Badaling Great Wall (八达岭长城)

Attraction · Beijing. Climb the famous Badaling section; daytime and night tickets have different rules.

Source: https://chinafootnotes.com/places/badaling-great-wall · Data checked 2026-10-06 · Rendered for 2026-10-08 (Asia/Shanghai). Facts carry their status; "not found yet" means we searched and found no reliable source.

Why go

Badaling Great Wall (八达岭长城) is the best-known restored wall section northwest of Beijing. Its north and south tower routes start from the Badaling pass, with steep climbs and broad mountain views. This listing covers Badaling proper; Shuiguan and the Ancient Great Wall nearby are separately ticketed sites, and the seasonal night tour is another product.

What to do

• Choose north or south. At Badaling pass, choose the north or south wall route based on your available time and stamina. The north route reaches the popular Hero Slope area.
• Ride up if needed. The north ropeway reaches North Tower 7, close to the Hero Slope, and the south cableway reaches South Tower 4. Check the lift product separately from the ordinary wall admission ticket.
• Make the rail transfer. Travel from central Beijing to Qinghe Station and take a high-speed train to Badaling Great Wall Station. Leave time to walk from the station and return before the last train.

• Don't miss: Do not confuse Badaling with nearby Shuiguan Great Wall; both appear in the same government ticket directory.

• Best time: Early, before the tour groups
• Skip if: Skip if a long steep ascent or busy visitor flow would spoil the visit.

Practical details

• Hours: 06:30–16:30 peak · 07:30–16:00 off-peak
• Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 06:30–16:30
• Apr–Oct (04-01 to 10-31), Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 06:30–16:30
• Nov–Mar (11-01 to 03-31), Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 07:30–16:00
• Bendibao (15 Jul 2025) repeats 06:30–16:30 and 07:30–16:00 and lists the open stretch as North Tower 12 to South Tower 7.5.
• Some 2026 aggregator pages give 19:00 or 18:00 closing times; they match no operator or government page and are not used.
• Admission: Ticketed · ¥40 peak / ¥35 off-peak
• Adult peak: ¥40 (Apr–Oct)
• Adult off-peak: ¥35 (Nov–Mar)
• North ropeway to North Tower 7 or 8, one way: ¥100 — Round trip ¥140; Visit Beijing (Sept 2024) and a Jul 2026 tour-bus company's guide agree on these prices. Sources differ on the upper station: North Tower 7 (北七楼) in some pages and North Tower 8 (北八楼) in others.
• South cableway to South Tower 4, one way: ¥100 — Round trip ¥140; one government-portal source (Sept 2024). Not included in the wall ticket.
• Concession: Eligible discounted visitor ¥20 (Valid ID in peak season; off-peak ¥17.5)
• Free: Visitors under 18 or aged 60+ (Valid age ID under government policy)
• Cable car and night tour are separate products.
• Toboggan prices differ between pages (¥30 one way and ¥60 round trip on Visit Beijing in 2024; ¥80 one way on 2026 aggregator pages), so no toboggan price is listed.
• Booking: Book online ahead; on-site sales also listed
• Badaling ticket window (八达岭长城现场售票)
• Operator foreign-visitor ticket link (opens Trip.com) (外籍人购票（链接至 Trip.com）) — https://www.trip.com/travel-guide/attraction/beijing/badaling-great-wall-75596/?locale=en_xx&curr=US
• Badaling Great Wall (长城内外旅游) — WeChat → search 长城内外旅游 → Badaling tickets (People's Daily Client, May 2024: passport and overseas phone number supported) · passport: yes
• Passport accepted: yes — People's Daily Client (May 2024) says the 长城内外旅游 online platform takes a passport and an overseas phone number. Haibao News (Jul 2024) quotes Badaling staff that foreign visitors have the same no-reservation policy; the 'bring your passport to the manual window' quote in that report is from Beihai Park staff, not Badaling. 桃李不言 (Mar 2026), transiting Beijing with her child, writes that an online ticket bought with a foreign passport has to be exchanged for a physical ticket at the entrance.
• The Beijing government's English listing (Mar 2026) says no reservation is required and tickets can be bought on site. In 2024 Badaling's visitor centre told Haibao News that foreigners get the same no-reservation policy. The operator's home page also offers online purchase and a separate foreign-visitor ticket link, and the 长城内外旅游 platform accepts passports and overseas phone numbers (People's Daily Client, May 2024).
• Beijing Bendibao (page dated 16 Sep 2025) writes that a reservation is needed and that tickets can be bought through the 长城内外旅游 mini-program and other channels; several 2026 Chinese content pages say the same and that there is no ticket window. The operator's body pages could not be read (HTTP 401), so walk-in availability on weekends and holidays is not guaranteed.
• A 2022 Bendibao explainer says passport holders who book online exchange the passport at the comprehensive service window near the entrance for an electronic ticket.
• 桃李不言 (Mar 2026) writes: 旺季门票需提前七天网上预约，淡季可提前一天网上订票或者现场购买 (peak-season tickets must be booked online seven days ahead; off-season tickets one day ahead or on site), which is another statement for the 'reservation needed' side; the municipal listing says no reservation is required.
• Last admission: Last entry not published
• Time to allow: 2–4 hr on wall; full-day outing
• Getting there: Train via Qinghe to Badaling Great Wall Station
• Show a taxi driver: 北京市延庆区八达岭长城景区
• The S2 suburban line now starts at Nankou instead of Huangtudian (from 25 Oct 2025) and stops at Badaling Station, not Badaling Great Wall Station; use the high-speed train from Qinghe or Beijing North.
• Beijing Daily (4 Oct 2026) gives about 20 minutes from Qinghe Station to Badaling Great Wall Station; Matt Turk gives 20 to 30 minutes from Qinghe or Beijing North.
• Bus 877 is reported (飞虎仔 Sep 2025, 清风 Dec 2025) to leave from Beitucheng station (Lines 8/10, Exit E) at ¥6 by QR code or ¥12 in cash, about 70–90 minutes; older guides still list Deshengmen.
• Foreign visitors: Passport online; on-site sales without reservation

Not found yet

• lastAdmission: Published closing times do not identify a last entry; some 2026 aggregator pages say ticket sales stop at 17:00 or 16:30 but cite no operator notice and give 19:00 closing times that conflict with the municipal listing. (searched: operator website, Beijing municipal listing, Bendibao)
• foreignVisitors.english.audioGuide: A 2024 news report mentions translation devices at key points but no page says where to hire a Badaling audio guide or its price. (searched: People's Daily Client, Haibao News / Tencent News)
• booking.channels[0].passport: No source read says whether a passport is the ID shown or entered at the on-site window. (searched: Beijing government English listing, Haibao News / Tencent News, operator home page (front-end code), People's Daily Client)
• booking.channels[1].passport: No source read says whether a passport is the ID shown or entered at the Trip.com foreign-visitor link. (searched: Beijing government English listing, Haibao News / Tencent News, operator home page (front-end code), People's Daily Client)

Traveler tips

• Buy the correct Great Wall ticket. Search for 八达岭长城, not 水关长城 or 八达岭古长城. The Beijing government lists Badaling day admission at ¥40 in April–October and ¥35 in November–March. The operator offers both real-name online purchase and on-site sales. Caveat: Chris Lee (tripchina.me, Sep 2026 update) says gate tickets are available without advance booking but recommends booking ahead for weekends and holidays; the site lists booking partners, so it is not counted as independent. Several 2026 Chinese guides claim every visitor must reserve in the 长城内外旅游 mini-program and that there is no ticket window; the municipal English listing and the 2024 Haibao report say no reservation is needed. The conflict is shown, not resolved. source
• Take the high-speed train, not the old S2. From Qinghe Station (清河站) or Beijing North Station (北京北站), take a high-speed train to Badaling Great Wall Station (八达岭长城站). The ride takes 20 to 30 minutes and costs about ¥18–¥31. Book on 12306 or Trip.com and enter your passport details when you buy. The platform is deep underground, so allow time for the long escalators up to the station hall. Caveat: Matt Turk (2026 edition) and Mark Smith (Seat61, 2025 timetables) both give the 20–30 minute ride and a passport booking path; Seat61 puts the fare at ¥27 standard and ¥44 first class and Turk at ¥18–¥31, so exact fares depend on the train and date. Neither page shows a day-level date. Seat61 also gives a 34-minute journey from Beijing North and a platform 102 m underground. (2 travelers) source
• The S2 no longer runs from central Beijing. The S2 suburban train now starts at Nankou Station (南口站) instead of Huangtudian Station (黄土店站), which was the old city-side end. It also stops at Badaling Station (八达岭站), a different station from Badaling Great Wall Station (八达岭长城站). For a short trip from the city, use the high-speed train from Qinghe or Beijing North. Caveat: Beijing News (20 Oct 2025) says the S2 changed on 25 Oct 2025 because of Northeast Ring construction and gives no end date. Seat61 says the S2 is suspended for one to two years, but the Beijing News notice of 30 Sep 2026 shows the S2 running five pairs of trains a day on 1–7 Oct between Nankou and Yanqing, so only the Huangtudian end is cut. Older guides, including a Sept 2024 Visit Beijing page, still list Huangtudian departures. 肥仔周游记 (Nov 2025) confirms the Huangtudian departure ended on 25 Oct 2025 and says to avoid the S2; min (Nov 2025) found it only ran to the suburbs and the platform was a long walk. Before the change, 研究森 (Oct 2025) liked the S2 at ¥7 and 佑子漫记拾光 (Mar 2025) found it crowded with standing passengers; anonymous commenters say it is cancelled quickly in bad weather and lacks step-free access at Huoying. 肥仔周游记's post promotes a souvenir shop and is counted as commercial. (4 travelers) source
• Choose the north or south wall before climbing. From the Badaling pass, the north route climbs to North Tower 8 (北八楼), the highest point; the south route is gentler, and you may find it better for older visitors and children. The open stretch runs from North Tower 12 to South Tower 7.5. Choose a turnaround tower before you start, because the stairs are steep and uneven. Caveat: Bendibao (15 Jul 2025) lists the open range; its 'four entry points' wording comes from a COVID-era arrangement and is not used. The 2026 north/south description comes from the operator homepage. source
• Know what the Hero Slope really is. The Hero Slope (好汉坡) is the stretch between North Tower 7 and North Tower 8, near the stone that reads 不到长城非好汉. A 2026 tour-bus company's guide measures it at about 1,500 m from the pass to North Tower 8, with a 228 m rise, and describes some steps as knee-high while others are too shallow to plant a foot. That guide counts 3 to 4 hours on foot for the round trip; with the north cable car to North Tower 7, under 10 minutes of climbing and about 1 to 1.5 hours in all. Caveat: A single commercial author (巴士达, Jul 2026, a tour-bus operator promoting its own shuttle). The figures are not operator data; the guide also says to avoid 10:00–14:00. source
• Price the lifts before you queue. The north ropeway (北线索道) runs from the Gun Tian Gou parking area to North Tower 7 in about 8 minutes. The south cableway (南线缆车) is a ground-level car from near the Zhan Tianyou memorial hall to South Tower 4. The toboggan (滑车) is a gravity-driven rail cart for the ride back down. A daytime entrance ticket does not include any of them, and the lift is separate from the wall ticket. Caveat: Visit Beijing (Sept 2024) lists both lifts at ¥100 one way and ¥140 round trip and the toboggan at ¥30 one way and ¥60 round trip; 巴士达 (Jul 2026, a tour-bus company) gives the same north ropeway prices. Posts by 红彤彤不红 and 苏斐的世界 (Sep 2025), 戴黎婷 (Sep 2025) and 肥仔周游记 (Nov 2025) give the toboggan as ¥80 one way, on site only, and 戴黎婷 and 肥仔周游记 add ¥120 round trip, while the cable car and chairlift are ¥100 and ¥140; three of those posts promote a souvenir shop or a tour-bus coach and are counted as commercial, so the toboggan price is not settled and no lift price is entered in the structured fields. source
• Note the seasonal gate hours. The municipal listing gives 06:30–16:30 for April through October and 07:30–16:00 for November through March. The closing time is not a promised last-admission time. Arrive well before it. Caveat: Bendibao (15 Jul 2025) repeats the same hours. Some 2026 aggregator pages give 19:00 or 18:00 closing times; those figures match the night-tour programme or no published operator source, so they are not used. source
• Carry age-discount proof. The government guide lists free entry for under-18s, visitors aged 60 or over and visitors with disability documents. The discounted ticket is ¥20 in peak months and ¥17.5 off-peak; the government page does not name the group, and Beijing Bendibao says it is the student ticket. Show the qualifying document at the ticket window or gate; do not assume the discount is applied automatically online. Caveat: 红彤彤不红 (Sep 2025) writes that people aged 60 or over enter free; 苏斐的世界 (Sep 2025) writes free entry for under-18s and over-60s and half price for university students with a student card, and 桃李不言 (Mar 2026) the same; none says whether foreign passports qualify. 红彤彤不红 and 苏斐的世界 are counted as commercial. source
• Keep night entry separate. Badaling’s night tour is a seasonal event with its own evening entry and ticket. Do not rely on daytime opening hours or a regular day ticket for a night visit; read the current dated event notice. Caveat: The 2026 night season and the rail-ticket discount are listed in the dated updates; they expire after 6 October. source
• No reservation needed for foreign visitors, per city and staff. The Beijing government's English listing says no reservation is required and tickets can be bought on site. In 2024 Badaling's visitor centre told Haibao News that foreign visitors get the same no-reservation policy. Online, the operator's home page links foreign visitors to a Trip.com ticket page, and the 长城内外旅游 platform takes a passport or permanent-resident card and an overseas phone number (People's Daily Client, May 2024). Caveat: Neither 2024 report says what ID is shown at the on-site window, and no recent foreign visitor describes buying a ticket here. Chinese guides from 2025–26 say reservation is mandatory; that conflict is not resolved. The 'bring your passport to the manual window' quote in the Haibao report is from Beihai Park staff, not Badaling. source
• Cash, foreign cards and phone wallets are reported accepted. Haibao News (Jul 2024) reports that Badaling supports cash, foreign cards, Alipay and WeChat Pay. People's Daily Client (May 2024) quotes the operator on a bilingual signage system and translation devices at key points on the site. Caveat: Both reports are from 2024 and quote the operator; no visitor account of paying with a foreign card at Badaling was found. source
• Start before 08:00 and avoid midday. A tour-bus company's guide (Jul 2026) suggests arriving before 08:00 or after 15:00 and avoiding 10:00–14:00, when the wall and the lifts are busiest. Ride up early and walk or slide back down. Caveat: 巴士达 (Jul 2026) is a tour-bus operator selling its own shuttle, so it is not counted as independent. The two-hour queue figure is from a 2026 Trip.com user post (SeelanandBrenda, 17 Aug) on a page without post URLs, so it is not counted. momo (Feb 2026) queued over half an hour for the cable car at about 10:00 and was pushed along at Tower 7, spending most of two hours in queues; 夏草姑娘 (Oct 2025) queued at least two hours; 苏斐的世界 (Sep 2025) says the cable-car queue peaks at 09:00–11:00. An anonymous commenter says the wall is nearly empty from 15:00–16:00 once the tour groups leave. (2 travelers) source
• Do not mix up the two Badaling stations. Badaling Great Wall Railway Station (八达岭长城站) is the high-speed station next to the south cable car. Badaling Station (八达岭站) is the old S2 station and a separate stop. Check the Chinese name on the ticket before you pay, because the English names look almost the same. Caveat: Chris Lee (tripchina.me) warns about the two names; Seat61 describes the old station as a separate stop roughly 260 m away. The tripchina.me author is not counted as independent. source
• Walk past the first tower to leave the crowd. A visitor who took the high-speed train found the first tower crowded and the section after it completely empty, 10 minutes' walk past the crowd. Caveat: One commenter in March 2026. Comment dates on Reddit are the thread's post date. source
• Bus 877 now starts at Beitucheng, not Deshengmen. Several authors say the 877 bus to Badaling now leaves from beside Beitucheng station (Lines 8 and 10, Exit E) and no longer from Deshengmen, where the old stop now has only the Tourist Distribution Center coaches at a higher price. 飞虎仔 (Sep 2025) paid ¥6 each by Alipay or WeChat scan instead of ¥12 in cash, for about 70 minutes to the ticket office; 清风 (Dec 2025) says 1.5 hours and ¥12. Departures roll as the bus fills, and returns run to Beitucheng. Caveat: Authors disagree on where it stops: 飞虎仔 says at the ticket office, while 清风 and 戴黎婷 describe a stop in the back hills that is a 30–40 minute walk from the cable car and gate. Older guides, and 桃李不言 (Mar 2026), still say Deshengmen with a ¥12 cash fare. An anonymous commenter says 877 has no bus before 12:30 from some stops; check the timetable. 肥仔周游记's post promotes a souvenir shop and is counted as commercial, so the claim rests on 飞虎仔, 清风 and the comments. (4 travelers) source
• Getting back: 877 beats the tourist coach and the S2. min (Nov 2025) found the high-speed return sold out or two hours away, the S2 a walk of more than a kilometre to a platform from which the line now runs only to the suburbs, and the ¥50 tourist coach to the Bird's Nest or Deshengmen waiting an hour to fill before leaving; commenters point to the 877, ¥6 by Alipay, with rolling departures and a direct run to the subway or the Bird's Nest. 🐑风微扬 (Jul 2025) also rates the 877 the best option and says to ask staff where it leaves and follow the signs. 肥仔周游记 (Nov 2025) says the toboggan ends near the 877 stop, about 30 minutes' walk from the high-speed station. Caveat: Single-day experiences; the 877 comments on min's post are anonymous. Buy a return high-speed ticket in advance if you rely on it, because afternoon returns can sell out. 肥仔周游记's post promotes a souvenir shop and is counted as commercial. (2 travelers) source
• Match the lift to how you travel. 戴黎婷 (Sep 2025) found that cars and the 877 drop you about 2 km, a 30–40 minute walk, from the cable car, while the toboggan is a few minutes away and can be bought on site; so she rode the toboggan to North Tower 4, walked to Tower 8 and came down the path. 红彤彤不红 (Sep 2025) suggests the cable car plus a walk for people returning by high-speed train and a walk plus toboggan for people returning by bus. 夏草姑娘 (Oct 2025) says a taxi can only reach the shuttle stop, where a free bus takes you in, and that a night in the hotel at the station gives a quiet 06:30 cable car. Caveat: Distances are the authors' estimates; the high-speed station exit is next to the cable-car stations (see the station tip). (2 travelers) source
• Walk up, ride down, and buy one-way lift tickets. 桃李不言 (Mar 2026) walked up to North Tower 8 and took the cable car down from Tower 7, saying the crowd thickens suddenly where the cable-car route joins and around Tower 8. 清风 (Dec 2025) advises buying only one-way cable tickets because a return ticket forces you to come down at Tower 7, and 肥仔周游记 (Nov 2025) says an unused leg can be refunded at the on-site office. Caveat: Single authors; the refund is the author's report and the cable-car company's rule was not read. 肥仔周游记's post promotes a souvenir shop and is counted as commercial, so the refund report is not counted as independent. (2 travelers) source
• Beyond Tower 8 the crowd thins, but the path is steep. lady小花花 (Nov 2025) says the whole north line to North Tower 12 takes 2–3 hours (2 hours 38 minutes with stops) and that after Tower 8 she met only one or two people; 清风 (Dec 2025) also recommends going on to Tower 12 and coming back to Tower 11 to leave. Both stress non-slip shoes because some stretches are slippery slopes, and say the bus exit and the high-speed exit are in different gates, so check the signs. Caveat: Winter experiences; an anonymous commenter says Towers 8–11 are steep, and that anyone returning to the high-speed station should go back the way they came rather than leave at Tower 11, which ends 5–6 km from it. lady小花花's post promotes a souvenir shop and is counted as commercial. source
• Foreign passport: an online ticket may need exchanging at the entrance. 桃李不言 (Mar 2026), who transited Beijing with her child, writes that an online ticket bought with a foreign passport has to be exchanged for a physical ticket at the entrance. 夏草姑娘 (Oct 2025) writes that visitors without an ID card need a paper ticket, and 粉红爆 (Oct 2025) says holders of an online ticket with a Chinese ID card can swipe it at the cable car. Caveat: Only one 2026 author mentions a foreign passport; 夏草姑娘 does not say whether she means online tickets or foreign passports, and 粉红爆 describes a Chinese ID card. 桃李不言 also writes that peak-season tickets must be booked online seven days ahead, which differs from the municipal listing; the 2022 Bendibao explainer likewise describes exchanging a passport at the service window. (3 travelers) source
• Free luggage lockers near the walking entrance. 桃李不言 (Mar 2026) says there are free lockers in three sizes at the entrance for people who climb on foot, in front of the Qingfeng baozi shop, opened by scanning a QR code. Caveat: One author; hours and any time limit were not stated. source
• Do not buy a 'Hero certificate' at the entrance. 苏斐的世界 (Sep 2025) warns that the ¥15 'Good Hanzi' certificates sold at the entrance are not the official ones, which are issued at North Tower 8. Caveat: One author's claim, from a post that recommends a tour-bus coach and is counted as commercial; it was not checked against the operator. source

Sources

• Badaling Great Wall Scenic Area
• Beijing Municipal Government (published 2026-03-20)
• Beijing Municipal Government (published 2026-04-24)
• Visit Beijing (published 2023-04-17)
• People's Daily Client Beijing Channel (via China Tourism News) (published 2024-05-28)
• Haibao News (via Tencent News) (published 2024-07-05)
• Beijing News (新京报) (published 2025-10-20)
• Beijing Daily Client (via Tencent News) (published 2026-10-04)
• Visit Beijing (published 2024-09-20)
• Beijing Bendibao (北京本地宝) (published 2022-07-15)
• Beijing Bendibao (北京本地宝) (published 2025-07-15)
• Beijing Bendibao (北京本地宝) (published 2026-09-26)
• 巴士达 (published 2026-07-22)
• Chris Lee (tripchina.me) (published 2026-05-30)
• Matt Turk (Little Grey Box)
• The Man in Seat 61
• Kind_Pepper_1234 (published 2026-03-11)
• The Beijing News (新京报) (published 2026-09-30)
• Trip.com
• 飞虎仔 (published 2025-09-30)
• 肥仔周游记 (published 2025-11-27)
• 清风 (published 2025-12-30)
• min (published 2025-11-10)
• 郭岳华 (published 2025-07-29)
• 🐑风微扬~~~ (published 2025-07-21)
• 戴黎婷 (published 2025-09-12)
• 红彤彤不红 (published 2025-09-27)
• 夏草姑娘 (published 2025-10-22)
• 桃李不言 (published 2026-03-23)
• lady小花花 (published 2025-11-20)
• 粉红爆 (published 2025-10-05)
• 苏斐的世界 (published 2025-09-29)
• 研究森 (published 2025-10-03)
• 佑子漫记拾光 (published 2025-03-22)
• momo (published 2026-02-09)
• Beijing Bendibao (北京本地宝) (published 2025-09-16)

More places

• More in Great Wall: Mutianyu Great Wall