This summer my 12-year-old niece came to Beijing to stay for a few days. Of course we had to show her the highlights of Beijing. One of the must-go spots was definitely the Great Wall. She only knew the Badaling section, just like most Chinese people. Badaling is constantly packed with domestic tourists, which was why I refused to take her there. My favourite segment is Jinshanling, but it is an hour farther than Mutianyu. What's more, I wanted to ride the slide at Mutianyu. So Mutianyu it was!

A brief introduction of Mutianyu Great Wall:

Known for the reputation “Of all Great Wall sections, Mutianyu stands unrivalled”，Mutianyu Great Wall lies in Huairou District, 73 km from central Beijing. Constructed in 1368 by General Xu Da atop Northern Qi Great Wall ruins, it stretches 5,400 metres. Uniquely positioned as a vital military stronghold, it connects Gubeikou to the east and Juyongguan to the west. Listed as a World Heritage Site in 1987, it is a spectacular 5A-level scenic spot embodying the charm of the Ming Great Wall.

Mutianyu Great Wall Tourist Area Panoramic Guide Map

As soon as Mutianyu was declared to reopen at 14:00 on 12 July after a 2.5-day closure due to heavy storms, we planned to set off straight away. After a 1.5-hour drive, we arrived at Mutianyu's parking lot at around 13:50. We walked to the service zone first and then went through the commercial street. The street was equipped with restaurants, cultural & creative merchandise stores, restrooms and other amenities for visitors to dine, shop and take breaks. Upon exiting the commercial street, we took the shuttle bus to the Great Wall entry gate, which took a few minutes.

Then the embarrassing incident happened! Prior to our visit, I had booked an online combo ticket for the uphill cableway(chairlift) and downhill slide(toboggan). I mistakenly assumed the cableway referred to the cable car, so we followed the ground signs pointing toward the cable car entrance. When we got to the ticket checkpoint, staff informed us our tickets were valid for the chair cableway operated by a separate company, not the cable car.

I felt utterly embarrassed. In my niece's view, I am supposed to be a seasoned travel professional, yet my last trip to Mutianyu dated back 21 years. I took neither the cable car nor the cableway back then. Besides, I haven't been hands-on with travel operations for ages… 

For your reference, below are photos of Mutianyu's cable cars taken from the scenic area's official Wechat account:

We then had to walk several minutes back to the correct cableway entrance. 

And this is a photos of the open-air cableway chairs(chairlift) we rode on:

Upon exiting the cableway station, we followed the left-hand signs leading to the Great Wall entrance.

Then we noticed the sign and turned left, as there were more sights ahead for us to visit.

Here are the Great Wall pictures!

When we got near Watchtower 14, we spotted the cable cars and quite a crowd of tourists gathered there.

We made our way back to the cableway and slide station for the downhill slide ride. It was really enjoyable, and the speed felt much faster than it seemed from above. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult while riding the slide in a two-person slide car.

Then we took the shuttle bus back, followed by a pleasant drive home.

Tips for Foreign Travelers

You may purchase your tickets (entrance ticket + shuttle bus + cable car / cableway/slideway) online in advance; Trip.com is the most convenient platform for this.You may need to search separately for cableway and slideway tickets on the booking page. Alternatively, you may scan on-site QR codes to buy tickets upon arrival for greater flexibility.

Always keep your passport handy, as it may be requested for verification. This rule is enforced at almost every scenic site across Beijing.

Some route options for your reference:

Cableway uphill + slideway downhill (the route I took)

Cableway uphill + cable car downhill

Cable car uphill + cable car / slideway downhill

You are free to pick any combination you prefer. Hiking is also an option: after alighting from the shuttle bus, follow the hiking trail markers. Multiple downhill footpaths branch off the Great Wall are along the trail, allowing you to hike down. all. According to the official WeChat account of Mutianyu Great Wall, each ascending footpath has roughly 1,100 stone steps, and it takes around 40 minutes for visitors to climb up to the Great Wall.

Physical postcard-style admission tickets are optional souvenirs only. You can enter the scenic area smoothly merely with your electronic QR code together with your passport, no need to claim paper tickets at collection locations.

Yours Truly

Angie Guo - Charmission Travel