1 Day To Mutianyu Great Wall

The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is located in Huairou District, Beijing. It connects with the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall in the west and the Gubeikou section in the east. Since ancient times, it has been a crucial military passage for safeguarding Beijing and is known as the “Precarious Ridge and Magnificent Pass”.

The watchtowers in the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall are densely distributed. In the currently open 2,250-meter section of the Great Wall, there are 22 watchtowers. Among them, within a distance of less than 500 meters from Platform 1 (Dajiaolou) to Platform 4 (Zhengguan Terrace), there are 4 watchtowers. This densely distributed pattern of watchtowers is not found in other sections of the Great Wall.

Reference for the Great Wall climbing routes:
Most tourists hike up the Great Wall along the climbing paths. There are two paths in the scenic area, starting from the north and south ticket checkpoints respectively. From the north ticket checkpoint, you can walk to Platform 10 and Platform 8 to climb up the Great Wall; from the south ticket checkpoint, you can walk to Platform 8 and Platform 6 to climb up the Great Wall. The distances of the two paths are similar, about 1,500 meters. If you don’t want to consume too much energy on the paths, you can choose to take the cableway beside the north ticket checkpoint. The upper station of the cableway is near Platform 14.

The currently open section of the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is about 2,250 meters long. The southeast end is Dajiaolou, the first platform of Mutianyu. Walking northwest, you can reach Platform 4 (Zhengguan Terrace) to see the rare structure where three watchtowers stand side by side on one platform. Continuing forward, the wall is relatively flat and easy to walk on, and you can keep walking to Platform 22 at the northwest end. After that, you can take the cableway down the mountain from Platform 14.

For a more peaceful experience, it is recommended to visit in the morning or later in the afternoon. The lighting during these times is also ideal for taking photos.

Take the cable car or chairlift: If you don’t want to climb the steep slopes, you can choose to take the cable car or chairlift. These means of transportation will take you directly to the Great Wall. When going down the mountain, you can choose the toboggan slide, which is an exciting way to end your visit! Take the cable car or chairlift: If you don’t want to climb the steep slopes, you can choose to take the cable car or chairlift. These means of transportation will take you directly to the Great Wall. When going down the mountain, you can choose the toboggan slide, which is an exciting way to end your visit!