![\"Great](\"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/great-wall.jpg\" "\\"Great")
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I’ve always been fascinated by the Great Wall of China<\/strong> (\u957f\u57ce, Chang Cheng<\/em> in Mandarin). The first time I had enough time and money to afford an intercontinental travel I took a flight from Paris to Beijing and I went straight away to see the Great Wall section of Mutianyu<\/em>.<\/p>\n This was in February 2008 and since then I’ve visited the Great Wall other four times, once per year.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n The Great Wall has often been compared to a giant dragon that stretches for about 8,850 km. The dragon has its head in Beijing<\/a> and its tail in the desert of Gansu Province, along the silk road.<\/p>\n Even if it’s possible to visit many sections of the Great Wall, each one with its own characteristics, most of the people end up at Badaling<\/em>, Mutianyu<\/em> or Juyongguan<\/em>. <\/p>\n In my opinion this happens because it’s not always clear which are the differences between the sections. Also, few travel agencies go beyond Badaling<\/em> and Mutianyu<\/em>.<\/p>\n This article contains a short review of fourteen sections of the Great Wall. The idea is to help you establishing which section fit better your requirements.<\/strong> <\/p>\n For each section of the wall I limit the information to the following facts: where the section is, how to reach it, how much it costs to enter the site and which are the main characteristics of the section (crowded or quiet, original or renovated, easy to climb or dangerous and so on).<\/strong> <\/p>\n This article obviously doesn’t cover the details you may need to reach a particular spot, especially if you are heading to the less popular sections of the wall. If you have any doubt you can ask me through the comment form below (but keep in mind that I didn’t visit all the sections I list).<\/p>\n A last thing before we start: many of the sections that we’ll review are close to Beijing. Click here in order to find a hotel (or an hostel) that suits your needs<\/a><\/strong> (beside reviewing the best hotels of Beijing, we also review some hotels near the Great Wall).<\/p>\n The Badaling (\u516b\u8fbe\u5cad)<\/em> Great Wall section is situated 80 km northwest Beijing. This is the best preserved and most visited section of the Great Wall of China. Especially in summer it gets extremely crowded and it has been heavily renovated. I’ve been there and I recommend to avoid it if you wish to see the “real” Great Wall. However if your goal is to see a wall of thousands and thousands of Chinese tourists, this is the way to go! <\/p>\n How to reach Badaling:<\/strong> Arrive to the Beijing’s subway station of Jishuitan<\/em> (line 2), walk north till the Deshengmen<\/em> bus station and take the bus number 919 till Badaling<\/em>. You can also reach Badaling<\/em> by train from Beijing North Railway Station. You find the details at Seat61.com<\/a><\/p>\n Admission Fee:<\/strong> 40 Chinese Yuan (November to March) 45 Chinese Yuan (April to October). <\/p>\n Detailed Review:<\/strong> BadalingGreatWall.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Juyongguan (\u5c45\u5eb8\u5173)<\/em> Great Wall section is a mountain pass located 50 km from Beijing. This is another very crowded section and I would avoid it. <\/p>\n How to reach Juyongguan:<\/strong> Arrive to the Beijing’s subway station of Jishuitan<\/em> (line 2), walk north till the Deshengmen<\/em> bus station and take the bus number 919 to Nankou<\/em>. Get off at Nankou Dongjie<\/em> station and take the bus number 68 till Juyongguan<\/em>. <\/p>\n Admission Fee:<\/strong> 45 Yuan (April to October); 40 Yuan (November to March).<\/p>\n Detailed Review:<\/strong> TravelChinaGuide.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Mutianyu (\u6155\u7530\u5cea)<\/em> Great Wall section is located 70 km northeast of Beijing and is connected with Jiankou<\/em> to the west. Although you can reach the wall using the stairs, this section is equipped with a lift. Also, you can ride down through a toboggan. <\/p>\n While Mutianyu<\/em> may be very crowded on Summer, I’ve been there on February and I was alone. Now before to try that notice that the mountains that surround Beijing may be quite cold during the winter (even – 20 Celsius degree and the Siberian wind that will freeze your ass).<\/p>\n Mutianyu<\/em> offers great landscape and represents a good trade-off for people that don’t want to travel too far from Beijing but at the same time would like to visit a section a bit more wild than Badaling<\/em> or Juyongguan<\/em>, especially in winter.<\/strong> <\/p>\n How to reach Mutianyu:<\/strong> The bus number 867 departs from the Dongzhimen<\/em> bus station and arrives directly to Mutianyu<\/em> between March 15 and November 15. In the winter you can take the buses number 936 or 916 till Huairou<\/em>, which is 17 km away from Mutianyu<\/em>. Then you can take a taxi till the wall (around 20 Yuan if you bargain hard). <\/p>\n Admission Fee (simple entrance):<\/strong> 45 Yuan (or 25 Yuan for kids under 12 years old).<\/p>\n Admission Fee (cable car, one way):<\/strong> 80 Yuan (or 45 Yuan kids under 12 years old).<\/p>\n Admission Fee (cable car, round trip):<\/strong> 100 Yuan (or 50 Yuan for kids under 12 years old).<\/p>\n Admission Fee (ascent by lift and descent by toboggan):<\/strong> 100 Yuan (or 60 Yuan for kids under 12 years old).<\/p>\n Admission Fee (descent by toboggan):<\/strong> 80 Yuan (or 60 Yuan for kids under 12 years old).<\/p>\n Detailed Review:<\/strong> Saporedicina.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Simatai (\u53f8\u9a6c\u53f0)<\/em> Great Wall section is located 120 km northeast of Beijing. Simatai<\/em> it’s connected in the west to the Jinshanling<\/em> and the Gubeikou<\/em> Great Wall sections. It offers the possibility of a long hiking (many people choose to sleep up the wall as it takes quite a long time to complete it). <\/p>\n How to reach Simatai:<\/strong> In Beijing take the bus number 980 to Miyun<\/em> from the Dongzhimen<\/em> bus station. Once in Miyun, you need to take a private cab.<\/p>\n Admission Fee:<\/strong> 40 Yuan.<\/p>\n Detailed Review:<\/strong> TravelChinaGuide.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Jinshanling (\u91d1\u5c71\u5cad) Great Wall<\/em> section is located 125 km northeast of Beijing and is connected with the Simatai section to the east. Now you can also reach the highest point along the wall through a cable car. <\/p>\n How to reach Jinshanling:<\/strong> Take the bus number 980 from Beijing Dongzhimen<\/em> bus station to Jinshanling<\/em>. If you don’t find the direct bus (I think it only runs during the Summer), take the bus number 980 (yes, the number is the same) to Miyun<\/em> and then a private cab till Jinshanling<\/em>.<\/p>\n Admission Fee:<\/strong> 55 Chinese Yuan (16 November to 15 March) 65 Chinese Yuan (16 March to 15 November). <\/p>\n Cable Fee:<\/strong> 40 Yuan.<\/p>\n Detailed Review:<\/strong> TravelChinaGuide.com<\/a><\/p>\n Gubeikou (\u53e4\u5317\u53e3)<\/em> is an ancient village 120 km North of Beijing from which depart two sections of the Great Wall: Wohushan<\/em> (\u5367\u864e\u5c71) and Panlongshan<\/em> (\u87e0\u9f99\u5c71). <\/p>\n These sections of the Great Wall haven’t been renovated and so far Panlongshan<\/em> is my favorite spot where hiking the Great Wall. Bryan Feldman, the author of the book Walk the Great Wall<\/a> and founder of the Great Wall Forum<\/a>, claims that Wohushan<\/em> is even better and I believe him even if I didn’t have the time to hike it yet.<\/strong><\/p>\n How to reach Gubeikou:<\/strong> Take the bus number 980 from Beijing Dongzhimen<\/em> bus station to Miyun<\/em>. Once in Miyun<\/em>, either you take a private cab (you can bargain till 120 Yuan) or cross the road and walk one hundred meters till the stop of the bus \u5bc625, which will bring you to Gubeikou<\/em> in less than two hours (and at the cost of 7 Yuan).<\/p>\n Admission Fee:<\/strong> Even if the China Travel Guide<\/em> claims that there is a fee of 25 Yuan, when I went there it was free.<\/p>\n Detailed Review (Panlongshan section):<\/strong> Saporedicina.com<\/a><\/p>\n Detailed Review (Wohushan):<\/strong> TravelChinaGuide.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Jiankou (\u7bad\u6263)<\/em> Great Wall section is located close to the Mutianyu<\/em> section. Jiankou<\/em> literally means “Arrow Nock” and, according to many reviews, offers the most spectacular landscapes and opportunities for photographers.\t<\/p>\n How to reach Jiankou:<\/strong> Take the bus number 916 from Beijing Dongzhimen<\/em> bus station and get off at Huairou Fangshan<\/em>. Over there you will find the bus to Jiankou<\/em>.<\/p>\n Admission Fee:<\/strong> None, however sometimes the local villagers may ask you to pay 10 or 15 Yuan.<\/p>\n Detailed Review:<\/strong> Saporedicina.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Huanghuacheng (\u9ec4\u82b1\u57ce)<\/em> Great Wall section is located 60 km from Beijing and is connected with the Mutianyu<\/em> Great Wall to the east. The park hosting the Huanghuacheng<\/em> section, the latest to become popular among hikers, also hosts a beautiful water reservoir. <\/p>\n How to reach Huanghuacheng:<\/strong> Take the bus number 980 from Beijing Dongzhimen<\/em> bus station and get off at Huairou Dishui<\/em>. Then take the bus till Shuichangcheng<\/em>.<\/p>\n Admission Fee: <\/strong> 45 Yuan.<\/p>\n Detailed Review:<\/strong> Saporedicina.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Huangyaguan (\u9ec4\u5d16\u5173)<\/em> Great Wall section is located 120 km north of Tianjin (click here to read the review of the best hotels in Tianjin<\/a>). Since the wall is built in a very sloppy mountain, in some points it looks like the wall is going straight up (or down).<\/p>\n How to reach Huangyaguan:<\/strong> From Beijing: Take a bus from Sihui<\/em> Bus Station to Jixian County<\/em>. When arrive in Jixian County<\/em>, take a taxi. From Tianjin: Take a bus from Hebei<\/em> Bus Station to Jixian County<\/em>. When arrive in Jixian County<\/em>, take a taxi. It takes one hour to reach the Great Wall.<\/p>\n Admission Fee:<\/strong> 50 Yuan.<\/p>\n Detailed Review:<\/strong> TravelChinaGuide.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Shanhaiguan (\u5c71\u6d77\u5173)<\/em> Great Wall section is the eastern limit of the Great Wall and is famous because it’s where the Great Wall meets the sea, in Hebei Province.<\/strong><\/p>\n How to reach Shanhaiguan:<\/strong> Shanhaiguan<\/em> has a train station<\/a>. There are many direct trains from Beijing. Depending on the train the ride can take from two to six hours. Keep in mind the fastest trains are the class D and choose your train wisely! Here<\/a> you find the scheduling.<\/p>\n Admission Fee: <\/strong> 15 Yuan (November to April); 40 Yuan (May to October).<\/p>\n Detailed Review:<\/strong> WikiTravel.org<\/a><\/p>\n The Zhenbeitai (\u9547\u5317\u53f0)<\/em> Great Wall section is located on Mount Hongshan<\/em>, five km north of Yulin City<\/em> in Shaanxi Province. This is the central part of the Great Wall. The Zhenbeitai<\/em> tower is one of the largest fortresses along the Great Wall.<\/p>\n How to reach Zhenbeitai:<\/strong> Either you take the bus number 3 from Guangji Mansion<\/em> in Yulin<\/em> or you take a taxi.<\/p>\n Admission Fee:<\/strong> 20 Yuan. <\/p>\n Detailed Review:<\/strong> ChinaTour360.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Yanmenguan (\u96c1\u95e8\u5173)<\/em> Great Wall section is situated on Yanmen Mountain<\/em>, in Shanxi Province. Since the east and west side of the mountain face each other, the mountain looks like a huge door. The Yanmenguan<\/em> Pass consists of three towers and it was one of the most important passes of the Great Wall.<\/p>\n How to reach Yanmenguan:<\/strong> By Bus: take a bus from Daixian County<\/em> to Datong<\/em> and get off at Yanmengua<\/em>. You will still have to walk about 2 km to reach the Great Wall. You can also take a cab (about 100 Yuan from Daixian County<\/em>). Here you find the review of the best hotels in Datong<\/a>, in the case you decide to stay there for one or two nights. <\/p>\n Admission Fee: <\/strong> 90 Yuan.<\/p>\n\nGreat Wall of China – Index<\/h3>\n
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Where to visit the Great Wall of China?<\/h2>\n
The head of the Great Wall: Beijing and its neighborhood<\/h2>\n
![\"badaling\"](\"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/badaling.jpg\" "\\"Badaling\\"")
Badaling Great Wall on Summer. A bit crowded, isn’t it?<\/em><\/font><\/p>\nBadaling Great Wall<\/h3>\n
Juyongguan Great Wall<\/h3>\n
![\"mutianyu\"](\"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/mutianyu.jpg\" "\\"Mutianyu\\"")
Mutianyu Great Wall on Winter.<\/em><\/font><\/p>\nMutianyu Great Wall<\/h3>\n
Simatai Great Wall<\/h3>\n
Jinshanling Great Wall<\/h3>\n
![\"panlongshan\"](\"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/panlongshan.jpg\" "\\"panlongshan\\"")
Gubeikou Great Wall on Spring.<\/em><\/font><\/p>\nGubeikou Great Wall<\/h3>\n
Jiankou Great Wall <\/h3>\n
![\"jiankou\"](\"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/jiankou.jpg\" "\\"jiankou\\"")
Jiankou Great Wall.<\/em><\/font><\/p>\nHuanghuacheng Great Wall <\/h3>\n
Huangyaguan Great Wall <\/h3>\n
Where the Great Wall meets the sea<\/h2>\n
Shanhaiguan Great Wall<\/h3>\n
![\"shanhaiguan\"](\"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/shanhaiguan.jpg\" "\\"shanhaiguan\\"")
Shanhaiguan Great Wall.<\/em><\/font><\/p>\nThe back of the dragon <\/h2>\n
Zhenbeitai Great Wall <\/h3>\n
Yanmenguan Great Wall<\/h3>\n