Great Wall spots near Beijing

This is the closest section of the great Wall to Beijing, the most thoroughly renovated and is also the most visited. This also means lots of vendors and crowds. Having said that, Badaling is also the section most accessible to people with walking difficulties.

This section has some of the most spectacular scenery, with pointed mountains and jagged cliffs and is ideal for photography. It is also a relatively quiet section with fewer visitors than many other sections. The walk here is quite difficult owing to the much of the wall having had no significant renovation.

This very scenic section mixes both restored Great Wall segments and, later, some segments in its original crumbling state. The steepness of the trail and the crumbling sections make Jinshanling quite a physical walk. Jinshanling also forms part of the popular Jinshanling to Simatai walk. (Simatai has been closed for renovations since June 2010).

Mutianyu is one of the closest sections of the Great Wall to Beijing and is located in one of the most attractive settings. Much of this section is surrounded by forest and jagged peaks, and is particularly attractive in autumn. The Great Wall at Mutianyu has undergone significant restoration. Once you have a arrived at the Mutianyu, you can either walk up to the Great Wall or take the cable car (which also requires a 5-10 minute walk up a steep incline). The choices down from the wall include walking, cable car and a toboggan ride.

Simatai was closed in June 2010 in order to begin restoration and may remain closed for more than 2 years. Simatai formed part of the popular Jinshanling to Simatai walk.

This section is great for viewing the wall in its original and crumbling state and with almost no vendors or noise. The views from the Wohushan section are impressive, both of the rugged mountains and of distant sections of the Great Wall. Little or no reconstruction has been done at this section of the Great Wall and it is one of the least visited.