If it weren’t for the Great Wall, I’m not entirely sure Beijing would be the tourist mecca that it is today. I mean, Beijing does have some famous places to see, but the city itself didn’t impress me as much as some of the others. But, visiting the Great Wall of China is a bucket list item. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of The New Seven Wonders of the World. But there are different parts of the wall that you can visit and one that I’d definitely recommend is the Great Wall at Mutianyu.
About the Great Wall
Over the years, the Great Wall has been built, rebuilt, restored, eroded and improved. Which is understandable considering the earliest known parts of the wall were constructed during the 7th century. The first Emperor of China contributed to the construction sometime around 200 B.C. But the majority of the wall that still exists, is from the Ming dynasty (1300-1600’s).
Today, there are several parts of the wall that have been restored. The majority of tourists who flock to Beijing end up at the section of Badaling. It’s a 45-minute drive outside of Beijing, is the most well-preserved part of the wall, the most accessible (with tourist buses coming to and fro) and therefore, the most crowded.
That’s why you should venture out to get an entirely different experience of the Great Wall. Head about an hour and a half outside Beijing to Mutianyu.
5 reasons to see the Great Wall at Mutianyu:
1. You get to have your own private driver for the day.
Your only option to get to Mutianyu is to hire a driver for the day. Unless you want the convenience (and uncomfortable nature) of the tourist buses. You agree on a set price for the day and are taken directly to the entrance. You have help getting your tickets, then are free to explore at your leisure. After a long morning and afternoon of walking, you walk directly back to your car and are taken home. No crowds. No waiting. And you are dropped off at the door of your hotel. Definitely worth the money.
2. If you get there early, you are essentially the only ones there.
My mom, my sister and I arrived in the morning around 9 or so and there was no one there. There were several options to get up to the wall. We finally decided that, no, we absolutely did not want to do anymore hiking than we would already have to and paid for the cable car up to the higher part of the wall (Mind you, we had already hiked Mount Huashan at this point). Well, it seems the majority of people decide to hike up the wall and not down. This meant there was no one in sight for most of the morning.
If you want to try and get great photos with no one in them, go to Mutianyu. And go when the grass doesn’t look like a drought has hit.
3. Plenty of restored and unrestored wall to explore at your heart’s content.
Though Badaling has the most restoration done, there is no shortage at Mutianyu. We walked and explored for several hours and nearly all of it was restored. There were a few parts that hadn’t been restored yet and that actually gave it more authenticity.
4. The scenery is more dramatic.
The further away you get from Beijing, the higher the mountains and the more dramatic the landscape gets. Though I would potentially recommend visiting the Great Wall of China towards the later part of the day when the sun is setting, so you aren’t shooting straight into the sun (though you might risk more of a crowd then).
5. There is a slide going down from the Great Wall!
Instead of hiking back down or taking a cable car, there is an option to take a slide down to the parking lot. This was a lot of fun but definitely try to wait for the person in front of you to get a decent head start (and hope you don’t get behind someone who rides the brake!).
Tips for visiting the Great Wall of China:
- If you get there early, you will have it mostly to yourself. (Though you might be shooting into the sun at some point)
- Bring snacks and water! There aren’t any pop up shops on the Great Wall (that I saw anyway), so definitely make sure to bring food and water with you!
- If you want more of the wall to yourself, take the cable car up to the highest spot and hike down not up! (plus, you’ll still have to go up at some point)
- Ride the roller coaster slide thing down! It is the only part of the wall to have this and it is quite fun!
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