guide, Amy. The trip coincided with the national holiday so very busy with a near 2-hour queue for the cable car (skip this and go straight to tower 1). Went to the Chinese Cultural Show - 50mins of variety entertainment but get there early for a good seat. Overall, a good experience.”

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5.Badaling Great Wall Ticket with Day & Night Options

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 94 reviews · 3 - 10 hours · from $20

Choose a self-guided Badaling ticket, round-trip cable car, evening light show, bus tour, or private transfer from Beijing. Day visits run from early morning, while night tours include cultural performances and illuminated walls. Bring your passport, wear good shoes, and check exactly what your option includes.

“Could've gone for free. Nobody was checking my ticket/barcode. Ended up paying for round trip cable car tickets once I got to the entrance which cost under £20.”

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6.Beijing Private Transfer: Badaling Great Wall with VIP Past Pass

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 69 reviews · from $54Top rated

Travel privately from your Beijing hotel or airport to Badaling Great Wall, with direct transport, ticket assistance, bottled water, and a complimentary VIP entry channel. Choose transfer-only service or add a guide, then extend the day to the Ming Tombs or Summer Palace.

“I am so grateful Xia was my private driver to the Great Wall in Mutianyu (I booked Badaling but requested Mutianyu insetad). After booking last minute the evening before and having some very specific requests about pick up and drop off time, he went above and beyond to assist me and make my time very special and comfortable. He picked me up in the early morning and took me straight to the Great Wall, even taking me up using the cable car and directly to the start of the stretch of the wall I walked along. After the hot and sweaty, yet absolutely stunning walk, Xia had iced cold water…”

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7.Beijing Private Tour:Mutianyu/Badaling Great Wall and Panda House

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · from $159

Spend 7 to 8 hours with a private English-speaking guide at Beijing Panda House and your choice of Mutianyu or Badaling Great Wall. Guides such as Lucy, Cindy, Alice, and May help with photos, history, lunch, and family needs. Transport, tickets, water, lunch, and a cable car or toboggan option are included.

“Dream comes true with an excellent guide Amy n glad we booked Viator.Amy was thorough in her history n ready to learn more.Amazing time spent at Great Wall as not much crowd too. Lunch was at a decent restaurant n good food with our requests met.Panda house really disappointing.Excellent Driver too.”

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8.BusDa-Ancient Great Wall &Badaling Great Wall Full-day Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · from $23

You visit two very different Great Wall sections in one day: the rough, quiet Badaling Ancient Wall and the restored Badaling section. Expect about 4.5 hours on the Wall, 3 hours in transit, an air-conditioned bus, included entrance tickets, and an English-speaking guide on selected options. Guides such as Aria, Lee, Betty, and Jackie Chan have led recent departures.

“This was our 2nd tour in Beijing and it was amazing. Our guide was Jackie Chan (English name after the actor) and he was very knowledgeable and very nice. He knew exactly what we wanted to do, and showed us some great spots around the wall. The summer palace was really beautiful as well.”

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9.Beijing Mutianyu or Badaling Great Wall Private Tour with Options

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 52 reviews · from $104

Choose Mutianyu for quieter mountain views or Badaling for a classic, well-known section of the Great Wall. Linda’s Guide & Driver Service provides private hotel pickup, an air-conditioned car, tickets, water, and either an English-speaking driver or guide, depending on your booking option.

“Mr. Guo was excellent in all details pertaining to the event. He made sure everything was running smoothly. Great tips and assistance during the entire event. Highly recommend him. Thank you for everything.”

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10.Badaling Night Great Wall Ticket, Tour & Show

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 47 reviews · 3 - 6 hours · from $45

Visit Badaling between 6:30 and 9:00 PM, when the Wall is lit for a panoramic show and traditional performances. Choose a ticket-only visit, a bus from Beijing, or private hotel transport. Guides such as Evelyn, Li, Betty, and Jenny have helped visitors manage meeting points and evening details.

“Liz was amazing ,patient ,friendly an helpfull.I give 5star”

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11.Badaling Great Wall Bus Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 41 reviews · 8 hours · from $22

Meet at Beitucheng Station at 9:50 AM for a direct bus to Badaling. You get about three hours to walk the wall, bilingual group support, and passport-based entry arrangements. Guides such as Gary and Keesy have earned warm praise, but English commentary may vary in mixed groups.

“Nulla da dire sull'esperienza bellissima! Unica pecca: la guida nel bus ha dato tante informazioni in cinese e poche in inglese (se non di tipo logistico su quello che avremmo dovuto pagare per la funicolare ad esempio). Per il resto sicuramente vale la pena per qualità/prezzo!”

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12.Badaling Great Wall Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 34 reviews · from $11Best value

Book entry to Badaling Great Wall and explore independently for roughly two to six hours. Choose admission only, a one-way cable car, or a round trip. There is no guide or transport, and you may need to exchange your electronic voucher for a paper ticket at the site.

“We booked night tickets with the cable car drive up. Tickets say taht we could enter anytime after 18:30, and that we have to exit no later than 21:00. We had 9 hours wait in Beijing for our next flight and we decided to use this time to visit tRead more”

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13.Beijing Private Tour to Badaling Great Wall and Longqing Gorge with Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · from $236

Travel by private car from central Beijing to Badaling and Longqing Gorge with an English-speaking guide. Ride the Great Wall cable car, eat lunch at a local Chinese restaurant, take the Dragon Elevator, and cruise the gorge by boat. Guides such as Edward, Allen, Lucy, and Sophie can adjust the day for families and photo stops.

“I don’t think there is a more convenient way to visit both Great Wall and Longqing Gorge than this tour. Everything was so well organized from hotel pick up to hotel drop off, we could just enjoy the entire day with no worries. Tony was very knowledgeable and told us a lot not only about our destinations but also anything we asked about Beijing.”

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