Beijing Great Wall

These sections are equipped with sound tourism facilities, even suitable for kids and seniors. Among them, Badaling is the best-preserved, and famous for its deep-rooted culture, magnificent sights and complete military facilities. You may find many of its pictures in magazines and guide books and printed on stamps. However, during peak travel time like National Day Holiday or Chinese New Year, Mutianyu may be a better destination as Badaling is always flocked with visitors. Juyongguan is one of three most famous passes along Great wall. There, one can also visit some ancient buildings like towers and temples.
 
These sections have also been developed into scenic spots and are popular among visitors, but are less crowded and one can visit at a leisurely pace. Jinshanling and Simatai have been equipped with cableways. But to visit Simatai, you’d better make a reservation on its official website. Shuiguan, literally meaning water gate, is built over a river to defend against enemies coming from waterways. Although the river has disappeared, one can still learn the magnificence of this special defensive construction. In addition to visit the Great Wall near Beijing, Xiangshuihu is a site to learn some traditional Chinese health preserving knowledge.
 

 Recommended tours including the sections:
 Jinshanling Hiking from $121

 Simatai Hiking with Gubei Water Town from $148

 Simatai to Jinshanling Hiking

Wild Great Wall refers to those that have not been reconstructed and thus retain their original appearances. Although they are broken and dilapidated, the vicissitudes of history are fully revealed. They are hot destinations among hiking lovers and adventurous travelers. Among them, Jiankou is the most dangerous but a great site for photography. Huanghuacheng, partially submerged underwater due to the construction of a reservoir, is the only section by water in Beijing. However, it is not officially allowed to hike the wild sections for safety issues and protection work. So when going there, please be careful and do not do any harm to the precious historical relics.
 

 Recommended tours including the sections:
 Huanghuacheng Hiking from $102

 Beijing Knot Hiking：Essence of Jiankou Great Wall from Beijing Knot to Jiankou Spot
 Gubeikou Hiking: 5-6 hours of Hexi Village – Gubeikou  – Jinshanling 
 

The downtown Beijing to Great Wall distance is about 60 – 130 km (35 - 80 mi), so you can get to most of them from Beijing by public transport, private car, or private tour.

Public transport is a nice choice for budget travelers. For example, you can take bus line 877, high speed train or S2 train to Badaling directly; bus 916 Express to Mutianyu with a transfer at Huairou. They are relatively close to downtown, so you can make a day trip. If going further to Jinshanling or Simatai, you need to stay overnight there. 

Or, you can charter a private car and driver to the sites very easily. Usually, the car rental fee is around CNY 700-1,000 for a round-trip to Badaling and Mutianyu, and CNY 1,200 – 1,400 to further sections like Jinshanling and Simatai. 

Other than public transport and private cars, joining a private day tour is a perfect choice for first-time visitors and those who have limited time or worry about language barriers. 

 See also
How to Get to Great Wall from Beijing Airport  

How to Get to Badaling from Downtown 

How to Get to Mutianyu from Downtown

Best Places to See Great Wall of China
 

Please hover over the names on the following tourist map to learn more about the famous sections:

 
 Compared with the sections in other regions, the Great Wall near Beijing is relatively well-preserved. However, its situation is not that good due to nature and human activities. Some bricks and stones are loose and fall down easily, and some even become piles of debris. The natural factors like erosion, rain, winds, and lightning strikes cause damages to the heritage day by day. The shrubs growing on the wall and in the watchtowers cause them to crack and collapse. What's more, the growing number of tourists crowd into the wild sections, which speeds up their disappearance. Though it is favored by film producers, the shooting work brings no good. On the contrary, they leave props here and there. Some people like to put graffiti on the Great Wall, and some even shove bricks and sell them for personal benefits.
 To better protect this human treasure, government, tourists, and local residents should all work together. More laws and regulations should be carried out; tourists should be more careful and bind themselves during the visit; local residents should also stop making benefits from it and pay more attention to its protection in daily life.