Badaling Great Wall Travel Guide: Don't come without a plan!

💖Transportation: ❌Avoid: Beijing Tourist Distribution Center's round-trip bus. Although it costs CNY 80 for a round trip, the parking spot is often far from the attraction. ✅Recommended: Deshengmen 877 bus, which goes directly to Badaling Great Wall. CNY 6 with a card, CNY 12 in cash (children under 1.3m are free, and you can use Alipay to pay for the bus). Operating hours: Deshengmen to Badaling Great Wall 06:00–12:00, Badaling Great Wall to Deshengmen 10:30–17:00 (from Deshengmen, exit from Jishuitan Subway Station Exit B2, and walk to Deshengmen Arrow Tower to take the bus). 💖Cable car: ❌Avoid: Round-trip cable car tickets. The queue is super long, like the queue for popular rides at Disney and Universal, and there is no waiting time reminder at the entrance. If you take a 2-minute cable car from the back mountain to the North Sixth Floor and want to return to the front mountain after climbing to the North Twelfth Floor, you will have to climb back to the North Sixth Floor to take the return cable car, which is tiring and requires queuing for one or two hours. Many people choose a one-way ticket (buy a cable car or slide down the mountain when tired) instead. 💖When to visit: ❌Avoid Monday: All major attractions in Beijing are closed on Monday, so many people will arrange to visit Tiananmen and the Great Wall, making it very crowded. 💖ID: ✅Bring: ID cards for all travelers, including adults who buy tickets (can enter in the morning or afternoon) and minors, seniors, etc. who are free. 💖Summer heat and rain preparation: ✅Heat: You can fill a thermos with ice cubes and add your favorite drink. ✅Rain: If rain is forecast, prepare disposable raincoats in advance, as they are expensive at the attraction.