Beijing Airport to Great Wall: Map and the Best Way

Written by ivana Updated Sep. 12, 2024

The Great Wall is located in the suburbs north of Beijing. The best way to Great Wall from Beijing Airport is usually by taxi or book a private car. While buses are a more economical means of transportation. While buses are a more economical means of transportation.

There is no direct bus service between Beijing Airport and the Great Wall, you will need first to take an airport shuttle bus to the downtown area, then transfer to another bus line to the Great Wall. This requires a lengthy travel time to and from the downtown area，and it‘s possible to encounter traffic jams during peak hours. For visitors with time constraints, we recommend taking a taxi or booking a car directly from the airport to the Great Wall.

How to Get to the Great Wall from Beijing Airport

If you plan to travel from Beijing airport to the Great Wall, please make sure that you have enough time for the visit. Ensure you have at least 5 hours between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm (opening hours of the view spots).

Let's learn more first about the distance and the driveing time from Beijing Airport to the Great Wall.

Beijing Capital International Airport to The Great Wall

To Great Wall	Distance	Time
Mutianyu Great Wall	65km	1h
Badaling Great Wall	60km	1h
Simatai Great Wall	130km	1.5h
Gubeikou Great Wall	138km	1.5h
Jinshanling Great Wall	150km	2h
Huanghuacheng Great Wall	80km	over 1h
Juyongguan Great Wall	68km	1h
Jiankou Great Wall	68km	1h

Beijing Daxing International Airport to The Great Wall

To Great Wall	Distance	Time
Mutianyu Great Wall	140km	2h
Badaling Great Wall	130km	1.5h
Simatai Great Wall	200km	2.5h
Gubeikou Great Wall	220km	over 2.5h
Jinshanling Great Wall	230km	over 2.5h
Huanghuacheng Great Wall	155km	over 2h
Juyongguan Great Wall	120km	1.5h
Jiankou Great Wall	146km	2h

How to Get to the Mutianyu Great Wall From Beijing Airports

The Mutianyu Great Wall is situated in the Huairou District of Beijing, approximately 70 to 75 kilometers away from the city center of Beijing, 65 kilometers from Beijing Capital Airport, and 140 kilometers from Daxing Airport.

Mutianyu Great Wall Opening Hours:

March 16 to November 15: 07:30 - 18:00 on weekdays, 07:30 - 18:30 on weekends.
November 16 to March 15: 08:00 - 17:30.

Below are several transportation options available from the airports Beijing to Mutianyu Great Wall for your consideration.

Option 1: Take a taxi/DiDi Ride-Hailing to the Mutianyu Great Wall.

From Capital Airport: 1h, around 200-250 RMB(for reference only).
From Daxing Airport: 2h, around 380-550 RMB(for reference only).

Option 2: Take on the public transportation (subway + Tourist shuttle bus/public transit) to the Mutianyu Great Wall.

From the Capital Airport: Take the Capital Airport Line on the subway. After passing through 3 stations, you will arrive at Dongzhimen Station(东直门站), upon exiting Dongzhimen Station, and transfer to the Dongzhimen tourist shuttle (departing from the bus stop outside Dongzhimen, departing at 8:30 am daily, with return trips at 4:00 pm) directly to the Mutianyu Great Wall. Alternatively, from the Dongzhimen transportation hub, board Bus 916 (departing at 5:50 am daily), alight at Huairou Beidajie Station, then transfer to Bus H24 to finally arrive at the Mutianyu Great Wall. The entire journey takes approximately 3-4 hours, with an estimated cost of around 100 RMB per person(for reference only).
From the Daxing Airport: Take the subway (Daxing Airport Line), after 2 stops, disembark at Caoqiao Station(草桥站), transfer to Line 19 for 5 stops, alight at Jishuitan Station(积水潭站), then switch to Line 2 for 4 stops, and finally get off at Dongzhimen Station(东直门站). Transfer to the Dongzhimen tourist shuttle (departing from the bus stop outside Dongzhimen) for direct access to the Mutianyu Great Wall. Alternatively, from the Dongzhimen transportation hub, take Bus 916 to Huairou Beidajie Station, then transfer to Bus H24 to reach the Mutianyu Great Wall. The entire journey takes approximately 3-4 hours, with an estimated cost of around 100 RMB per person(for reference only).

Option 3: Take a private transfer with China Travel.

It spares you much hassle. We'll pick you up from your hotel, the airport, the railway station, or any other location. Our travel advisors and guides make every effort to optimize your travel time and ensure you spend the maximum time exploring the Great Wall. Beijing Capital Airport to Mutianyu Great Wall Half-Day Tour.

How to Get to the Badaling Great Wall From Beijing Airports

The Badaling Great Wall is located at the northern entrance of Guandao Valley, Jundu Mountain, Yanqing District, Beijing. It is approximately 70 kilometers from the city center of Beijing, 60 kilometers from Beijing Capital Airport, and 130 kilometers from Daxing Airport.

Badaling Great Wall Opening Hours: Daily 06:30 - 16:30

Below are several transportation options available from the airports Beijing to Badaling Great Wall for your consideration.

Option 1: Take a taxi/DiDi Ride-Hailing to the Badaling Great Wall.

From Capital Airport: Over 1h, around 250-350 RMB.
From Daxing Airport: 2h, around 400-550 RMB.

Option 2: By the subway + high-speed rail to the Badaling Great Wall.

From Capital Airport: Take the Capital Airport Line on the subway. After passing through 3 stations, you will arrive at Dongzhimen Station(东直门站). Transfer to Line 2 and after passing through 5 stations, alight at Xizhimen Station(西直门站). Exit from either A1 or A2 to reach Beijing North Railway Station. Board a high-speed train from Beijing North Railway Station with multiple daily departures, typically running every 1 hour. The origin of the high-speed rail is Beijing North Station with a stop at Badaling Great Wall Station en route. Upon arrival at Badaling Great Wall Station, a walk of approximately 400 meters will lead you to the Badaling Great Wall Scenic Area. The entire journey takes around 2.5 hours, less than 100 RMB per person(for reference only).
From Daxing Airport: Take the Daxing Airport Line on the subway. After passing through 2 stations, you will arrive at Caoqiao Station(草桥站). Transfer to Line 19 and after passing through 5 stations, reach Jishuitan Station(积水潭站). Transfer to Line 2, and after 1 station, arrive at Xizhimen Station(西直门站). Exit from either A1 or A2 to reach Beijing North Railway Station. Board a high-speed train from Beijing North Station with multiple daily departures, usually every 1 hour. The high-speed rail originates from Beijing North Station with a stop at Badaling Great Wall Station en route. After disembarking at Badaling Great Wall Station, a walk of around 400 meters will take you to the Badaling Great Wall Scenic Area. The entire journey takes approximately 2.5 hours, costing less than 100 RMB per person(for reference only).

Option 3: By the subway + Special Bus Route to the Badaling Great Wall.

Bus 877 is the special bus route to the Badaling Great Wall. It runs from 6 am in the morning until noon, operating based on passenger demand. While it is convenient, queues can be extensive during peak seasons, often extending far and making it particularly challenging for elderly and children to wait in line. Additionally, one should be cautious of "fake buses" in the realm of dark tourism, where tourists are frequently deceived.

From Capital Airport: Take the Capital Airport Line on the subway. After passing through 3 stations, you will reach Dongzhimen Station(东直门站). Transfer to Line 2, and after passing through 4 stations, reach Jishuitan Station(积水潭站). Alight and walk towards Deshengmen Arrow Tower to board Bus 877 to the Badaling Great Wall special bus route. The entire journey takes around 3 hours, costing less than 100 RMB per person(for reference only).
From Daxing Airport: Take the Daxing Airport Line on the subway. After passing through 2 stations, you will arrive at Caoqiao Station(草桥站). Transfer to Line 10 and after 1 station, reach Jishuitan Station(积水潭站). Alight and walk towards Deshengmen Arrow Tower to board Bus 877 to the Badaling Great Wall special bus route. The entire journey takes around 3 hours, costing less than 100 RMB per person(for reference only).

Option 4: By the subway + Scenic Area Bus Route to the Badaling Great Wall.

From Capital Airport: Take the Capital Airport Line on the subway. After passing through 3 stations, you will reach Dongzhimen Station(东直门站). Transfer to Line 2, and after passing through 7 stations, arrive at Hepingmen Station(和平门站). Exit from Hepingmen D1 and you will find the bus departure point for the Badaling Great Wall Scenic Area. The entire journey takes around 3 hours, costing 110 RMB per person (including round-trip bus to the scenic area).
From Daxing Airport: Take the Daxing Airport Line on the subway. After passing through 2 stations, you will arrive at Caoqiao Station(草桥站). Transfer to Line 19 and after 1 station, reach Jiaomen West Station(角门西站). Transfer to Line 4 - Daxing Line, pass through 5 stations to reach Xuanwumen Station(宣武门站). Transfer to Line 2, and after a station, reach Hepingmen Station(和平门站). Exit from Hepingmen D1 to find the bus departure point for the Badaling Great Wall Scenic Area. The entire journey takes around 3 hours, costing 120 RMB per person (including round-trip bus to the scenic area).

How to Get to the Simatai Great Wall From Beijing Airports

The Great Wall at Simatai is situated to the north of Simatai Village in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District, Beijing. It lies 130 kilometers away from the capital's airport and 200 kilometers from the Daxing Airport.

Opening Hours: April to October: 08:00 - 18:00； November to March: 08:00 - 17:30

Below are several transportation options available from the airports Beijing to Simatai Great Wall for your consideration.

Option 1: Take a taxi/DiDi Ride-Hailing to Simatai Great Wall.

From Capital Airport: 2h, approximately 400-450 RMB.
From Daxing Airport: 3h, approximately 600-900 RMB.

Option 2: By the subway + express line

From Capital Airport: Take the Capital Airport Line on the subway, after passing through 3 stations, you will arrive at Dongzhimen Station(东直门站). Exiting the station, stroll approximately 1 kilometer to Dongzhimen Wai Bus Station. Board the direct Beijing-Gubei Water Town express line to Gubei Water Town, then walk 2.1 km to Simatai. The entire journey takes around 2.5 hours, costing less than 100 RMB per person(for reference only).
From Daxing Airport: Take the Daxing Airport Line on the subway, after passing through 2 stations, you will arrive at Caoqiao Station(草桥站). Transfer to Line 19, alight at Xingong Station(新宫站) after two stops, switch to Metro Line 4 (Daxing Line), disembark at Xuanwumen Station(宣武门站) after seven stops, transfer to Metro Line 2 (Outer Ring), and finally alight at Dongzhimen Station(东直门站) after eight stops. Exiting the station, stroll approximately 1 kilometer to Dongzhimen Wai Bus Station. Board the direct Beijing-Gubei Water Town express line to Gubei Water Town, then walk 2.1 km to Simatai. The entire journey takes around 3.5 hours, costing less than 100 RMB per person(for reference only).

Simatai Great Wall Night Tour

If you have enough time, we recommend visiting Simatai Great Wall at night, and you can also stay overnight in Gubei Water Town, which is located at the foot of the Simatai Great Wall. Gubei Water Town is a replica of 'Wuzhen', a famous water town in southern China. Here, you can experience traditional Chinese architecture and culture.

For more details about visiting Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town, please click the Night Tour on Unrestored Wild Great Wall.

From Beijing Airports to the Gubeikou Great Wall

Opening Hours: All day
Transportation Option: Taxi/DiDi Ride-Hailing (for reference only): From Capital Airport: 2h, about 350-500 RMB. From Daxing Airport: 3h, approximately 650-1000 RMB.

From Beijing Airports to the Jinshanling Great Wall

Opening Hours: April 1 to October 31, 6:30-18:30, November 1 to March 31, 8:30-16:30
Transportation Option: Taxi/DiDi Ride-Hailing (for reference only): From Capital Airport: 2h, approximately 450-600 RMB. From Daxing Airport: 3h, approximately 700-1000 RMB.

From Beijing Airports to the Huanghuacheng Great Wall

Opening Hours: March 23 to October 15, Working days:(Monday to Friday) 8:30 - 17:00, Holidays: (Saturday and Golden Week) 8:00 - 18:00 (Sunday and the last day of holidays) 8:00 - 17:00; October 16 to March 22, 8:30 - 16:30
Transportation Option: Taxi/DiDi Ride-Hailing (for reference only): From Capital Airport: 1.5h, approximately 200-300 RMB. From Daxing Airport: 2.5h, approximately 400-600 RMB.

From Beijing Airports to the Juyongguan Great Wall

Opening Hours: April 1 to October 31, 8:30 - 17:00; November 1 to March 31, 8:30 - 16:00
Transportation Option: Taxi/DiDi Ride-Hailing (for reference only): From Capital Airport: 1h, approximately 180-280 RMB. From Daxing Airport: 1 hour and 45 minutes, approximately 300-450 RMB.

Explore the Great Wall of China with China Travel

In summary, the first recommended destination from Beijing Airport to the Great Wall should be Mutianyu Great Wall due to its proximity to the airport, and it is also one of the most famous sections with stunning views and fewer tourists.

If you have ample time and want to see the Great Wall at night, the Simatai Great Wall is a wise option. Of course, the choice of how to go to the Great Wall from Beijing Airport ultimately depends on your budget, time, and comfort preference.

We can offer not only transportation services from the airport to the Great Wall，if you want to plan a trip to the Great Wall that is more suitable for you, please feel free to share your travel ideas with us. Or have a look at our newly designed The Great Wall tour packages in Beijing to get inspired: