How To Visit The Great Wall of China On a Budget

China is not known to be a budget-friendly destination, especially when compared to other cheap Asian destinations such as Thailand or Indonesia.

Expenses such as Hotels, high-speed trains, and sightseeing tours like Zhangjiajie can accumulate quickly, leading to significant expenses over time.

This guide will explain how you can visit the Great Wall of China on a budget and save you money very easily!

Additionally, we will also elaborate on the reasons why you should visit the Great Wall of China independently instead of a tour group, which parts of the wall you should visit, as well as in-depth instructions on how to get to the Great Wall from Beijing using public transport.

What is The Cheapest Way to Visit The Great Wall of China from Beijing?

Visiting the Great Wall from Beijing can be done in three ways: A private driver, joining a tour group or traveling independently. This is also the ranking of the most expensive to least expensive options.

Because we are long-term travelers, we chose to visit the Great Wall without a tour group and travel independently from Beijing to the Great Wall using public transport.

Although you may think this would be a complicated process, it only required a small bit of effort and was by far the cheapest option to visit this wonder of the world.

Besides being the most budget-friendly option, choosing to visit the Great Wall of China independently also allows you the freedom and flexibility to explore at your own pace.

Oh, and did we mention that a visit to the Great Wall of China on a budget only cost us less than 8 euros per person?!

Why You Should Visit the Great Wall of China independently

Many tour groups offer a day trip to the Great Wall of China from Beijing. These tours usually cost approximately $20 per person, but the total cost can increase significantly from there.

It’s important to note that the entrance fee is typically not included in the tour package. A lot of tour groups offer the option to include your entrance fee at checkout but at twice the cost of something you can easily purchase yourself.

Additionally, while some tours may advertise hotel pick-up services, be sure to carefully review the fine print as this is often only available for hotels located within a specific radius of Beijing’s city center, and Beijing is MASSIVE!!

So, if you have to travel to a meeting point anyway, then you may as well make your way to a bus station, from where you can take cheap public transportation in an air-conditioned bus (just like the tour bus) to the Great Wall of China, where you can buy your own ticket!! All for a fraction of the cost.

• Find out more about the China Travel apps you will need such as Metro Man and Didi Taxi.

Why You Should Visit The Great Wall from Beijing Using Public Transport

Visiting the Great Wall of China from Beijing by public transport is easy and cheap, but what part of the Great Wall are you going to visit?

There are numerous sites of the Great Wall to visit from Beijing such as Badaling, Mutianyu, Juyongguan, Jinshanling, and Simatai.

This article will focus on the two most well-known and popular attractions, Badaling and Mutianyu.

Badaling Section

The Badaling section of the Great Wall of China is one of the most well-preserved parts of the Great Wall in all of China and a favorite destination for day trips from Beijing. Unfortunately, due to its popularity, it can get very crowded.

Visitors can hike a 5-kilometer round trek loop on the North Wall, which can be steep in certain areas but is generally less challenging when compared to other sections of the Great Wall.

It’s hard to believe that admission to one of the Wonders of the World is only 40 CNY ($6) per person. Remember, tour groups will charge you more, simply for purchasing a ticket you can easily buy yourself.

Surely this proves why you should visit the Great Wall of China independently!

There are additional options for Cable Cars – 140 CNY ($20), and toboggan rides –100 CNY ($15).

While there is also the South Wall at Badaling Great Wall, the best views are along the North Wall. If you’re an avid hiker who wants to hike both, then make sure to start with the South Wall hike first. As it’s not a loop track. You’ll come back the same way before starting on the North Wall hike.

Beijing to Badaling Bus

The first option to visit the Great Wall without a tour group is by getting a bus. Located 75 kilometers away, It takes 1.5 to 2 hours to get to Badaling from Beijing.

Bus 887 departs from Deshengmen Arrow Tower Station to Badaling and costs 12 CNY ($1.50) per person one way. To get to Deshengmen Bus Station by metro take line 2 (dark blue) and get off at Jishuitan.

To ensure you don’t miss the last bus back from Badaling to Beijing, make sure to allow yourself a minimum of 4 hours to complete the loop. Buses start departing at 06.30, and the final return bus leaves at 16.30.

On our 30-day China itinerary, we chose to visit Badaling by bus as this was the cheapest way to visit the Great Wall of China.

We have written a detailed article about how to get to Badaling from Beijing by public bus step by step and what to expect on the hike.

Beijing to Badaling by Train

This is the fastest option to visit the Great Wall from Beijing using public transport, as it takes less than 30 minutes from Beijing to Badaling.

Trains depart from Qinghe Train Station (reachable by metro line yellow 13 and pink 19) and also from Beijing North (Beijing Bei) Train Station, there are no metro lines here.

Tickets cost around 20 CNY ($2.50) per person one way.

It is advisable to book well in advance on trip.com, one of the must-have China travel apps as they tend to sell out quickly.

Mutianyu Section

The Mutianyu Great Wall is often referred to as the “Dragon’s Backbone”. Due to the unique shape of the landscape and steep inclines, it resembles a dragon’s spine, That’s pretty cool right!

This is the second most popular part of the Great Wall in China, the loop hike is a 7.8-kilometer trail with breathtaking views, but it also has some challenging and steep climbs in certain sections.

A small bit more when compared to Badaling, tickets cost 60 CNY ($8) per person which is still very affordable if you want to visit the Great Wall of China on a budget!

Beijing to Mutianyu by Bus

Although it takes a bit more time and effort to get to the Mutianyu Great Wall from Beijing using public transportation, the journey is still manageable and can be easily achieved by every type of traveler.

The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is situated 80 kilometers northeast of Beijing, and to get there visitors need to take a two-bus journey that will take 2 to 3 hours

From Dongzhimen Bus Station, take bus 916. A single ticket costs 15 CNY ($2) per person. The bus stops at the Mutianyu Great Wall Bus Station from where you will walk for 10 minutes towards the entrance gate.

To get to Dongzhimen Bus Station, you can take the metro to Dongzhimen Metro Station, which is served by three lines: Line 2 (Blue), Line 5 (Lilac), and Line 13 (Yellow). Take exit B, and walk for about 5 minutes towards the bus station.

Beijing to Mutianyu by Train

There isn’t a direct train from Beijing to Mutianyu Great Wall, but you can take a train to a nearby station and then transfer to a bus or taxi to reach the wall.

To get to the Mutianyu Great Wall from Beijing, you can take a train from the same two stations you would use to reach Badaling: Qinghe Train Station or Beijing North (Beijing Bei) Train Station. Qinghe Train Station is the only station that can be reached by metro by using either Metro Line Yellow 13 or Metro Line Pink 19.

Tickets cost 12 CNY ($1,50) per person one way on Trip.com, which is unbelievable value when you want to visit the Great Wall of China on a budget!

Even though the train stops at Mutianyu, the train station is called Huairou North (Huairou Bei). Once you arrive at Huairou North Train Station, you must take a taxi or bus to the Mutianyu Great Wall ticket office.

The bus fare from Huairou North Bus Station to Mutianyu Great Wall Ticket Office is 12 CNY ($1,50) on the same bus 916 we mentioned earlier, and the journey takes around 45-60 minutes.

Visit the Great Wall of China on a Budget Summary.

If you have come this far then you must realize by now that it is very possible to visit the Great Wall of China on a Budget. The following 3 points below sum it all up!

• You can visit the Great Wall without a tour group.
• It is easy to visit the Great Wall from Beijing using public transport.
• It is also the cheapest way to visit the Great Wall of China.
• And lastly, it is possible to visit the Great Wall of China on a budget!

The last tip we’d like to share is to start your day trip to the Great Wall early. We arrived at Deshengmen Arrow Tower Station at 08:00 and already there was a long queue.

Fortunately, there is an endless line of buses and a seat for everyone. But if you leave it too late, it will only result in longer wait times for the bus and more crowds at the Great Wall.

Once you’re at the Great Wall, you’ll find plenty of vendors selling food and water before and after you start your hike. There are also water dispensers and vending machines along the way.

However, it’s still a good idea to bring your own water and snacks, especially if you’re planning to visit the Great Wall of China on a budget!

If you’re not convinced to venture out to The Great Wall from Beijing independently but still want to experience the majesty of this World Wonder, then consider booking a private driver or a day tour instead.

Is the Great Wall of China on your bucket list, or are you thinking of visiting one of the Wonders of the World? Well if you have any questions then leave us a comment below, and don’t forget to check out our socials.

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